Random futa things

by Jokiba

Just as the title says pure smut

51. Slave Girl

Slave Girl

Grimbous

Summary:

A fantasy historical futanari erotic romance serial.

A young Roman owner and a futa demon slave girl, but who is master?

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

"Please buy me." The girl's voice pleaded as yet another man passed by her without even giving her a glance. "Ma'am, please consider me." She says to a woman not much older than her and is promptly ignored. She redirects her attention to a middle aged couple passing by the other direction. "Please choose me. I am a hard worker." Like the last man the husband walks on as if he hadn't heard her though the wife scowls at her in disgust. Eager for any attention at all the girl seizes onto the scowl. "I can sew. I can cook. I can clean. Please Ma'am, please choose…" The wife spits on the slave as the pair pass by. The girl closes her eyes and lets out a dispirited sigh. She looked so small and fragile knelt there at the edge of the platform, hands on knees and bowed forward, among the bustling crowd around her. She wipes the spit from her bare leg as she fights back tears. Time was running out for her, I could hear it in the desperation of her voice. Though a bit malnourished she was easily the youngest and healthiest looking among the four slaves remaining. The other three, who shunned her just as much as the gathered citizens, were either maimed or well past their prime yet even these attracted much more interest than the despondent girl.

I say girl due to her petite build and high, soft, innocent sounding voice but she was absolutely a woman. Small pouting breasts, a softly curving shape, pleasingly wide hips, smooth and surprisingly fair skin for being under the summer sun all these hours, she was a woman through and through. Certainly older than me by a few years. She looked to be in her mid twenties but the subtle point to her ears, the nubs of two tiny horns at the edge of her hairline, the vibrant magenta eyes, and the deep violet fading to purplish pink hair revealed a dash of demon in her heritage. She could be as old as fifty, it would be difficult to tell. While it didn't help it wasn't her distant demon blood that had left her here among the dregs of the slave market. It was a much closer member of her lineage, likely one of her parents, that was to blame.

There, between her smooth shapely legs, was the evidence of her half-Amazon parentage. Small as she was she is a far cry from those mighty warriors so many tales are told about, but her male genitals on her female form revealed her to be a progeny of one among that distant race of women. They were among the Empire's most ancient and bitter enemies. In our mythology they are a cursed race and anything associated with them is considered profane and untouchable. Unlike the other slaves she isn't even given the dignity of a loin cloth, the heavy iron collar around her neck was the only thing she wore. I overheard others saying that it was law that an Amazon slave must be sold naked so that sellers could not trick buyers into purchasing one unaware. If she were a pure human woman she would have easily been bid up into the thousands. Even with her demon blood she would have went early and for a high price. But that penis changed everything. Had she been any older or any uglier she would have surely been disposed of well before ever making it to market. But despite her taboo nature she was young, healthy, and attractive so that gave her at least some modicum of value…or so the auctioneer believed. It didn't seem to be panning out that way.

The tall gaunt man in the yellow toga who ran this market comes back around to the girl and spreads his arms in a flourish. "Come now good citizens." He says in a naturally booming voice. "This girl is young and strong. Industrious and servile. Two hundred dinarii is a steal. A lifetime of service for such a small investment. You would be a fool not to take her."

"Feed her to the lions!" Someone calls out.

He looks around the crowd searching for any sign of a buyer, his eyes skipping right past me. I was not well to do and I was from the country, both facts quite evident in my rugged simple attire. He continues. "While clearly not suitable for a citizen she could be used as a pleasure slave for the rest of your stock. If you are worried about her around your daughters she can be fitted with a chastity cage at no extra cost." He says. "Castration, of course, is not an option with her kind but I assure you the chastity cage is permanent and impregnable."

The girl looks up, scanning the gathering for even a glimmer of interest. There was none. Only hard glares of hatred and suspicion. In her desperation she even begins searching the poor, the youth, and the other slaves in the crowd. With nobody willing to bid for her perhaps she was just looking for a little pity or empathy among this hostile crowd. For the first time her gaze meets mine. In her magenta gaze I see barely concealed terror. She was so scared and I then knew for certain that this was it for her. This auction was her one and only opportunity to find a master or mistress and the day was drawing near its end. I felt for her despite her unholy nature. Gods knew how she'd come to find herself in this situation but given the bleak future someone like her would face in this unfriendly city perhaps it was for the best that she be put out of her misery now.

