A/N: the great and yet humble Stephenie Meyer owns the characters from the Twilight saga. I like what she writes because it doesn't give me the creeps (unlike some other authors that I won't name). I'm not writing this story to give you the creeps either, although it might happen at some point anyway. But not in this chapter, mind you. This chapter is fairly light, at least I think. You'll see. And if you don't agree, press the button to let me know…
Chapter 14
Second day in Volterra
BPOV
During the first night I spent in the Volturi's palace, I had horrible nightmares in which I was subjected to all sorts of physical abuse and torture: being thrown out a window, branding, crucifixion and the like. After each bad dream, I would wake up covered in sweat, hoping that I was going to find some rest at last. However, as soon as I went back to sleep, I would end up in that unsettling universe of pain and punishment inflicted by three men whose faces I couldn't make out.
The nightmares didn't make any sense, though; the lords of Volterra were using their slaves to satisfy their sexual needs, not to make martyrs out of them. So it would have been more logical if my dreams had been about the comte de Morvalle since he was the one who most enjoyed humiliating women. But it was likely that the last words exchanged with Edward were messing with my subconscious: "…The Volturi will make you pay dearly your rebellious character…", "…this way I won't feel responsible if something bad does happen to you when you are upstairs with your masters…", "…because you are unspoiled, and those bastards could hurt you badly…" What I would give to understand his cryptic statements… Was being deflowered a kind of torture in itself? Was it the reason why my mother kept me in the dark about it? I needed to ask Rosalie very soon. Nevertheless, it was obvious that fear of suffering in the hands of the Volturi was causing my nightmares.
I woke up at dawn, while all the slaves were still deep asleep. I was at a loss as to what to do to occupy myself in this damn castle while waiting to be summoned to the apartments of the three invisible despots who governed the place. I didn't dare leave the women's quarters, too scared that I might have another encounter with the slaves' tamer. I vowed that he would not achieve anything with me, particularly if he continued to keep me in the dark about what was expected of me and took advantage of my ignorance to abuse me. How the man had succeeded in placating me yesterday when he escorted me back to the seraglio, despite all the hatred I felt towards him, remained a huge mystery to me. It was also very disconcerting because it meant that he was an expert in manipulating people, and he could without a doubt obtain anything he wanted using this skill.
That thought made me nauseated but I realized my sickness was also due to the fact that my stomach stayed empty for too long. I wasn't used to skipping meals, and I had fasted more during the last four days than during the previous nineteen years living with my parents. I decided to check in the dining room in case any food was already available for us.
As it turned out, I wasn't the only one up seeking food. Indeed, a young woman was sitting at a table and eating her food rather unenthusiastically, lost in thought or so it seemed. I approached her and noticed that she was in fact the blond beauty who had left the harem with Edward as I returned for the night. Kate had mentioned that she was going to spend the night with the Volturi and that I wouldn't want to trade places with her. It seemed to be as good of an opportunity as any to ask her about our masters. I sat in front of her and she turned her head almost imperceptibly in my direction to acknowledge my presence.
"Good morning, Tanya. I'm Isabella Swan, marquise de Courville," I introduced myself.
"I know who you are, Miss Swan," she replied defensively. "You're the slave who ventured to go out of the seraglio as soon as you arrived."
The young woman, who was about ten years older than me, narrowed her eyes and stared at me before she went on. "Either you're completely reckless, or you like to get into trouble and to be punished. And I can definitely see why you'd like that, mind you. It's very difficult to resist the comte de Morvalle, isn't it?"
I didn't know what to think or what to say. She seemed to believe I had purposely ventured into the gloomy passageways just so I could be reprimanded and disciplined by Edward Cullen. I had to straighten her out.
"I have no idea what would make you say that, Tanya," I replied after a moment. "I barely know the comte as it is, and I didn't know him at all before I got lost. If you find him so irresistible, why aren't you with him this morning? What prevents you from being with him when the Volturi are obviously done with you?"
That last sentence came before I could stop myself and I regretted it immediately. After all, what did I know about the night she spent with the lords of Volterra? Maybe she was here this early in the morning so she could have something to eat before returning to their room to continue to be toyed with? And furthermore, what did I know about her relationship with the slaves' guardian? For that matter, were the captives allowed to be romantically involved with the two men in charge of disciplining them?
