Title: Absolution
Author: Meresankh
Summary: A girl in Thebes, doing what she must to survive, finding more she ever hoped for, and more than she ever dreaded for.
Notes: This story is adult. If graphic details of people having sex isn't your cup of tea, stay clear.
I'm all for historical accuracy, but I did not check every detail. The name Zahra was found on the internet along with it's meaning, I haven't checked the spelling, the meaning, or even the origin. This story was quickly conceived and ever more quickly written, so all mistakes are all mine.
Zahra shuddered at his landlord's words. She got along with him fine, even dared a more bold dialogue with him sometimes, but she was not interested in serving him. He had a potbelly for drinking too much beer and wine, his breath stunk and he sweat like a pig. At least usually she was able to pick her customers herself.
She didn't mind her current occupation. She had wished someday she would have a house and a husband, someone wealthy enough to provide for her. But for the time being, her personal dreams had to be put aside, and she did what she had to, and what she did was not unpleasant. Sex was something she actually enjoyed, and Egyptian men were mostly gentle.
"Hello, my flower."
She gasped and turned around in shock. The man from the previous night was back, dressed in the same black robes, the black scarf again hiding everything but his eyes.
She could not stop the smile from creeping to her face. "Good evening, my master. How can I serve you tonight?" she said while bowing her head, a little lower than she did with others. He had shown her respect last night, and she would return it in kind.
"Get down on your knees and take me in your mouth," he ordered huskily, making sure the door covering was in place before he dared to take off the scarf.
Zahra did as she was told, kneeling before him. She rid him of the loincloth and took his already engorged member in her mouth. He let out a satisfied moan as soon as the hot mouth closed over him.
Running her tongue over the tip of him, he looked up into his eyes, seeing the raw desire there. She did a little more than she was asked, pumping his shaft with one hand as the other gently cupped his balls, massaging them firmly.
The sensation quickly took him over, and with a loud moan he emptied himself, shooting his seed in the back of her throat as he nearly double over her. When he could stand up straight again, she looked up at him with dark, lust-filled eyes. If yesterday it had been he who had given her pleasure, she would make sure he got his share tonight.
Zahra still kneeling before him, he ran his thumb across his cheek, and raised her chin. She would not rise until he told her to.
"You continue to serve me well, my flower. Yesterday it was two deben for the few moments. How much would it take for the entire night?"
Zahra thought it over for a second. How much would she dare to ask for? Too little and she would not be able to pay her rent, too much and he would never return, maybe even leave right now. Finally, she settled for what she needed. "Four deben."
No spare. She even had already eaten today.
He seemed to think it over for a moment, absently running his thumb over her lips.
"Acceptable," he finally said, and Zahra let out the breath she hadn't even noticed she was holding.
She hid her relief quickly. "How do you want me, master?"
"Get on the bed. Let me look at you for a moment."
She nodded and got up, pausing to take off her dress before she would lay down for him. He stopped her by a hold of her hands a threatening shake of his head.
"I did not tell you to undress."
She suddenly dropped her hands and slowly backed up to sit on the edge of the bed, then stretched out before him and lay her head down on the pillow. She looked at him curiously, wondering what games he wished to play that night.
He never took his eyes off hers when he stalked towards the bed and sat down at her feet, raising her leg up by her ankle and placed a gentle kiss on it. Shivers immediately shot through her body.
He slowly trailed kisses up along her leg, pausing sometimes to flick his tongue across her skin. When he reached the top of her thigh he didn't continue to where she most desired him, but continued upwards along her abdomen, pulling her dress up as he progressed.
"I see lust in your eyes," he said and pressed a gentle kiss just below her navel.
She found him very observant.
"Do you lust for me, my Zahra?" he asked, all the while looking into her eyes while he waited for her answer. The feel of his warm hands travelling on her waist made it very difficult for her to concentrate long enough to put together a coherent answer.
"Yes, my master."
A kiss landed on her midriff.
"You wish to serve me?"
"Yes, my master."
Another on her left breast, and he finally pushed the dress out of his way for good, over her head. It fell on the floor, forgotten.
"You wish to obey me?"
Every question was more demanding as the previous, asking for her to give up control, to let him completely take over her body, her soul, her very fate.
She answered with passionate determination. "Yes, my master."
A hungry mouth engaged her neck in a scorching kiss. She could feel his lips moving over her skin, his tongue as he tasted her, his teeth as he marked her his.
"Ah!" the bite made her arch her back in pleasure.