"Please." The girl whispers. It takes me a moment to realize she was speaking to me! I look to my left and right but nobody else was paying any attention. Her gaze was definitely locked on me. "Choose me. Please."

The auctioneer notices the exchange. With nobody else biting he makes one last pitch. "You there, boy." He points his cane my way.

"M-me?" I receive a few dirty looks from those around me who believed I was actually interested in purchasing her.

"You have an eye for a bargain young man. A shrewd dealer, I can see it in your eye."

"No sir. I-I-I was just looking. I am not from Rome and I just wanted to…"

"Two hundred dinarii for decades of loyal service. You could travel to every corner of the Empire and never find a better deal than this." He presses. "You look to be a farmer. A noble profession but so much work. This slave would earn her value back in a year with her labor alone." He leans forward and narrows his eyes. "Are you married young man?" The insinuation in his voice is impossible to miss.

"No!" I exclaim. "I mean, no, not yet."

"Well then, perhaps…" The corner of his wide mouth curls into a suggestive grin. There are gasps of disgust and scoffing derision from those listening. After allowing the lewd insinuation to hang in the air just long enough he continues on in a most innocent tone. "…this girl could be a nanny for when you do find a bride and you have children. Having that sort of help would be a boon for any hard working parent. Owning a slave shows wisdom, ambition, and high status. It would make your prospects that much better. This would be an investment in your future."

"I…I'm sorry. I only have a hundred and sixty. I cannot afford her." I thought that would end this awkward interaction but I realize it was exactly the wrong thing to say when I see his sharp eyes light up.

"You, my shrewd friend, drive a hard bargain!" He clicks his cane into the platform they were on. "But since I so value the work of those who till the soil so that the rest of us may eat…one sixty would be acceptable."

The girl's face brightens with hope. "Oh! Thank the gods!"

"No! No!" I wave my hands. "This money is for a cow…"

"A cow?" He says incredulously. "I like cream and cheese as much as anyone, but they cannot compare to the years of toil a good slave can provide." He straightens up and says with a firm finality. "You are a tough one young man. Very smart. One fifty. That is as low as I can go."

"But…But I…"

The slave's wide magenta eyes stare into mine. She saw me as a savior instead of the simple country tourist that I was. She didn't seem to understand that I couldn't. I just couldn't. I mean legally I could as a free man of the Empire, but I was no slaveholder. The money in my pouch was all that I had to start my new life. More money than I'd ever had before and I'd held it for less than an hour before passing by this market. I was only in Rome to settle my uncle's affairs and receive my inheritance. Besides…she had Amazon blood! I couldn't invite such folly into my life.

And yet…the way she looked at me. The way he looked at me. I knew this was it for her. Her last chance. Like the Emperor deciding whether to show mercy to a fallen gladiator her fate was entirely in my hands. I never wanted to be in this situation, I never should have been in this situation, yet here I was. Back home they all warned me to be careful in the big city but I never thought simply stopping and gawking could get me into trouble. This decision was just too big for a farmboy like me.

"I…can't." I say at last. "I can't."

My heart bleeds as I watch all hope drain from the girl's beautiful face. Slowly her gaze drops to stare at the earth and her body slumps, all the vivacious vitality in her gone in the blink of those lovely eyes. The man in the yellow toga is disappointed but quickly moves on to another slave to make one last appeal to the crowd before closing up for the day. Those around me assure me that I had made the right decision and even curse the auctioneer for trying to take advantage of a naive country bumpkin like me.

My head down I walk from the slave market feeling absolutely wretched and regretting deeply the curiosity that made me stop and look. I never imagined that one hundred and sixty pieces of silver would weigh so much.

Chapter 2: Impulse Buy

Chapter Text

I needed to get out of this city! The size and grandeur of the capital was simply overwhelming. I thought Paestum was impressive but Rome absolutely dwarfed it in every conceivable way. I heard the stories but I never imagined such a place as this could really exist. There was too much…everything. Too many people, too much noise, too many smells. How could people live like this? The endless crowded streets and nonstop bustle of Rome was not for me. Everyone here was loud and rude and in a hurry, everyone hustling for a coin or two in whatever conniving way they could. I needed to get back to the country where I understood the quiet slow rhythms of that life.