I didn't ask any of these questions because at that moment Tanya burst into a sardonic laugh. I stared at her, unable to hide my curiosity.
"Nobody explained the harem rules to you, correct? Because if someone did, you wouldn't ask about Edward," she said between giggles.
"I was about to ask you to inform me on the matter," I replied coldly.
Her ridiculing was annoying, but I had to stay calm and polite if I wanted to learn the details on the sexual requirements of our masters.
"Well first of all, know that we're not free to come and go as we wish in this palace. But I guess you learned that rule the hard way yesterday, according to Edward," she stated with a witty smile.
Gosh, was she insinuating that Edward told her about the punishment I'd received? Was I the subject of some bad jokes between the two of them? I took a few deep breaths to stay in control, although I was sure I was red hot with embarrassment right now. Just imagining them laughing as they discussed my ordeal made me want to scream out of outrage and shame. But I merely said, "If you're referring to the whipping the comte administered, Tanya, then yes I know the rule now."
I wanted to look impassive, but I'm not sure I fooled my companion. However, I really hoped that she didn't notice how ambiguous my feelings towards Edward were. Then again, it wasn't showing all over my face. As for her, she seemed very fond of him and I couldn't deny that it was annoying me for some reason.
"In addition, the comte can come to the harem and take a prisoner anytime he wants to satisfy his own needs, but the opposite does not apply since we're not allowed to wander out of the women's quarters, precisely," she continued to explain.
"But if you were allowed, you wouldn't sleep in the dormitory, would you?" I interrupted her.
"Edward and I have a long past, Isabella, and he often asks for me to help him relax, if that's what you're implying. However, when I don't spend the night in the harem, usually it's because I am requested by our masters," she responded.
"I've heard that those men are terribly depraved, Tanya, but I'm having a hard time seeing how they could be worse than Edward…"
"Edward is not a depraved man, marquise," Tanya cut me off hastily. "Where did you get this idea?"
"He's not? Well that's news to me!" I snapped, nonplussed. "Gosh, he hit me with a crop and then he touched me inappropriately! What do you call that kind of behavior?"
"Did he take care of your injuries after he whipped you?"
What kind of question was that?
"Yes, Tanya, but it doesn't change the fact that he odiously abused my body," I replied, taken aback.
Tanya gazed at me more intensely, like she couldn't comprehend why I was scandalized by the comte's actions.
"Isabella, did you find it pleasurable when Edward touched you?" she asked in the end.
I could feel the blush on my face. I didn't want to answer affirmatively, for I had the impression I was falling into a trap. Yet my features must have betrayed me because I saw Tanya smiling wider.
"There's nothing to feel guilty about, young lady. It's one of the benefits we receive in the harem. Edward and Emmett Cullen are responsible for teaching us how to behave in the presence of the Volturi, but in exchange they provide us with pleasure that our masters are not capable of giving us, as they're too centered on satisfying their own sexual urges…"
The slave's words reminded me of the reason for my concern.
"Tanya, Edward implied that if he was to take me to the Volturi right now, they might hurt me very badly. What did he mean exactly?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"Well, Isabella, he probably meant that if you're a virgin and you find yourself in Aro's bed, he'll take you violently all the same, likely tearing you up very seriously, requiring you to be transferred directly to the doctor's quarters," Tanya answered matter of factly, as if she was telling me about the weather.
"The doctor?" I repeated stupidly, "What doctor?"
"Doctor Carlisle Cullen, Emmett and Edward's father," the young woman said. "He's the Volturi's private physician. He also treats their slaves and he's very good at tending to the wounds inflicted by our masters. Truth be told, it's a blessing that such a man inhabits the castle, marquise, otherwise Aro, Caius, and Marcus would act even more brutally toward us."
So, there was at least one member of the Cullen family who was compassionate and respectful towards the slaves. And what did Tanya say about the three rulers? My curiosity was piqued now.
"But Tanya, Kate told me what they intended to do to you last night. What could be worse than being forced to give yourself to three men at once? And how is it possible anyway?"
"Isabella," the blond captive calmly went on, "giving yourself to several men all at once can be very enjoyable if those men are attentive to your desires. But if you don't know how such a thing is possible, I'm afraid I might shock you if I explain it…"
"I'm trying to discuss this with you, Tanya, precisely because I don't want to be such a prude anymore," I retorted, tired of being so ignorant about sex. "Besides, you'll be interested to know that it was Edward himself who suggested I get informed on the subject."