The sudden jolt in her pleasure drove him wild, suddenly spreading apart her legs and pushing his again fully erect member deep within her. The feeling made her arch against him once more, her roaming hands on his back encouraging him even deeper.
She opened her eyes to look at him, and the sight scared her more than anything she had ever seen. His eyes were black with lust and mad with desire, a scorching heat he had lost himself in.
It suddenly dawned on Zahra that if she even attempted to stop him now, it would be disastrous. He was like an unstoppable force of nature, thrusting himself into her as violently as a mindless battering ram. She dared not even gasp for breath for the danger of setting him off now.
The fire she saw in his eyes fueled her own, and she suddenly came as the pleasure hit her with full force, making her vision turn bright white. She barely recognised her own voice when she screamed against his strong shoulder. Her legs locked around his waist, holding him there, driving him on.
When he finally came with a loud shout and a powerful thrust, she could feel him spilling his seed deep within her body. Every nerve ending on her body had been set on fire and was now smouldering.
He held her tightly for a moment as he tried to catch his breath again. When he finally could, he lifted her lithe little body into his arms, never taking himself out of her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on for dear life.
"You are so precious, my little flower," he said quietly in his deep baritone voice that sent shivers down her spine. "So beautiful, so precious."
She could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes. For a moment, she had completely forgotten who she was. As much as she cherished the moments where she felt nothing but the desire burn within her, she knew he would soon leave her to herself again.
Shut up, conscience, she thought as she turned her head and rested it against his shoulder. Whatever illusion he had cast upon her, she would hold onto it a little while longer.
A few minutes later he discovered she was fast asleep.
He smiled and gently laid her back down onto the bed. He carefully pulled out of her and arose from the bed, quietly dressing up. He took the discarded dress from the floor and spread it over her body, gently tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable. Their combined juices were running down her thighs and onto the mattress, and he smiled in the darkness at how completely he had possessed her. He weighed whether or not he should wash her up, but he didn't want to risk waking her up. He told himself she would need the rest, while a dark, hidden part of his soul told him he wanted her to witness the results of what he had done to her for herself.
He finished dressing up and gave her a longing kiss on the forehead.
When Zahra woke up again, he was long gone, the trails of semen and her own arousal dried on her thighs and the four copper deben in her hand.
She cried then, not out of shame, but for the acute sense of loss. The feel of his body was beginning to feel as essential as air, food or water.
Kamenwati was eagerly awaiting his money when she reappeared downstairs.
"It looks like you have a regular guest," he said knowingly. It was impossible to come and go without his knowledge, and he was immensely curious as to who the masked stranger was, but the mysterious man had never exposed his face to anyone but Zahra in the privacy of her room.
"Here is your money, my lord," Zahra said absently as she placed the accumulated deben on the counter.
Kamenwati nonchalantly counted the money, watching her intently, her face still flushed. Whoever that man had been, he had evidently shown her a very good time.
"This is six deben," he said and leaned over the counter, "...the rent is eight deben a day."
Her eyes went wide with shock. "My room has a rent of six deben, my lord, as it has been to this day."
"It has been, but the festival of Osiris is coming near. I can easily find a paying customer to take your place."
Zahra looked down and sighed. This was wrong, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could go to the Medjai, but her word as a whore had very little against the word of a tavern-keeper, and in any case, she would be without a roof over her head.
"Then I shall pay you the rest tomorrow, for I have no more money."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, my dear girl," he told her triumphantly, pleased with how his cunning scheme was playing out exactly how he had wanted. "The rent is due tonight, and I will accept no credit."
Zahra felt trapped, suddenly hoping for a miracle that would send her mysterious visitor back through the tavern doors. No such miracle never came, and she was left with only one option.
"How do you want me, my lord?"
When the morning came, she awoke in sweat and panting, having dreamt of the man dressed in black. A faint wish of the man's return crossed her mind, making a wistful smile form on her lips.
You're falling in love with a man who thinks you're nothing more than a common whore.
So, her long-absent rationality was making it's presence known again. She had to doubt the statement her mind had just made. A man did not treat a common whore like he did.
She shook her head and got up from the bed, taking her linen cloth and wrapping itself around her to form a dress. Tonight she would wait for the man in a clean dress. That meant laundry. She mused over what else he deserved, a woman with oiled, perfumed skin and kohl-lined eyes, washed hair, maybe even a plaited wig.
Would you like a mansion by the Nile with that? Maybe a few servants, as well?
She shook her head again and sighed. She didn't even have tonight's rent yet. And if the price of her room had gone up, that would mean only one thing.
Her price had gone up, as well.