I had done my business here and all I wanted to do now is go find my new home and start my new life. I had my money and a scroll from a magistrate confirming the transfer of ownership of my deceased uncle's land to me. It had been an unexpected boon to say the least as my mother hadn't seen her brother in over twenty years when the news came of his passing and the bequeathing of his money and property to the nephew he had never met. There was talk of selling the land and reinvesting the money in the family farm but my mother would not hear of it. She said that this was a blessing that I dare not turn my back on for fear of angering the fates. The whole family had gathered for a great feast to see me off. They were sad to see me go but as eager as I was that I make the most of this opportunity.

I should have been excited. I should have been happy. I had money in my pouch and a piece of land to call my own. It was all I ever dreamed of. Yet try as I might to focus on the journey in front of me that scene at the slave market played over and over in my mind. With every blink of my eyes I saw that girl's face. I saw her fear, her desperation, and that momentary spark of hope…followed by the grim realization of her fate. All around her bowed and exposed body only the hard uncaring faces of these city dwellers. Why oh why did I ever decide to stop and watch!? Why did SHE have to be there today of all days? Why did she look at me and beg me to choose her? Couldn't she see by my humble attire that I was no slave buyer. Why, why, why?

The silver coins held tight in a leather pouch rubbed against my hip on the inside of my tunic. I could feel the weight of every one of those one hundred and sixty dinarii in both my body and my soul. I had been so delighted when I received the money just a short time ago, yet now it hung on me like an anchor. It was mine yet hadn't earned this money. I had done nothing to deserve it. These coins had found their way to me by serendipity. Purely because a man with no heirs, a man I never met, just happened to be related to my mother.

Each step I took was slower and more hesitant than the last. This money could be the seed of a bright future…or it could save a woman's life right here and now. One option was one part of a pleasant dream and the other a hard reality happening now on the streets of Rome. I find myself stopping and immediately get knocked into from behind.

"Watch it!" An angry voice gripes as a man pushes past me.

I stand there on the street, my hand clutching the bag of coin, as people flow around me on either side. The difference a cow would make for me was significant but not momentous. I could get by without one. The money was nice and would make things easier but it was the land that truly mattered. If the fates had a hand in me receiving this inheritance perhaps they had placed that girl in the auction today as well. Mom always told me that when things got really difficult to listen to the voice inside of me and that the gods would take care of the rest.

I let out a sigh and pat the purse. "This probably wasn't what you had in mind Uncle Paullus but…easy come, easy go."

I turn and head back toward the market walking double time to try to get back before they left. My heart sinks as I enter the square to see the auctioneer and slaves gone from the platform. Scanning the crowd I soon spot the familiar yellow toga off to the side. He was speaking among a small group of his men. Between this group and a nearby wall was the girl, shackled and by herself. They had even been able to sell the old ones before calling it a day. Her head is bent forward and her blank eyes stared into the earth. It was the look of one making terms with their own death.

Knowing what I must do I take a deep breath and approach.

The tall man spots me as I get near. It takes a few moments but by the time I am approaching a look of recognition comes over him.

"The farmer boy." He says.

"Yes sir." I say. As I speak the girl catches my voice and her pointed ears flick. Her head snaps up to look at me. I spare her a glance but no more. "Uh…I was wondering…"

"Didn't want that cow after all?" The man smiles a greasy smile that makes my skin crawl. "She's still for sale. Yes. Had you waited another few minutes though…let's just say you cut it very close young man." He pats my shoulder and pulls me in so close I could smell the fig on his breath. "I understand. You didn't want to buy her with all those witnesses. I don't blame you."

I could sense the slave staring at me off to my left but I don't look her way. I just wanted to have this over with and be out of here.

"I have the money." I say. "I'm not sure how this all works."

"If you have the money…it just works." He quips with a chuckle. "Though there are a few legalities to attend to. And since I'll have to keep my people here longer…I'll have to ask for a hundred and sixty now. You understand."

"But…but that's all I have."

"But you do have it." He retorts. "I'm afraid the price is firm." His thin creepy grin widens.

"I…okay, I guess that makes sense." I pull the pouch from my tunic. I feel its weight one last time and wonder when I'd ever have this much money all at once again then, after a moment's hesitation, pass it over to him.

He feels it with a satisfied look. Opening it he looks inside then passes it over to one of his men who starts to count the coins inside.

