Slaver of Gor – Chapter Five

 

 

“I’m actually more than just a little nervous today,” said Lady Thamaya as she sipped her goblet of wine. “Can you imagine that!”

 

“Oh?” I raised an amused eyebrow as I sat beside her in the dappled sunlight of my private courtyard. We were shaded and screened by high walls and wooden trellis constructions on which vines and ivy climbed in abstract patterns. 

 

“Well, I’m not exactly in the habit of calling on friends in order that I might be assessed!” she said with a gentle laugh.

 

I reached out and touched the back of her left hand that rested now on the low, round, tabletop. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. We are good friends, and friends are there for one another. In fact, I have a saying: ‘curiosity is not becoming in a kajira, but it is perfectly natural and appropriate in free women’.”

 

“Is that so?” asked Thamaya.

 

“It is so. Free women are inordinately curious about themselves, about their bodies their feelings, their emotions. And yet so rarely do they have the chance to satisfy their curiosity. Do you know the only thing that is more curious than a free woman?”

 

“No?”

 

“A kajira.” I laughed softly. “It is a female trait, I suppose. They are the most curious beasts of all. But they are subject to the whip of course, for their curiosity.”

“Of course!” said Thamaya. 

 

My silk slave, Julian, knelt close by, close enough to serve more wine if we might need it, but not so close that he might seem intrusive on a private conversation between two women. Of course, it is important to stress that Julian was a slave, and therefore it did not really matter if we spoke openly and frankly in front of him. Free women, and men, rarely trouble themselves by the close presence of slaves as they converse. One might as well feel awkward because a caged sleen was listening in.  

 

“He is very handsome,” said Thamaya, as she regarded Julian for possibly the fifteenth time this afternoon. “And so strong!”

 

“He is that,” I agreed. “He was once of the metal workers, which accounts for his upper body strength.”

 

“Mmm,” Thamaya gazed at my slave again as she sipped some more of the wine. I motioned with my fingers for Julian to approach Thamaya and offer her a little more wine from the bottle. Julian wore just his clean, white breech cloth, with the strips of fabric lying neatly between his thighs. His muscles were oiled and gleaming in the sunshine. A soft perfume had been dabbed to his throat and wrists and hair.

 

“Mistress,” said Julian, as he poured some more wine into Thamaya’s goblet. 

 

I could see that the Lady liked what she saw of my silk slave. Her eyes were drawn towards his oiled body, as I had expected they would be. 

 

“It turns out we have a mutual acquaintance in common,” I remarked as I watched Thamaya drink.

 

“Oh?” she looked at me curiously.

 

“The corn merchant, Thaddeus. He speaks highly of you.”

 

“Oh, Thaddeus!” Thamaya laughed softly. “Well he would. The poor man is obsessed by me. He courts me, sending all manner of gifts. It is so funny! He actually thinks I would consider, even for one moment, companionship with a mere merchant!” She shook her head and laughed softly again. “It is amusing how desperate he sometimes is for a smile or a few polite words from me. In secret of course I laugh at him.”

 

“Of course,” I said, with my own smile. 

 

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But I felt distracted this afternoon. I think we all did. The market place had been rife with rumours and speculation yesterday. News had reached the city that three infantry regiments of Corcyrus – two of which were foreign mercenaries – had crossed the Issus river, south west of the city. The Issus river, broadly speaking, acts as both a natural barrier and buffer zone between our tributary lands and those of Corcyrus. While not a formal border, any crossing of the river by military forces is generally considered as a provocation. Corcyrus had not actually moved troops onto our land, but it was now in a position to sweep north-west towards us if it so chose, and of course the river no longer counted as a defensible obstacle that their men might have to ford at some point.

 

It had even been said that bridges at three points on the river Issus had been rapidly constructed, and were now guarded by elite units of Corcyrian troops, providing open supply lines and a choice of points by which their spearhead positions could be reinforced. 

 

“It is laughable in a way,” my friend and caste colleague, the Lady Kelapina had suggested when I had met her at the shops. “At the first sign of our tarn scouts, they will turn tail and race back across their pontoon bridges with their tails between their legs!”

