Part 1: White Clouds. 17th day of the Wyvern Moon. Imperial year 1180.
Late into the evening, Mercedes was sitting at her desk inside her dorm room, reading, when a few quick knocks fell upon her door.
"Mercie?" called out Annette's voice from the other side, in a slightly urgent tone. "Mercie, are you there?"
Mercedes quickly got up and opened the door, revealing Annette standing behind it. Her face shared the same worried expression as her voice.
"Oh hi there Annette," greeted Mercedes, softly and sweetly.
"Hey," started Annette, in her own small voice. "Sorry to bother you so late, but I kind of need someone to vent to right now."
"That's no problem at all Annette, you know that's what I'm here for. Please, come on in."
Mercedes opened the door up wide for Annette. Inside her room was spotless as usual, barring the cooking ingredients upon every shelf. Mercedes had three chairs set up in her dorm room, but Annette chose to remain standing on the blue rug.
Annette closed the door behind her and looked back at Mercedes, standing there with her open eyes.
"So Annette, what's going on with you?" she started.
Annette sighed deeply and began her spiel. "Well, do you know that rant professor Byleth had in class today?"
Mercedes thought back to the class that day. "You mean that thing about how when students misbehave, it is a direct disrespect to her?"
Annette nodded, her face saddened. "Yeah, that... was about me.
"I haven't really been the best student lately, Mercie."
"How can that be? You're an amazing student Annette," Mercedes responded, confused.
"I mean yeah, I get good grades but... I've been doing a lot to upset professor Byelth.
"I keep oversleeping and showing up late, I keep losing my books and study materials, and I keep... uh, breaking things."
Mercedes continued to look Annette in the eyes. "Hm. That would certainly upset Byleth, she takes class very seriously. She only wants the best for us after all. Though, what do you mean by... breaking things?"
Annette blushed and looked away as she explained. "Well, I guess you know now that the reason I keep staying after class is that Byleth has been punishing me. And today was the same. After I showed up late again she had me stay after to write lines on the chalkboard. But I've had to do that so many times I didn't really want to do it again, so I tried to cast a spell to do it for me. And... I may have accidentally destroyed the chalkboard."
Mercedes chose to smirk at this, as her friend's clumsiness was no longer surprising to her. "Oh my Annette, that is quite a disaster."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"Although, you do realize if you had just taken better care of your schoolwork and showed up to class on time, you wouldn't have been in that position in the first place?"
Annette snapped her eyes back, provoked by this statement. "Of course I know that! But... well, it's kind of too late."
"It's never too late to change your attitude, Annette. Especially when you're in a class with so many hard-working and talented students just like you."
Annette's face went somber again. "That's not what I mean. After that catastrophe, professor Byleth got really, really mad at me. And she said... um..."
Annette turned her face away from Mercedes as she struggled to get her words out. Mercedes reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, recognizing her unease.
"What, what did professor Byleth say? Go on, you can tell me."
Peering back, Annette resumed, "she said... she was very busy and she had to leave, but that tomorrow I was going to receive corporal punishment."
Unlike Annette's clumsiness, Mercedes was taken aback in surprise by this. "Corporal punishment? You mean like a spanking?"
Annette slowly nodded having confessed. "Yeah, tomorrow after class she's going to punish me."
Mercedes stepped back and started thinking to herself. "Huh, corporal punishment. Well, she certainly is allowed to do that. All disciplinary measures in the officers academy are left up to the professors, although that's a very rare one. Because the students and professors have such a friendly relationship with each other, most wouldn't choose that kind of punishment. But if any professor would choose to, it would probably be Byleth."
The sound of Mercedes' voice helped calm down Annette as she now thought about her teacher.
"I know right. She's like a completely different person inside class. Outside she's so friendly to everyone, even with me. She's always joking and wanting to spend time with us, but during class, she's a domineering authoritarian."
Taking a step back, she reviled, "Now that I think about it, Byleth is probably more serious in class than on the battlefield."
Mercedes also reveled in this thought. "That may actually be true," she replied, before looking back into Annette's eyes.
"So Annette, do you want me to go talk to her for you? Ask her if there's any way you can get out of it? Or maybe go with you to tell Seteth or another professor?"
Annette's eyes shot open as her words were misinterpreted. "Oh no, nothing like that. I'm not trying to get out of it or anything. Because to be honest... I probably really do deserve it."
Mercedes nodded her head. "I see. That's very honorable of you Annette, I'm proud of you."
Despite the reassurance, Annette seemed to shrink as she added, "the thing is, I've... never gotten that kind of thing before."
"You mean you've never been spanked?"
Annette jumped a bit at Mercedes' on-the-nose question. "Well, not 'never,'" she answered, "when I was a little girl I got popped a few times, but I don't think that's what Byleth has planned for me."
Mercedes raised a hand up to her chin. "I can see why you'd want to talk to me about this then."
This was met with a sharp gleam from Annette. "I presume you have, then?"
Mercedes let out a small giggle. "Oh yes, many times."