Another of his people, a balding rotund man, produces a wax tablet and stylus and hands it to me. "If you have a family symbol for your slaves and livestock put it here." The man says. "Otherwise we'll just brand her with the standard mark of…"

"No!" I say. "Branding won't be necessary. Thank you."

"You really are a bumpkin, aren't you?" He says as I bristle at the insult, true as it was.

"Well, you see, I…I plan on freeing her as soon as…"

I don't even finish my sentence before I am surrounded by gales of bellowing laughter. "Oh dear boy." The slave master says. "She's Amazon. She'll never be free. Not as long as she's in the Empire. She's yours for life or until you sell her."

Another of them mutters under their breath. "Good luck with that."

"Oh. I didn't…oh no." I was getting the sense that not only were these men happy to be rid of her, she wasn't nearly the bargain the auctioneer made her out to be. I suspected I could have gotten her much cheaper had I held out. It was far too late for that though.

Impatiently the man with the tablet pushes it toward me. "You have a symbol or no? We can do it on her cheek, forehead, or the back of her hand. Your choice."

Forced into a decision I answer. "Uh, back of her hand definitely." Out of the corner of my eye I notice her instinctively rub the back of her left hand. "Are you sure it's necessary."

"Yes, by law. Amazons must be marked as slaves." He says. "And if you somehow manage to…I mean, if you decide to sell her on you must sell her naked. The penalties are severe for selling one under false pretense."

"Right." I look at the tablet for a time and think. I was going to release her regardless of what these men said. I try to think of a brand that might be easy to disguise. Inspired by the color of her eyes I take the tablet and stylus I draw the flower of a wild rose and pass it back. A good tattoo could probably disguise that symbol. "Something like this."

His bushy eyebrows raise. "This is your symbol?" He says with obvious amusement.

"Yes." I say, my patience drawing short. "I am a land owner. That is the symbol of my farm. Do you have a problem with that?"

My annoyance only amused him more. "No. This is fine." He says. "The size and detail though…" He then shrugs. "…but you're the customer."

"Is there a problem…?" I start to ask before another of the men interrupts me. They certainly were in a hurry to conclude this deal.

"Sign here, here, and here." Three sheets are produced for me to sign, one of parchment and the other two of papyrus. "One for you, one for the seller, and one for our good Emperor."

"Legal documents?" I say. "I didn't think…oh boy."

"You aren't buying a cow here boy." The yellow robed man says. "Don't worry. Claudius here is a registered advocate. This is all nice and legal."

I take some time to read over the documents. The writing on each one wasn't just written by the same hand they were absolutely identical. Even the blotches were the same. Real magic was involved here. Yet another reason this city put me ill at ease. I skim the text but I am quickly lost in the intricacies of the obfuscating language. Each simple statement seemed to take four sentences of technical jargon to spell out.

"The boy can read." One of them says. "I'm impressed."

I look up at them. "I should have my own advocate."

"If you want this slave you don't have time." He glances toward the silver being counted. The man counting looks up and give his boss the thumbs up. "Or the money if what you told me was true."

"Can we wait until morning so that I can…"

"No. If you want the girl you take her now."

"Right." I sigh. Taking the reed pen provided and dip it in the ink. "No tricks?"

"No tricks." I am assured, it does little to ease my worries.

I look over at the girl who had her hand laid flat on small table. Her face is tense and set to endure pain. The man who I'd given the wax tablet to was painting the symbol I had drawn in perfect detail on the back of the slave's hand. The size was the same as what I had sketched meaning it took up the entirety of the space from wrist to knuckle and all the way across. The size and unnecessary details of the drawing would no doubt combine to produce a lot of extra pain as compared to a simpler symbol. Beside her hand is a stone bowl with some sort of gray-yellow paste inside of it.

"You don't have to make it that big." I say.

"Too late." The man says without even looking up.

"Hoh boy." I mutter. I might be the customer here but I felt like I was swept up in something beyond my control. "I don't know…"

"Sign the documents." I am told. "We are working past time as is."

"Right. Right." I dip the pen again…pause…then sign the sheets one after the other. The ink is barely dry when the two pieces of papyrus are scooped up.

"The deal is sealed. The slave is yours."