 

“Have we despatched tarn scouts?” I asked, as I browsed through some racks of beautiful gowns. 

 

“I am certain of it!” replied Kelapina. “Why would we not?”

 

“Corcyrus has made a big mistake,” I suggested.

 

“Indeed. And we will exact a heavy price for their crossing of the Issus. And how foolish to hire mercenaries! Who are these mercenaries? They must be desperate men to take Corcyrian coin! My only concern is that a sudden glut of Corcyrian women in our slave pens will have a detrimental effect on prices. But it may not come to that. Corcyrus is bound to sue for peace after we make our first angry response. They will pay gold and choice slaves, taken at our behest from the finest ladies their city has to offer. There will be no need to storm their walls, and the market will remain healthy.” 

 

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“I’m actually glad you took up my offer,” I remarked. “I think it is actually healthy for a woman to have an accurate, open and honest assessment of the way she looks. And who better suited to conduct that polite assessment than a friendly slaver.” I raised my goblet with a warm smile.

 

“I did wonder whether it was just a joke at first. I certainly wouldn’t have followed up on it, but then we ran into each other in the market!”

 

“So we did,” I said, gently.

 

“And then the music hall! What a coincidence!”

 

“Indeed.” 

 

“I’m glad you repeated the offer over lunch. I admit, privately, between friends, that I am curious… I have been so ever since puberty.”

 

“It’s a natural enough feeling. And see, here we have complete privacy. No one will ever know what occurs this afternoon in my assessment chamber.”

 

“Assessment chamber?!”

 

“How silly of me. It is what it is called, in my profession. But it is just a room, airy, light – there are multiple windows and skylights to let in natural light for the viewing of a woman.”

 

“It sounds…”

 

“Have some more wine,” I said, with a charming smile. I motioned for Julian to top up her glass. As it happens, he now knelt very close to her as he poured the wine ever so slowly. The Lady Thamaya could smell the beautiful scent on his skin, and if she dared, reach out and touch his oiled muscles.

 

She didn’t dare, of course.

 

“You can touch him, if you wish,” I said with a smile. “He’s perfectly tame. He won’t bite.”

 

“Oh,” Thamaya seemed a bit flustered by the invitation, but intrigued, she reached out with a gloved hand and touched Julian’s pectoral muscles. 

 

“Take your glove off, you will feel his body better.”

 

There was a soft flush to Thamaya’s face as she removed her soft, delicate glove and reached out to touch Julian again. I watched her closely as she ran her hand lightly over his chest.

 

“That is what a man feels like,” I said.

 

“A man?” She pulled her hand back as if bitten.

 

“A poor choice of words. He’s hardly a man, I suppose. Just a silk slave. You’re not a true man, are you, Julian?”

 

“No, Mistress,” said Julian as he regarded me with a look that might be considered slightly impertinent if I didn’t know for a fact that he was now tamed and quite docile. 

 

Well, semi-tamed. It amused me to allow Julian a little of his natural instincts. It made owning him so much more delicious, in fact. 

 

“He looks rather…” Thamaya searched for the right words.

 

I waited.

 

“He looks… a little wild, still…”

 

“Not at all. You should see him in the evenings when he kneels with his thighs parted, tenderly kissing the toe of my slipper. You’re quite tame, aren’t you, Julian?”

 

“Yes, Mistress,” he said again. 

 

It feels good to own a man. Every woman should have the opportunity to own a man. 

 

“I’m not sure how this is going to be conducted,” said Thamaya after a while. “It is a delicate matter, of course.”

 

“Of course. Forgive me for not being clearer before. It is really a simple matter. I will ask you to disrobe…”

 

“Oh!” Thamaya seemed a little startled. “Completely?”

 

“I fear so. I will need to see your body in order to be able to inform you how valuable you might be if you suddenly found yourself exhibited on one of the platforms in the Buhara market house.”

 

“I can scarcely comprehend such a thing,” said Thamaya as she drank some more wine. 

 

“it is difficult to imagine,” I agreed. “I refer to the Buhara, but of course it could be any auction block, in any city. The one constant would be that you would be exhibited barefoot and naked.”