Annette's eyes opened up wide. "Really? I can't imagine you ever doing something to warrant corporal punishment."
Mercedes thought back to her past for a second. "Well, I didn't really. As a little girl I got about the same treatment as you I guess, but at the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad..."
Annette was shocked by this sentence. "What?! That was totally not allowed there! What are you talking about?"
Mercedes smirked at Annette's surprise. "Not while you were there, silly. But I was there for a few years before you, remember? It used to be very common."
Annette raise an eyebrow at this information. "Really? Then how come I never knew about it?"
Putting her hands together, Mercedes continued, "After the rules were changed disallowing it, talking about it was banned as well. It became sort of a dark secret among the older students and staff." Her face lost its gleam as she went on. "But yes, I was spanked, caned, even flogged a number of times."
Annette was visually upset from hearing this. "But you were always so good at the School of Sorcery. I can't believe you would get punished for anything."
Keeping upright, Mercedes continued, "As I was saying, I never really misbehaved all that much. But when corporal punishment was allowed, the rules of the school were that we succeed together and fail together. That also meant we would get punished together."
Annette took this in vehemently. "You're not saying..."
Mercedes nodded her head again. "Yep, when one person misbehaved, their entire group would be punished. Because the professors saw me as one of their best behaved students, they would always team me up with the worst behaved ones in the hope that I would have a good influence over them. But that was never really who I was, so whenever other students would misbehave, I would be seen as just as guilty, and receive the same punishment."
"That's absolutely horrible!" Annette exclaimed angrily, "I can't believe they'd punish someone like you just because you can't fix other people!"
Mercedes' expression became saddened to this. "I disliked it just as much as you. It really is very scary and unpleasant. The first time it happened is something I don't like to think about."
"Oh, well I'm sorry for reminding you of it."
Mercedes smiled once again. "No no, it's worth it for you.
"Hey, why I don't I help you?"
"Huh? What do you mean? I already said I don't want to get out of it."
"How about I help you prepare for your punishment tomorrow?"
"Help me prepare? I don't understand, how exactly would you go about that?"
"By spanking you, of course!"
Annette froze in place, mouth agape, as she stared at Mercedes. She tried to take in what she just heard until she finally responded.
"W-w-why would you think that would help?"
"You said you've never been spanked before, so how about I spank you so you know what it's like before Byleth does?"
Annette nervously smiled at this preposition. "I... don't think that's necessary, Mercie. I'm sure it won't be too bad, I'll be fine," she answered, blushing heavily.
Mercedes took on a worried expression at this. "I don't know Annette. The first time I was..."
Seeing her expression and the inflection in her friend's voice, Annette could tell Mercedes was not the uncomfortable one. "Hold on, you just said you don't like thinking about that. You don't have to..."
"No, I think you should know. The first time I was spanked in school, I... I cried.
"I wasn't ready for it, and I started crying, right there in front of my teacher. I was very humiliated, and I would hate to imagine the same thing happening with you and professor Byleth."
Stunned at this unbosoming, Annette just stared at Mercedes for a moment.
"Wow Mercie," she began, "after hearing you admit something like that I can tell you're serious." She thought about a bit more, then made her decision. "Okay then, I guess I'll let you, uh... help me. As an appreciation for your consideration, if nothing else."
Mercedes' composure hadn't come undone the whole time, and her smile returned. "That's good to hear. Remember I'm only trying to help, and I think knowing what it's like really will," she started, before turning to face her bed. She walked over and sat down on the edge, then patted the space directly to her right.
"Come here Annette," she spoke. Her soft voice had a different effect than usual as Annette nervously complied, walking over slowly. As she sat down next to Mercedes, the older girl put on hand on her friend's back.
"Okay, now lay across my knees," she said, while patting her lap with her free hand.
Annette looked up at Mercedes one last time, seeing her familiar comforting smile. Annette reciprocated with a crooked, awkward one before complying. She began to lay herself out face down over Mercedes' lap, her hips right in line with her friend's thighs. Before she completely laid down she propped herself up a bit and looked back.
"Mercie?"
"Yes?"
"Not too hard, okay?"
Mercedes responded only with a giggle as Annette assumed the position over her knees. Mercedes then gently grabbed the seams of Annette's dress and began slowly pulling them upwards, to Annette's surprise.
"What are you doing, Mercie?" she exclaimed, trying to look back.
"I'm going to lift up your dress, okay?" Mercedes answered.
"Do you... have to do that?"
"Well whenever I was punished in school it was always like this, and I'm sure Byleth will do the same tomorrow."
Annette blushed hard at the explanation. "You really think so?"
"What, you're not embarrassed about me seeing your underwear are you? Because this is far from the first time."
Annette's face burned red. "It's not about you seeing them, it's about you, uh... touching them."
Mercedes let out a short giggle. "Well I don't see another way of doing this unfortunately." She then proceeded to lift up the dress portion of Annette's school uniform, unveiling her pink, silk panties underneath. The embarrassment began to hit Annette hard as she felt exposed.