"Yeah." I say as I look at the parchment with my name signed on the bottom of it. That little voice inside of me wasn't quite so certain anymore. I could have been on the road by now had I not turned around. What was I doing here? I roll up the document and put it in my pack along side my new deed. "She needs clothes."

"You should get her some." The man says. "Not my problem."

"Right." I say, knowing I should have bargained for more. I was so bad at this. "You mentioned a chastity cage."

"It will cost you extra."

"I thought you said it was included!"

"That was at two hundred." He says. "For the reduced price there are no frills. Just the slave."

"Right." I say. "I see."

He pats my shoulder with a low chuckle. "You wouldn't want it anyways. Young stallion like you."

"I didn't buy her to be a pleasure slave!"

"Sure, sure. No need to explain to me."

I was about to protest when I hear a high grunt followed by a sickening sounding sizzle. The man tasked with branding the slave had finished his painting was now spreading the yellow paste over the soft pale skin of the back of the girl's left hand. As the paste touched the paint the flesh beneath began to redden and blister.

"Mmmm!" He girl hums through pursed lips as her face becomes a mask of excruciating pain. "MMMM!" Her free hand grips the side of the table and her jaw clenches tight as she does all she can to hold her cries in.

"Oh gods!" I exclaim. "Must you do this?"

"Yes." The man spreading the paste answers blankly. He continues his casual cruelty as tears begin to roll freely down the girls smooth cheeks.

"Mmmhmmmm!" She moans in agony as the sizzling intensifies and a wretched odor of sulfur and charred flesh wafts my direction. This gathers attention from some passers by who stop to watch the girl writhe and whimper. It was grotesque.

"What is taking so long?"

"It's her demon blood. This might take awhile to properly scar."

I look away. Unlike the gawkers who had gathered I had no stomach for this. The whimpering moans continue before at last she can bear the suffering no longer and lets out a wail of raw anguish. "AHHHH HAAAAH!!!"

There are murmurs and even laughter from those gathered. "Damn you all!" I growl as I start pushing a few of them away. "Get! Get away from here you bastards!"

The citizens look at me like a madman as they disperse. I was so angry at them yet I knew it was because of me she was suffering like this. I thought I was doing good but this was…unbearable! I never wanted to torture her. The girl's screams raise as the sizzling burn goes on and on and on. The man reapplies another layer of paste and another is forced to hold her still as the big detailed rose that I had drawn is seared indelibly into her flesh. Even the hardened slave master begins to cringe at the length and intensity of her suffering.

After what seemed an eternity the paste is wiped away with a wet cloth. "It's done."

I look to see the girl trembling like a leaf and cradling her left hand to her naked body, the angry red of the fresh brand seared into it. Her shackles and collar is removed and without another word the slave master and his crew collect their belongings and leave.

Her lithe body trembling, tears still wetting her cheeks, she whispers in a breathless shuddering voice. "Th-th-thank y-you M-master."

Chapter 3: Unwanted

Chapter Text

Just like that…I was alone with her!

I look around as if somebody might step in and tell me what to do but with the screaming over the people go back about their business. Just leaving the square I see the man in the yellow robes and his group. As much as I disliked them I felt like I ought to call out to them, to ask them questions or have them give me direction, but after a few seconds they disappear from sight. I'd never been responsible for anybody but myself before. What was I supposed to do with a slave!?

I look back at the girl kneeling and leaned up against the platform she had been displayed upon. Long violet hair covers her face but I can see that her eyes are closed. Her breathing rapid and shallow as she collects herself from the torturous branding she had just endured. I stand frozen for a time. I had very little experience with either slaves or women in general beyond my family, especially ones as pretty as her. Strangely, her small horns and pointed ears only added to her allure, on her these demonic features did not look out of place. Though they were a visual reminder of her exotic nature. This was not the type of woman a common man like me ought to be messing around with. The fact she bore the curse of the Amazons set me on edge most of all. She looked harmless enough but, if the stories were true, ill fortune clung to this woman like pine pitch. Gods, what had I gotten myself into here?

Sensing me hovering nearby she swallows and says softly. "It's…v-very beautiful." Opening her eyes she looks down at the nasty red mark seared into the back of her hand. "The symbol. It's beautiful Master. Thank you for giving it to me. Thank you for choosing me."