"All right, then," she sighed.
But she didn't have the time to continue, because at that moment many captives entered in the dining room, chatting and chuckling like they were spending a day at the fair. I caught sight of Alice and Rosalie as they went to sit at a table in the opposite corner of the room.
"I think your friends are looking for you," my companion remarked, glancing in their direction.
"Will you enlighten me about this situation another time?" I asked Tanya, frustrated that I had to abandon the conversation.
"Don't worry marquise. Irina, Kate and I did discuss that with your friends while you were absent from the women's quarters. They'll have a lot to tell you," she concluded with a wink.
This girl was a monument of self confidence, as if the world belonged to her despite her slave status at the mercy of three sexual deviants. I remained puzzled thinking about it as I made my way to join my girl friends. Alice was gesturing at me ever since she noticed me. I wondered how they had spent the rest of their day after I had disappeared from their sight. And I was still undecided whether I should tell them what had happened to me. I didn't want them to pity me after all I went through, but I didn't want them to think I was hiding things either. We didn't have secrets between us, even though it had changed somewhat lately since my relationship with Jacob had evolved toward something more than platonic. Yet I feared Rosalie's reaction too much to tell her and Alice what Jacob represented for me going forward. I couldn't figure it out myself anyway. But I was sure of one thing: I was worried for him ever since Edward described the fate intended for the workers trying to break free.
I went to the service table to get something to eat. I opted for croissants and orange juice. While bringing the food to my friends' table, I thought of Esme who was now in charge of preparing the meals for all the inhabitants of the palace. I hoped it would be possible for me to visit her soon. Luckily, the kitchens were adjacent to the seraglio so technically I could access them without breaking the rules of conduct. I sat in front of the comtesse de Marillac and the duchesse d'Essanges. The latter stared at me like she didn't recognize me, and she shook her head in dismay.
"My poor girl, your face is even more purplish this morning than it was yesterday afternoon. I can understand why you didn't say anything in front of your nanny, but you can't keep silent with us, Bella. What the hell happened to you during the journey to Volterra while we were dozing in the cart? Christ, when I fell asleep you were flirting with your servant, and when I woke up you were unconscious at his feet!"
"I was depressed and overwhelmed, Rosalie" I said quietly. "I was disgusted by what our captors were saying, so I tried to break my neck by jumping off the cart. However, it didn't work and Jasper decided to stun me with his fist to prevent me from trying again. Happy now?"
The sarcasm in my answer went unnoticed. Alice sighed, "What a pity! Jasper Whitlock seemed so nice when he rescued me on the beach…"
"Who knows, Alice, maybe you'll be able to convert this piece of trash of a man into the most courteous suitor," Rosalie teased, trying to get back at her for her comment about the pleasure she'd have serving the three Volturi brothers.
"I stopped believing in miracles a long time ago, Rose," Alice replied with a shrug, before addressing me. "So, Bella, you disappeared once again after the bath. Is this becoming a habit or what?"
Alice didn't realize it, but she had just given me the perfect excuse to take the conversation elsewhere.
"Speaking of bath, Alice, how about going for a swim in that magnificent pool?" I asked.
"Okay, Bella, but I warn you right now that I'm going to make you tell your story once we're in the spa room," she said, almost daring me.
Clearly, I wasn't going to be spared like I hoped… I would have to confess.
About fifteen minutes later, we reunited in the oversized pool. We had found bathrobes in the changing room and that was the only piece of clothing we were wearing. I would have to get used to wandering half naked in public, otherwise the embarrassment I felt knowing that everyone could see through my dresses would make me lose my composure before long. Thank God, since I was surrounded only by women in the harem – except for the two eunuchs – my bashfulness was reduced significantly. In fact, for the time being I was only thinking about my friends' reactions to the news that I'd spent the evening in the company of a man who had dared to undress me without my consent.
Come on, Bella, you know you could have managed to keep your clothes on if you hadn't acted like a statue to provoke him…
Rosalie took off her bathrobe first and stepped down the stairs of the gigantic bath. Of course, with the body of a goddess, she had no reason to be shy while she was not wearing anything. I envied her nonchalance. Alice was next to undress and she jumped in the pool, splashing water at Rosalie while doing so.
