Savage Princess Chapter III: Children and Attrition

, , , , , , , ,

#3 of Savage Princess


Savage Princess

Chapter III: Children and Attrition

Geldo was the eldest of Leorina's servants, eleven seasons older than she was. He had a scar over his left eye, and rough fur that might have been ducky yellow at one point, but was now a soiled ochre. Nikko was the youngest, a short maid of barely forty-eight seasons in lavender furs and a doeskin dress. Rhali was the other maidservant, though she was sixty-two seasons in age, a calico darling with quick owl eyes. The younger male servant, Denrik, was a foreign cat, coal black from top to bottom, seventy seasons old. None of them, however, was speaking to Kale.

All five of Leorina's servants were hard at work, rebuilding the outer wall of her compound. Kale had been able to feign indifference at his beating, but he was definitely slowed by the wounds now covering his back. His attempts to concentrate on the deep pain were not aided by the looks of hatred that the other servants continuously sent to him, but he did not need their aid... he was a lone warrior. To him, they were at best Leorina's ineffectual weapons. He might be able to turn her attacks against her, but her own servants were off limits, definitely off limits. She had total ownership of them, as she had just proven not two hours earlier.

Nikko spent her time sobbing and complaining about how badly she needed to tinkle, while Rhali tried to console her.

"Listen, Nikko. Do you think you can make it until sundown?" Rhali asked. Miserably, Nikko shook her head. "Well then," Rhali continued, "I think you had best get it over with and take your stripes. It will do you no good to spend another hour or two in stark misery, and putting off your beating until our master notices you not going at sundown will only give you a few hours of anxiety as well."

Nikko cried openly at this, but Geldo then spoke, "It is not your fault, Nikko. You will be punished, but you are not the one that failed. It is that one. There is nothing you can do about it... just go."

Nikko shot Kale such a look that it actually shook him. Such a young maid, and she would suffer like this for three days for his sake? The others might have the age and the stamina, but she would not be able to make it the grueling fourteen to sixteen hours each day that the sun beat down upon the village without urinating. He truly did feel bad, but he knew that there was nothing he could do to appease the girl. He pretended not to notice and continued to concentrate on his work.

Nikko was just about to spring into the woods and do her business when Leorina emerged from the house. Mortified, Nikko turned a trembling eye to her master. Leorina beckoned Nikko and Kale inside. The other servants knew better than to argue.

Kale looked at Leorina's smile, and in an instant he knew that her plans were not yet finished. How frightening... she was not just a clever wrestler in the ring after all.

"Nikko, you have not been a few hours and yet you disobey me. Why is this?" Leorina spoke slowly and with no anger, but instead judicious statement.

"M, master, it isn't fair! I was being a good servant, denying myself so that I could do what I had to and watch him get punished. I was going to ask you the instant we got back, but instead I can't because he angered you. I can't hold it!"

Nikko was crying openly now, forcing her words out between sobs. She knew what was coming. She was going to be beaten...

Leorina put a hand on her shoulder. Nikko and Kale looked on in surprise.

"You're right," Leorina cooed, "it isn't fair. I'll tell you what... Kale, this child cannot be expected to suffer for your obstinacy, can she? You are a warrior. You know of justice. What I decreed must come to pass. But! While she may not relieve herself during the daylight, you may relieve her. She may use your mouth, if you allow it. And then she will not have to be beaten."

Nikko looked at Kale with a mixture of hope and dread. Kale kept a level face, as his mind took off like a wild stag. Why was she so fixated on this? Trying to train him to be a toilet? Perhaps she was hoping to get him used to it. Perhaps she was hoping to further humiliate him before the servants. He didn't care. They were her tools; her weapons. She was going to use them to make his life miserable. Why should he do something so foul for lowly servants that hated him? Kale gathered his composure, and merely shook his head twice.

Nikko started to bawl, "Kale, Kale, please! Please!! I beg you..."