Mercedes put one hand on Annette's lower back, and the other on her panty-covered butt. She lightly patted her a few times, then lifted her hand up and brought it down swiftly onto Annette's ass.
"Hey!" Annette cried out, having been caught off guard. "I wasn't ready," she complained.
Mercedes giggled once again. "Sorry Annette. Are you ready for your spanking?"
Annette sunk back down. "No point asking me that now."
"Then we can begin."
Mercedes slapped Annette's bottom again, which was met by a soft, high pitched squeak from the orange haired girl, along with a loud smack from her jiggly butt. Mercedes continued to spank Annette, with each hit getting an adorable response out of her, both audibly and visually. Each time her hand contacted Annette's bottom, she felt both her smooth silky underwear and her soft skin. All of the touching of her butt made Annette blush hard while over her friend's knees.
As the spanking continued, Mercedes noticed Annette's ass was beginning to turn more and more pink, until it was nearly the same shade as her panties. At this point Annette's cries went from short squeaks to audible "ah!"s and "mhm!"s, as the pain began to add up. Her bottom was also getting very warm, with Mercedes' own hand feeling the same heat. Still she didn't let up, and continued to give Annette the firmest spanking she was able to. Eventually though, Annette got pouty.
"mm-Mercie!" she whined, titling her head back while laying over Mercedes' lap.
"Yes, Annette?" she replied while continuing the spanking.
"That... hurts!"
"Well I'm sorry Annette, but that's the whole purpose of a spanking."
"Do you have to hit so hard though?"
"I can hit harder if you like."
Mercedes then lifted her hand up and smacked Annette's bottom nearly as hard as she could, causing a much louder smacking sound and Annette to kick her legs out in pain.
"Ow!" she cried out loudly. "Mercie, when did you get so strong?"
"Well, I have had a lot of strength training with a certain... professor."
Annette silently gasped at that final word. She was reminded that this was in preparation for a spanking from Byleth, and that her professor would almost certainly hit much harder. Annette pouted again but submitted to her friend's hand.
As Mercedes' hand grew tired, she quickened her swats, hitting each of Annette's cheeks individually. This did much to redden her butt rapidly, and soon it was an even deeper shade than her panties. It also got more adorable high pitched yelps out of her friend, until she once again gritted her teeth.
"Mm- mm- Mercie! That's enough, can we stop now?"
"I'm sorry Annette, but you don't decide when this ends."
"Wha-?!
"Oh Mercie, you're so cruel."
"It's only because I care Annette."
"The Goddess knows you do Mercie."
Mercedes giggled maniacally, but after a few more swats she decided her victim had almost had enough.
"Okay Annette, I'm going to spank you ten more times and then we'll be done. I want you to count them out, okay?"
"Mmm, okay."
Smack
"One."
Smack
"T-two."
Smack
"Th-three."
Smack
"Four."
Smack
"Mm- f-five."
Smack
"...s-six."
Smack
"Ah! S-seven."
Smack
"...eight."
Smack
"N...nine."
Smack
"...ten!"
Annette exhaled heavily as she finished counting her last spanking. She remained there over her friend's knees, trying to catch her breath after the intense punishment. Mercedes kept her pinned down, using her hand to rub Annette's burning, red, adorable little bottom, attempting to soothe the pain she had just given her. She felt all around her soft skin, her squishy cheeks, and her silk underwear. Mercedes' had to resist squeezing her friend's butt as she began to calm down.
"We're done, right Mercie?"
"Mmhm, you can get up now."
Relieved, Annette hastily got up from over Mercedes' lap and stood up off the bed, and her dress fell back down to cover her red butt. She used her hands to cover her stinging, warm bottom from beneath it, and was soon joined by Mercedes at her side.
"Okay Annette, you've officially had your first spanking," she began. "I'm sorry I don't have a cane or flog to try out on you though. I really wish I could've helped more."
"Don't worry Mercie, I'm sure you, uh, 'helped' me plenty," replied Annette, nervously smiling.
"Well, how do you feel?"
"How do I feel?" Annette raised an eyebrow as she started to rub her butt. "I mean, it hurts, how else am I supposed to feel?"
"A little embarrassed maybe?"
"Huh, embarrassed? No, not really. It was just from you after all."
Mercedes smiled sweetly at her friend. "I guess that says a lot about our friendship if you're no longer capable of feeling embarrassed around me."
"I guess it does. You were the only one I felt comfortable coming to for this, and obviously there's no one else I'd let do... that to me."
"That makes me very happy to hear Annette. I'm glad I can be here for you.
"Now remember, if you decide you want me to talk to professor Byleth, you can always tell me."
"That's okay Mercie. I'll admit I'm still pretty scared of what's gonna happen tomorrow, but I feel like I'm less scared than I was before I came to you."
Annette stood up straight and looked into her friend's big, beautiful blue eyes with her own pair.
"Thank you, Mercie."
"You're welcome Annette. It's getting pretty late, you should get ready for bed soon. The worst thing you could do tomorrow is probably show up late for class."
"Heh, good idea. Okay, goodnight Mercie."
"Goodnight Annette."