"Shit, Alice, watch out, or else I'll report you to Jasper and he's going to give you ten strokes!" the duchesse complained, pretending to be upset.
"So, Bella, what are you waiting for? The water is heated, and it's fantastic!" Alice exclaimed, all joyful, as she started to swim.
Why should I feel embarrassed in front of my two friends? I really had no excuse, even less so considering the compliments I had received the day before, even though I'd been treated as an object then.
"The masters are going to be very happy to have such a lovely slave to serve them…", "…totally at my disposal, able to do whatever I want with your tantalizing rump…"
I uncovered myself at last and went down the stairs to enter the water.
"It's time for your confession, Bella," Alice reminded me, coming closer to stand at the edge of the pool, all smiles.
Rosalie seemed completely indifferent to what I was about to reveal. Her egocentrism had always prevailed over her other characteristics, like curiosity was the prevailing characteristic of the comtesse.
"What do you want me to say, Alice?" I sighed. "I got lost when I exited the bathing room once I was dressed, and I went out of the harem by distraction."
"That's kind of a weak excuse, Bella. Surely you'd realized you weren't in the women's quarters anymore!" Alice commented, moving her legs to create waves in the water.
"Of course, dear Alice, that I knew right then that I had left the seraglio," I replied, "but I wasn't aware that it was forbidden. I wanted to take the opportunity to do some exploration."
"Jane finally came back to warn us that a man named Edward Cullen had gone to look for you, Bella," Rosalie went on, deciding to join in the conversation after swimming lazily for a while. "Is this man looking the part like his brother?" she asked, probing.
I wasn't sure what she meant. Emmett was good looking, but he was a jerk and was kind of creepy, too, what with that gladiator silhouette of his. Did Rosalie want to know if Edward was a bully or if he was out of this world gorgeous?
"Well, all I can say, girls, is that if you want to keep your rear intact, my advice is to stay away from that guy," I responded.
And to make my point clear, I rose up a few steps so as to expose my buttocks for my companions to see. My backside was still marked and sore, and the two aristocrats emitted some little screams to show their stupefaction.
"My poor darling, it was not your day!" Alice stated sadly. "What did that horrendous slave tamer do to you? Did he mistake you for a circus animal?"
"Didn't you hear Irina's explanation yesterday, Alice?" Rosalie cut her off. "The sex slaves who venture outside of the harem alone are to receive ten strokes with a whip! And it's Emmett Cullen and his brother Edward who discipline the captives. Gosh, Bella, what a shit hole you got yourself in!"
Should I admit that the whipping I was given was just half of my ordeal?
"But it's not all, you know. Edward Cullen is even more despicable than Jasper Whitlock, because he has permission to abuse the slaves he's in charge of training," I added as I resubmerged myself in the water.
My girlfriends' reaction was immediate.
"What? Are you telling us that you were raped by that disgraceful man?" the duchesse d'Essanges blurted.
"No, not exactly," I swallowed with difficulty.
I had to find a way to describe what the comte de Morvalle had done to me without making him sound worse than he actually was. Apparently, I had a terrible misconception of the man. In my opinion he was a pervert, but according to Tanya, I had it all wrong. If I was to believe her, he was an angel from heaven. Were we talking about the same person? I was still enraged thinking I had felt pleasure at his hands. Lord, how was I supposed to justify my wrath toward him if I had no reason to feel pissed to begin with?
"I don't get it, Bella," Alice said upon hearing my short answer. "What did he do, then, to make you feel so aggravated?"
"He… he made me climax after treating me like an animal and making my rump bleed!"
There. It was finally out. Now we could chat about something else.
Are you kidding, Bella? After what you just confessed, your friends are going to want details…
"Jesus, Bella, what a shock it must have been for you!" Rosalie exclaimed sarcastically.
She wasn't aware of the fact that I was no longer the innocent girl she used to know.
"You're right, Bella. The jerk makes me want to throw up," sympathized Alice. "You certainly didn't want to lose your virginity under such circumstances…"
And the comtesse de Marillac was more naïve than I had first thought.
"It didn't happen like that, Alice. I'm still a virgin… what are you imagining? Don't you know there are many ways for a woman to be pleasured, to be given an orgasm?" I asked her, repeating Jacob's words.
She was definitely not the one who would enlighten me about the sexual inclinations of the Volturi, I realized.