Kale looked down at her and turned his back decisively. Leorina did not change her expression.

"Alright Nikko," Leorina said, "go into the woods and do your business. Then return to me."

Nikko walked into the woods with a heavy heart. She went into the bushes and pulled her dress up, exposing her soft lavender fur, and lowered herself into a squat. She took a few deep breaths, pushed the anticipation of her near-future beating out of her mind with some effort, and began to empty her bladder. Her tail swished behind her bottom despite her fear, and the only sound was the distant hum of work done in the village and the soft spatter of her urination on the bush. Though her bladder was full, it was small, and it did not take her long to finish. She cleaned up a bit, then replaced her dress and pulled the square of doe skin that she used as a handkerchief off of her head, fiddling with it nervously as she returned.

Nikko entered the compound again, and the slaves were gathered, stony-faced. Leorina had a steady switch in her hands: being so young, Nikko was not yet beaten with a reed whip but with a switch. Nikko quailed, "They're going to watch?" and burst into tears again.

Leorina walked behind Nikko and guided her to the table. "Position, Nikko. You're only going to make it harder on yourself... remember two seasons ago?" Two seasons ago Nikko hadn't been able to hold still during a beating, and was eventually forced to forfeit all of her free time for two days as punishment. Although she still shed tears, Nikko took her position. She hiked her dress up again and bent over the table, laying herself straight-backed along the furniture. She trapped her tail under her body and stood, trembling, waiting for her penalty.

Leorina made no show. She did not even announce a number. Instead, she laid a hard blow over Nikko's upper thighs. Nikko wailed and screamed in pain, summoning her willpower to stay put. Leorina looked at Kale subtly, and saw no reaction. She struck again, roughly the same spot, this time harder. Nikko howled and howled, digging herself down against the table, her paws clenched to the wood. The third stroke came, then the fourth, then the fifth. Nikko's thighs were a burning stitchwork of pain, and she was begging for mercy. Still no reaction from Kale. With a look of disgust, Leorina laid a blow across the base of Nikko's tail that broke the switch in two.

Leorina declared the beating over, but Nikko did not hear, for she was holding her bottom and rolling on the floor in hysterical misery. Kale watched without expression, although inside he was burning with anger. What kind of monster was Leorina? Did she always beat her childservants this hard, or was she merely trying to get to him? Despite his best efforts, he felt more than a twinge of pity for the girl... dangerous thinking. That was what Leorina wanted. But knowing that could not stop his heart from going out to the agonized Nikko. The other servants were fixing him with the most hateful looks they could summon... he guessed that they knew about the deal he had been offered.

Nikko was allowed to rest for the remainder of the day, but the rest of the servants continued to work. At sunset, Leorina announced that the first day was over, and they headed for the woods to relieve themselves. Leorina stopped Kale as he was going out, however, and motioned for him to come. He returned to listen to her while the rest of the slaves went to toilet.

"Kale... you have proven to me this morning that, if you are foolishly bound and determined to resist, I cannot use you as a vessel. You may think this fine, but I will not relent until you do. They will suffer for your stone-headed foolishness until you simply accept that you are my servant and any order I give you is to be followed. I will empty myself before you do. If you allow me to use your mouth, I will go lightly on Nikko tomorrow. You know as well as I do that she is in for another harsh beating if you don't do something. If you do not concur, then gather a vessel from within the house for my use."

Without a word, but simply a nod of the head, Kale entered the house and retrieved a stone vessel for this purpose. Angrily, Leorina guided him far away from the river and ordered him to hold the bowl out from his body. Kale had not relieved himself all day, and was desperate himself. She positioned herself over the bowl and urinated into it from a standing position, sighing with slightly exaggerated relief... she had been holding it herself with this use in mind. Kale closed his eyes, but had to kneel and listen as Leorina pissed into the vessel, her stream tinkling into it heavily.