 

“Oh!” she seemed startled again by the thought. 

 

“The auctioneer would probably have a whip and would have you pose for the men watching.”

 

“Oh!” Now she was even more startled. 

 

“But these are details we need not concern ourselves with. Today you are simply here to discover, once and for all, exactly how beautiful the Lady Thamaya is, in concise, verifiable terms, pertaining to a likely price.”

 

“You must have some idea of the likely range, already? I am, after all, not veiled.”

 

“Perhaps. But so often my initial estimate has proven to be flawed. Only when the girl in question stands in the circle of assessment can I be sure of anything. Shall we?” I rose from the low, round table and offered the Lady Thamaya my hand. 

 

My assessment chamber is a single storey annexe to my house, built to the side, with more windows than a typical Gorean house might normally have on the ground floor. I like natural light when I assess a slave, and this chamber was bathed in it. I saw how nervous Thamaya looked as she gazed at the white circle in the centre of the room.

 

“That is the circle of assessment,” I said as I gestured warmly. “It is the optimum place for a girl to stand in relation to the arrangement of windows.”

 

“How very clever,” said Thamaya. I noticed that her eyes were drawn to a large couch at the side of the room. It was a typical Gorean couch with iron rings fixed to all four sides. 

 

“An assessment couch,” I said, “though obviously enough, it is only used with slaves. Forget it is there.”

 

“Of course,” said Thamaya. She paced around the room, looking at various chains, collars and whips that were arrayed in places where I might need them. “It’s all very…”

 

“Professional,” I said with a smile. Julian had entered the room with us, and he stood deferentially close to the Lady Thamaya. 

 

“Perhaps you could just give me the rough range of prices in which you think I might fit, based on my unveiled appearance?” suggested Thamaya. “I don’t think anything more is required?”

 

“A few moments more and you shall know precisely what you are worth to a lustful man. There are few ladies of Argentum who wouldn’t secretly want to know that.” 

 

“Yes, but still…” she looked around the room again. In the centre of the circle was a heavy iron ring bolted to the stone floor.

 

“It is but a moment more of your time. You need only undress and then I shall make a swift visual assessment  and then we can relax and have some more wine outside.”

 

“I will need assistance in disrobing,” she said. “If you could send for Beth…”

 

“Beth is away on errands this afternoon. Julian can undo the clasps, hooks and bows on your gowns. He has been trained to do so.” 

 

“Julian!” She suddenly looked alarmed at the thought of Julian standing close to her, his strong, workman, hands undoing the hooks and bows, those fingers slowly unpeeling the garments from her body.

 

“He is a silk slave. It’s one of the things silk slaves are trained for. He sometime undresses me,” I said with a soft smile.

 

“Oh.” She flushed a bring pink on her cheeks. She was aroused, a little, I think, by the thought of Julian touching her like that. 

 

“Do not think of Julian as some brute of a man. Think of him as what he is, a gentle, obedient silk slave.”

 

“I suppose…” she was tense now as Julian moved closer. She twitched a little as his hands began to manipulate the first of the complicated fastenings. I saw a movement in her throat as she swallowed hard. Julian took his time, carefully undoing each fastening with skill and a soft touch. Thamaya’s body was alive to the slightest touch of his fingers as he opened her gown at the back. She could sense his powerful body just inches away from her; she could smell his scent, and hear his measured breathing. It was undoubtedly an erotic experience for her, to have such a handsome, strong, virile man, standing behind her, where she could not see him. He towered above her, and he worked diligently, slipping the outer robe from her body.

 

I heard a soft gasp from the Lady as the inner gown was then peeled away too. Julian folded each garment in turn and placed it carefully on a work bench. Piece by piece, Thamaya’s garments were removed in an arousing fashion. Occasionally she felt the touch of Julian’s fingers against her bare skin, and it was like an electric shock to her.

 

And then, finally, she stood there naked.

 

“Enter the circle, please, Lady Thamaya.” I motioned with my hand. She glanced nervously at me, then at Julian who stood mere inches from her naked body. He was just a slave. It does not matter if a slave sees a woman naked, but still. He was so close now he could simply reach out and hold her.