"Uh…yeah." I say awkwardly. Her nudity made a difficult situation even more uncomfortable. Stepping forward I set my pack down and pull out my thick wool paenula. I offer her the traveling cloak. She takes it and gratefully slips into the over sized garment. On her my cloak looked like a billowing tent.

"Thank you again Master."

"You're…welcome." I say hesitantly. This was so surreal. Suddenly I was linked with this woman, this stranger, this demon blooded Amazon girl I'd only seen for the first time this very afternoon. I hadn't a clue as to how to act, what to say, or what to do. I blurt out. "I'm leaving the city. I don't live here."

"Very well." She stands and reaches to take my pack. "I will carry."

"No." I pull it back from her as if she were trying to steal it. "I've got it."

She nods with an impressive calm given the ordeal she'd just been through. I stand up and sling the pack over my shoulder. She looks up at me, on even ground she didn't even come up to my chin, and she says with just the hint of an accent that I did not recognize. "You are tall and built well."

I feel a blush warm my cheeks at the compliment. "M-my family is not wealthy but I've never wanted for food." The words felt foolish to say but I was at a loss. "Um…I…need to go now."

Turning from her I start back the way I came. Just behind me I hear her bare feet pad along the stones of the street. I wished she didn't follow but of course she had no choice. I walk in long swift strides, her shorter legs had to move twice as fast to keep up but she manages it. Secretly I hoped she'd either try to escape or simply just fall behind and get lost in the crowd. This grand city was an endless warren of narrow alleys packed with countless citizens and slaves. If there was anywhere an escaped slave could blend in and be anonymous this was the place. No such luck though. Once she catches up she stays directly behind me, following in my wake so that she could not be separated from me. Around us the masses pass by, some trying to hawk their wares but most hurrying along about their own business. It is all a blur to me, as I walk my mind races.

I'd signed a contract. It would soon be in the Empire records. Why hadn't I thought about that beforehand? Curse my slow and simple mind! And I had used my real name. Those men did not know me or my family. I was a first time visitor here in the capital. Only now do I realize that I could have signed anything on those documents and they would have been none the wiser. It would have been a crime but one unlikely to catch up to me. As it was I was now the legal owner of a slave that I didn't want and there was documentation to prove it. She was mine as fairly and legally as my deceased uncle's land.

"Master." Her dulcet voice interrupts my thoughts.

I reluctantly come to a stop and turn to look her direction, though my eyes carefully avoided hers. My worry and annoyance must have been evident on my face because she instinctively takes a half a step back from me as if she expected I might strike her.

"What?" I ask in a short clipped tone.

"I am sorry Master." She says. "You…appear vexed. I can see the tension you are holding in your shoulders." She motions off to the right. "There is a public bath just down there. It might ease your mind and body before the journey ahead. I can wash and massage…"

"A bath?" I cut her off. "Didn't you hear me back at the market? I spent all I had on you. I have nothing left for luxuries."

"It is a public bath. Only a few copper coins would get us both…" Her voice fades as she reads my cross expression. "You were being honest back there. You spent your last coin on me."

"I have no money. I have nothing. Nothing but my land and what I carry."

She steps closer and gently places her hand on mine. "And me."

I pull my hand away. "I am leaving the city." I say firmly, then after a tense pause add. "You don't have to follow. I won't pursue you." I spin and start on my way once more. Only a moment later I hear her bare feet hurry to catch up then follow behind.

By the time we reach the outskirts and I can at last see the green farms and hills stretching off to the South the sun is touching the horizon. Gone are the crowds and the noise and the smell and the claustrophobic streets. For the first time since the morning I am able to take a full deep breath. If I never saw Rome again I would consider it a great blessing.

"It is late." The slave says. By the tenor of her voice I sensed an unease rising in her. As my anxiety was easing with leaving the city, hers was growing. "Perhaps we could go back and find a place to rest. A fresh start in the morning would be good."

My gaze focuses out over the vast landscape. There was nothing in the world that could make me go back now. "The sky is clear. The moon will be bright tonight. I will continue well into the night."

"Yes Master." She replies uneasily. "I will follow."

I turn back to her. Looking down at her I say. "Run."

"Master?"

"Go." I motion back toward the city. "Escape. I won't stop you."

"Master…they'll kill me."

I sigh. "Then to the North. To the East. Disappear where they will never find you again. Go somewhere you where you can hide your curse. Just go."