After some time, when she was done, she followed Kale to ensure that he emptied her vessel into the river, which was now a mile away, and returned the vessel to the house before taking care of his own bladder. Fortunately for Kale, he had had to deny himself that which he desperately wanted before. That didn't make it much easier or any less painful. Kale walked into the forest and emptied himself last.

That night the servants slept huddled in their own quarters and Leorina in hers. They were within yelling distance, but still in separate buildings. Kale slept alone, his feelings of triumph gone. In misery, he tried to keep off of his wounded back. The other servants slept far away from him, their backs from him. They hated him... this was a lot harder than Kale had expected. Kale's will began to weaken... he could hear Nikko's soft sobs, as she tried to stay off of her welted thighs. Kale had killed those even younger than she in war, but he had never had to see one suffer so long as this. With a busy mind and an aching back, Kale found it too difficult to sleep.

The next morning, the servants rose before sunrise and went into the woods to toilet together before the day started. It was not the fact that the other servants were shunning him that hurt Kale so much as the fact that Nikko was crying uncontrollably, even just this morning. The dread of another beating on an already-wounded bottom was hanging over her head. Kale was untroubled with indecisiveness, and he could not help but wring his tail behind him.

It was a scorching hot day, and building the wall was hard work. These were two unfortunate circumstances that necessitated an increased water intake by the servants. Fearfully, Nikko went as long as she could without drinking any, but sooner or later this backfired. At lunch, Nikko was guzzling water desperately, and a few hours after noon she was in a very bad place, with hours to go until sunset. And then...

Leorina emerged from her house. "I need to relieve myself," she announced, "Nikko, fetch a vessel." Nikko shed a few tears and did as she was bidden. Kale was furious. He thought yesterday of how it had been when he had held the vessel... Nikko was going to have to watch, or at least listen to, her mistress do exactly what she wanted to. This seemed too much, even to Kale. He didn't know what he was doing, he had not consciously decided on this plan, but when Nikko returned, moving awkwardly, from the river, Kale simply acted.

"Nikko, follow me inside," Kale supplied. Nikko seemed hesitant, but her will was weak and she was in a desperate place. She followed.

Kale burst into Leorina's chambers without first being called. Leorina was just lying down to eat some grapes, and she was startled.

"What is this, Kale? No servant may enter my quarters without permission," she stated.

"I am here to accept your deal, Leorina. I will... relieve Nikko," Kale was amazed to hear the words come out of his own mouth.

Leorina smiled and said, "Very well then... but do it in here. I must witness this, to be sure that you actually do it."

Kale did not nod or respond. He simply sunk to the ground, using his elbows to keep most of his reed marks off of the ground, and got his head in the open position. Nikko fiddled with her tail, looking at it all untrustingly. Leorina gestured her forward, and Nikko rushed to take the opportunity before anyone could change their mind. She pulled her dress up, lowered herself right over Kale's mouth and released her bladder. Hunched down in a crouch, trying to keep her doeskin dress out of her stream, Nikko sighed softly with relief. Her urination was copious, and Kale had to gulp to keep up. He regretted his moment of pity, the salty-bitter taste of urine punishing his tongue, even if it was highly diluted and mostly water. Leorina watched with the grin of victory on her lips. She was even more greatly satisfied than Nikko. As Nikko finished she wiped with the back of her left hand and replaced her dress, stepping away from Kale. Kale fought a groan as he pulled himself to his feet, his lips and neck damp.

Leorina lay back down and returned to her grapes. She said nothing else. Kale and Nikko walked back out to continue working.

Kale's emotions were in fantastic conflict. On the one hand, he no longer felt bad for Nikko's terrible plight. On the other, he had only weakened his position. He knew now that Leorina had won a battle, and that she would now rush to use Nikko and the other servants as leverage over him. This was no victory, and Kale disliked losing.

Leorina lounged, drinking wine and eating grapes. It was always best to relax on a hot day... and to celebrate your victory. Kale was wriggling in her grasp now. She was his master. And she knew what the next motion would be...