 

I was polite enough not to comment on the distinct bulge showing through Julian’s breech cloth. Thamaya gazed fearfully at it and averted her eyes.

 

“He… he…”

 

“A natural reaction, and one that  bodes well for your possible block price, Lady. Think nothing of it. Julian is just a slave.” 

 

I waited until Thamaya stood in the assessment circle, her feet either side of the heavy iron ring. More out of habit than anything else, I paced to somewhere behind the Lady and picked up a slave switch. I feel naked without one in my hand when I am assessing a girl.  

 

“If you would be so kind as to stand with your feet apart and clasp your hands behind your head, Lady Thamaya.” I paced round to face her again. She complied, rather clumsily, as a free woman might. I corrected her posture with a few gentle touches of the slave switch.

 

“What is that for?!” she said in alarm.

 

“Oh, I find it useful for pointing at things. Pay it no heed.”

 

“Well?” She seemed anxious, wanting this to be over. I took my time walking around her as she stood there in display position. She had a good body, but that was not what made her extremely valuable. I already knew her exact price without even looking at her naked body. 

 

“You can relax now, Lady,” I said as I finished my assessment. I turned to Julian and added, “remove your breech cloth.” He undid the tie around his waist and allowed both pieces of white cloth to loosen in his hands. I heard a yelp of surprise as the Lady Thamaya saw his stiff, rigid, quivering penis on full display.

 

“Now, that is a more accurate barometer than any price I might suggest,” I said with a smile. “That is the effect you would have on men if you stood on the auction block.”

 

Thamaya wanted to look away, but I suppose she had never seen an erect penis before, and certainly not one on such a handsome and muscular looking man. I smiled. “You can touch it if you like.”

 

“Certainly not!” she said, taking a step back from Julian.

 

“Please do not leave the assessment circle until I say so, Lady Thamaya.” My voice can have a certain sharpness to it – one that prompts an instinctive display of obedience from a woman. Thamaya took a step back into the centre of the circle, without understanding why she had done so.

 

“I thought this was over?”

 

“It is, but look at Julian. You should be proud of that response to your beauty. He is a slave. Satisfy your curiosity, Touch it. It will be a good experience for you.”

 

Thamaya hesitated for a moment but then reached out and touched Julian’s penis. It of course swelled even stronger as soon as she did so.

 

“It’s alive!” she shrieked, drawing her hand quickly back.

 

“Well, obviously. Don’t be so timid. I’m sure you’re curious about silk slaves.”

 

Thamaya laughed softly, feeling a little more confident now as she reached out a second time and touched the head of the penis. Julian watched her with a soft smile as she ran her fingered along the underside of the shaft. 

 

Thamaya glanced at me. There was a look in her eyes now that I recognised very well.

 

“I just remembered, I have some papers I need to sign,” I said. “Would you excuse me for a moment, Lady? I’ll try not to be too long.”

 

“Well, if you must,” she said with a shy smile. She glanced at Julian again and blushed.

 

I stepped out and moved to an area in the other room which had a secret viewing space of the assessment chamber. 

 

“Interesting,” said the man who was already standing there. He had been standing there since before we had entered the assessment chamber, though he had seen and heard nothing while we were in the cloistered courtyard, outside. “You say she asked you to assess her?’

 

“At a social function, many weeks ago. I was shocked of course,” I said. “At first I considered forgetting the whole thing – perhaps her request was just some sort of joke – perhaps I misinterpreted her salacious request - but then I recalled my public duty. I thought it wise to inform you. She made a habit, you see, of seeking me out in public places as if by accident. She cultivated a friendship with me and then raised the matter again. She is curious. Curious as to what she might bring on a slave block.”

 

The man nodded. He wore the robes of state. He was an official of the courts. His name was Antipedes. “Her actions so far, whilst damning, are not yet enough to have her enslaved. Certainly her reputation would be ruined for this unseemly curiosity in her block price, but...”

 

“But, let us see what happens next,” I said, softly. “She is alone now, with my silk slave…” 

 

And Julian knew what he had to do now. I gazed at Thamaya through the viewing space, and waited.