She studies me a moment, trying to look into my eyes though I did not meet her gaze. Direct eye contact with attractive women was something I was never comfortable with. "Master, you say you have nothing but land and what you carry. I don't even have that. Even this cloak is not my own. This is all I have now." She shows me the rose shaped brand that I had designed on the back of her hand. "Master, I have nowhere to go."

"Friends? Family? A home?"

She shakes her head.

"Well…find a place!" I exclaim. "You cannot come with me."

"I am yours now. I belong with you. There is no other place for me."

"Belong with me?" I grab her hands, she grimaces as I inadvertently touch her burn. I quickly shift my grip to her fine fingers instead. Flipping her hands palms up I look at them and rub my calloused thumbs across them. They were as supple and tender as a fresh apple blossom. "How many weeds have you pulled? How many sheep have you milked? How much dough have you kneaded? Have these hands even worked one honest day? I am a farmer. Ceres is my goddess. I have no use for a soft city slave."

Her ears tilt down expressing her sadness as she looks at her smooth pale palms then slowly up to me. "Please."

"I am doing you a favor."

I go to argue more but she falls to her knees at my feet and beseeches me. "Please don't throw me away Master. I will learn. I will work. Please!"

"I'm not…throwing you away. I am freeing you."

"I do not wish be free."

"But I do." I state. "This was never supposed to happen. Now listen to your Master…and go!" I step back and wave her away as if she were a pesky insect. "Go! Now!"

There is a long quiet moment as I stand and she kneels, facing each other, on the darkening road. The crickets had begun their evening chorus.

"You are sentencing me to death." She says flatly.

"Not if you're clever."

"And you to fines, a lashing, and possibly even exile."

"Me?" I say. "Well…just don't tell them about me. You don't even know my name anyway."

"I know what you look like. I know you are a land owning farmer from the South who was in Rome on a specific day at a specific time. I know you had exactly one hundred and sixty pieces of silver and that you were not accustomed to having it, an inheritance perhaps? And, of course, I know where you purchased me and who from."

"Fuck!" I say. "Don't say those things then. Don't say anything. It's the least you can do for me."

She sighs at my naivete. "I won't have a choice Master. Besides…" She holds her branded hand up. "…this was made with magic. Those things you signed were possibly magical as well."

"Magic?" I whisper. Out in the country we had little beyond common hedge witches and herbalists, but in the cities true practitioners of magic were not uncommon.

"This mark I bear is more than skin deep. Eventually I will be discovered. They will find me and then they will torture and kill me." She says. "And then they will find you."

I stare at her as the words slowly sink in. Covering my face with my hands I moan. "Gods. What have I done?"

Her forehead touches my feet as she bows deeply. "You saved my life."

Chapter 4: A Heavy Burden

Chapter Text

In such a short time the woman's curse had already tarred me. She was the slave yet I felt like I was the one wearing chains. Chains of iron that shackled me to her. Yet chains I had forged with my own hands. I could curse the fates all I wanted but it was me who signed those papers.

I let out a long breath and look around at the calm countryside around us. It was so much easier to think out here. I look down at the girl bowing at my feet. "Stand."

"I am sorry you didn't realize what you were getting into Master. I am sorry you don't want me. I'm sorry…"

"Stop. Just stand up."

"I beg, don't beat me Master." She grips my ankles, her forehead still on top of my feet. "Have pity."

"I am not going to hurt you." I say softly. Bending down I take her by the arms. "Stand up. Please."

Her body relaxes to my gentle tone of voice. She gets to her feet, allowing me to help her. She looks ready to shield herself but she stands still as I mull over what to say.

"Like it or not…I guess we're stuck with each other." I say. "At least for now."

She nods. "Yes."

"There's nothing for it." I say. "The past is gone. I can learn from it but I cannot change it. Regret and anger won't help a damn thing. All we can do is get on with living."

"You're a Stoic?"

This makes me chuckle. "Just something my Dad used to say."

"He sounds like a wise man."

"He was." I say. "I share his name, Quintus, though most people just call me Quin. What's your name?"

She hesitates and I catch her glance down to the flower on her branded hand. "Rosa. My name is Rosa."

"Rosa?" I say dubiously. "It is not."

"It is now. My slave name is Rosa."

