'You are now ready to begin your slavery,' he said. 'Your name is 'Lita'.' 'Yes, Master,' I said. I was now no longer 'Tatrix.' I was 'Lita.' would respond well to this name. It had many memories for me. It almost turned me inside out with love for Drusus Reneius.
'You may serve me wine, Lita,' he said.
'Yes, Master,' I said.
A few moments later I knelt, lovingly, at the side of the curule chair. Reucius held the goblet of wine. I had even been permitted to drink from it, from the side opposite to that which had touched his lips.
'I know that you may not believe this,' I said, 'and I do not wish to be struck for saying it, but I love you.'
'Now that you are my slave, and are in my collar,' he said, 'it doesn't matter, one way or the other, does it?'
'I suppose not,' I smiled. 'But I do love you.'
'I thought you might,' he said.
'Why did you resist my advances in Corcyrus?' I asked.
'You were not toying with me?' he asked.
'No,' I said.
'There were many reasons,' he said. 'There was a discrepancy in our stations. I thought you a Tatrix. I was only a soldier. Too, deception was involved in my post. I was truly serving Argentum, and Ar, not Corcyrus. Too, though in a part of me I recognized the slave in you the first time I laid eyes on you, in another part of me, I supposed you actually, in spite of the evidence of my senses, to be a free woman.
Thus, it was important, though it tortured me to do so under the circumstances, to accord you respect and dignity.'
'Rather would you have accorded me force and mastery,' I smiled.
'Yes,' he said. 'Too, do not forget that on a certain level, or in a certain part of me, I recognized that you were, rather clearly, a slave. How then could I admit to myself that I, a warrior of Ar, might have certain feelings toward one such as you, only a slave? Too, that I discerned your pettiness, your cruelty and shallowness, dissuaded me from honestly admitting my feelings to myself. I did not wish to regard myself as a fooL Further, of course, you, seemingly so haughty and mighty a Tatrix, treated me with injustice and scorn. It is little wonder I dreamed of you in my collar, in my chains, wider my whip~' 'Does it still distress you that I am a slave?' I asked.
'No,' he said.
'Even a natural slave?' I asked.
'No,' he said.
'You lost a silver tarsk to Publius on the matter,' I reminded him.
'It was a bet which, in my heart, I hoped to lose,' he said.
I licked at his knee, slowly, lovingly. Then I looked up at him.
He put down the goblet on the tiles, to the right of the chair.
He took my head between his hands, those large, strong hands.
'You are a superb natural slave,' he said.
'Forgive me, Master,' I said.
'I do not object,' he said.
'Good,' I said.
'In fact, it pleases me,' he said.
'Good,' I whispered.
He held my head between his hands, like it was that of a dog.
'Do some men care for their slaves,' I asked, 'just a little?'
'Some men care for them much more than a little,' he said.
'Even natural slaves?' I asked.
'Those are the best sort,' he said.
'I am glad to hear it,' I said.
'In every woman,' he said, 'if one can but find it, I believe there is a natural slave.'
'I believe it is true, Master,' I said.
Then I felt myself drawn to his lips, and I was drawn half into the chair, and then he, holding my head, not releasing it, turned, and I felt myself moved backwards and to the side, to f my knees, before the chair, and then he was crouching before me, and then I felt myself being lowered backwards to the floor. 'I love you,' I whispered. 'I love you, my masteri'
'Do I make you weak?' I asked. I lay now on love furs, at the foot of his couch. He had put a chain on my neck.
'No,' he said.
I leaned over, and kissed him, delicately, intimately.
'Aiii!' he said.
'I see that my master speaks the truth,' I said.
'She-sleen!' he said, and then, with a rattle of chain, threw me again beneath him.
'I would be a hundred slaves to you,' I whispered, 'a thousand!' 'You are,' he whispered. 'You are.'
'Doubtless master is tired now,' I said, 'and should rest. I will stop.' 'Not yet! Not yet!' he said.
'Very well,' I said.
'Insatiable slut!' he growled. 'Do you think I am made of iron?' 'It seemed so,' I said.
'Desist,' he said.
'Yes, Master,' I laughed. It was hard for me to keep my hands off Dnisus Rencius. He was so beautiful. I snuggled down beside him, my head at his hip. I kissed his hip. Then I lay there, quietly, beside him. 'I am not disturbing you now, am I?' I asked.
'No,' he said.
'Would you like to rest now?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said. His hand was in my hair.
'Would you like me to relax you?' I asked.
'Very well,' he said.
I crawled to my knees.
In a few moments, he said, 'Is that your idea, as how to relax a man?' I laughed, and continued my work, lovingly.
'Obviously you have been trained,' he said.
'I am not one of those women who thinks her part in making love is finished when she lies, down,' I said.
'That is clear,' he said. The slave, of course, is not permitted the ignorance, inertness and mediocrity of the free woman. She must serve marvelously and totally. Nothing less is permitted her.
'I am a woman of many talents,' I assured him.
'Doubtless,' he said, half moaning.
'I have attended school,' I informed him. 'And I am a skilled feast slave. I am also skilled at weaving on a mill loom.'
'Marvelous,' he gasped.
'Shall I stop now?' I asked.
'Continue,' he said.
'But I thought you wished to rest?' I said.
He looked at me, menacingly.
'I shall continue,' I said. 'I would certainly not wish for a command to have to be repeated. That would be a reflection on my discipline. Too, I have no wish to be beaten twice in one day.'
'I wonder who is the master and who is the slave,' he said.
'You are the master, and I am the slave,' I said. 'I am clear on that.' 'Would you care to mount me?' he asked.
Eagerly I did so.