"So what you're saying, finally, is that you were able to get a release with a man, but it infuriated you," the duchesse d'Essanges theorized, raising a brow.
"What infuriates me, Rose, is that I hate Edward Cullen and I don't want to lose control of my body because of him. But the problem is it's already too damn late!" I snapped.
I went swim farther away from them to try to calm down. However, Rosalie wasn't finished analyzing my behavior.
"You should know, though, since you're less naïve than I assumed, that your mind and your ass are two separate entities. You're a very blessed girl if you have the capacity to feel pleasure so easily. So why not take advantage of your sensuality and enjoy receiving orgasms instead of getting mad at the person who's giving them to you?"
Rosalie's lecture made me feel even guiltier. But jeez, what planet was she from to give me that kind of advice?
"So you want me to excuse Edward's violence because he balances it with a dose of pleasure, is that it, Rose?" I asked with clenched teeth. "Besides, who are you to speak to me like this? You wouldn't accept being touched by a commoner, for Christ's sake!"
Rosalie seemed offended but didn't reply to my comment. Instead she went on, "That's not what I said, Bella. But I understand that you'd rather be changed into a statue so this man couldn't have any power over you, correct?"
"Yes, I guess that's a fair summary of the situation," I conceded.
Since she looked like she was disposed to talk about sex, maybe she could answer my questions in lieu of Tanya. So I started nervously. "Rosalie, Tanya told me you had a discussion with her and her companions yesterday evening…"
"Indeed, we did, Bella. And she gave us a list of instructions and requirements we must abide by. For instance, we have to be waxed or depilated properly. We need to bathe every day, not skip a meal, participate in dance workshops…"
My jaw dropped. Was she serious? What did I care about learning to dance!
"That's trivial stuff, Rose," I interrupted her bluntly. "I'm more interested in understanding the taming of the slaves, if you've been informed about it, that is."
"Well, Tanya told us that master Aro wanted to penetrate her ass and she had to use a special device that allowed her lower hole to stretch," Alice started to elaborate.
"I beg your pardon?" I said, trying to remain impassive.
"Are you sure you want to know more, Bella?" Rosalie asked. "You seem a little uneasy, all of a sudden…"
"No, no, I'm okay, Rose. I'm just surprised, that's all," I replied as I made my way back to the pool edge.
Actually, I was truly confused now.
"So when Kate mentioned that the Volturi liked to play with a slave all at the same time…," I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence, frightened by where that train of thought led.
"She meant that the captive must be able to have vaginal, anal and oral intercourse simultaneously," Rosalie finished for me.
I felt a heat wave going through my body as I imagined Tanya serving three men like this. I was particularly embarrassed at the idea that she had to put a penis in her mouth. How was she positioned to be accessible this way? Let's hope I would never be forced into a similar situation…
"But apparently, what arouses the Volturi brothers even more is to use all kind of whips and crops on the slaves, and to stop hitting just before inflicting body lesions," Alice added at last.
And that was the last straw.
"For God's sake, this is unacceptable! I swear I won't let anyone treat me like that and I will try by all means to have those evil bastards apprehended, judged and punished for their criminal acts!" I shouted as I quickly exited the swimming pool.
I ignored my friends' protests, put on my robe hastily and returned to the changing room. When I was dressed, I crossed the distance between the spa and the dormitory in a matter of seconds and I crashed on my bed, ready to burst into tears. Despite my grand intentions, I knew it was just wishful thinking: I was only a little aristocrat deprived of all my rights and at the disposal of at least five men… five men who were more repugnant than the next and to whom I would have to obey anyway. But that was out of the question: I was not going to surrender so easily. I'd rather die than have them use me like I was a low grade prostitute! I began to plot in my head, to figure out the best way to ruin their lives, but the time spent in the pool had relaxed me making me drowsy. I ended up falling asleep and getting the rest that had eluded me during the night.
Aaahhh! the joy of writing in English even if it's not my first language! It's possible thanks to my dear beta Just4ALE ;-)
My next chapter should be ready to be posted very soon. It will contain some lemons. However, I won't post it until I reach 90 reviews. Come on, don't pout, I know there are way more people reading this fiction than the number of reviews I get for it...
...Okay, it might take a little longer than expected for the update. Probably during the Labor Day weekend. I hope you will survive the wait untill then... ;-)