There is both a sense sadness and relief in the way she gave herself a new name, a new identity, right here on the spot. Her slave name she called it. Not her new name, her slave name. Insinuating that until now she had another name, a free name. The realization dawns on me that, while she had had to endure a slave market, all of this was as new to her as it was to me. It shook me deeply knowing that she had been a free woman until recently. I weigh up whether to press her on telling me her true name but I saw no point in it. I would allow her that dignity. If I really needed to know it I could read my letter of ownership to find out. If she wanted to be known as Rosa that was good enough for me. Besides, it suited her.

"Very well Rosa. Come along." Stepping to the side I invite her to walk along side of me. She steps forward and we are on our way. My steps are slower now to allow her to keep pace without so much effort. With the understanding established we quickly fall back into silence as we walk along the famous Regina viarum. As the light waned in the West we passed fewer and fewer travelers heading for the capital. I could sense my slave's wariness build as evening faded into the gloam of twilight. She had ever so subtly begun to walker closer to my side and her head would dart to face any small noise from the grass or bushes along the edges.

"I've heard there are bandits that roam the Appian way." She whispers as if worried that her voice might carry too far.

"Yeah." I admit. "But a penniless farmer boy and a slave girl are hardly a prime target."

"What about monsters?"

"Monsters?" I say. She truly had no clue what it was like out here. "Maybe when we're crossing the Appenines, but not this close to Rome."

We walk on at her slow pace for a time in silence. I catch her occasionally glancing back to the city receding behind us then around for any signs of trouble. Eventually she speaks again. "How long are we going to walk tonight?"

"A few hours." I peek over at her and I could see she was fatiguing.

"I'm okay." She assures me, sensing my thoughts.

My eyes lower to see her toes poking out from under the cloak with each tired step. If the soles of her feet were anything like her tender palms she would be feeling every grain and pebble she trod upon. "Your feet?"

"Fine Master Quin. I can keep up."

"Hmm." I slow to a stop and turn my pack so that I wore it to the front. Kneeling down I say. "Climb on my back."

"Climb…?" She looks at me as if I were daft. "You wish to carry me?"

"Yes."

"A master doesn't carry a slave."

"You are slow and I have a strong back. I want to put another few miles behind us before resting." I say.

"I'll walk faster Master Quin. You don't need to do that."

"Come on Rosa. No arguments."

Had she been less worn down by what had surely been a hell of a day she may have protested further. As it was she looked perplexed yet relieved. Coming around behind me she climbs up on my back and wraps her slender arms over my chest. I support her legs with my hands and get back to my feet. Compared to the fattened ewes I was accustomed to hoisting back on the family farm the petite Rosa was hardly an effort. Not having to gauge my steps to hers any longer I pick up the pace with long powerful strides.

Having her head resting on my shoulder I could feel her hair, as soft as goose down, brushing against my neck. I could smell her too. The day she'd just had involved long hours under the hot sun, hours of stress from praying that she found a buyer so that she could live another day, a long bout of excruciating pain, all followed immediately by a long hike. Layers of sweat had built up over the day and yet…she smelled nice. At least to this farmer's nose. Her warmth and weight were pleasant to feel as well. With her pressed tight against my back I could feel both of her small breasts pushing into me…as well as the bulge between her legs. It was such a damn shame that a beautiful woman like Rosa, through no fault of her own, had to be ruined by such a curse of heritage.

Quietly she holds tight to me as we go, seeming much less nervous now. I could feel her relax more with each step. With a smooth steady gait I make good time along the moonlit road of flat interlocking stones. It was maybe a mile later when I feel the body I was carrying gradually go limp. Rosa's head slumps to the side and one of her dull nubby horns jab into my jaw. Exhausted as she was my slave had nodded off on my back. Without missing a stride I lean forward a little more and center her weight so that she wouldn't fall. I had a goal in mind and it was just a bit further.

The physical effort felt good. Moving, carrying a load, working toward a definite destination, these were the type of things I was built and raised for. Perhaps too much so. My grandfather worried that anything outside of simple labor was beyond me. He worried about me trying to start and run a farm on my own. But mother had faith in me and I had faith in myself. With Ceres guiding me I could turn my hard work into success. I would work my land, I would find a wife, I would start a family, and I would prosper. I would do my father proud. Although with the way I had just squandered the money of my inheritance perhaps grandpa had been onto something. No matter. One foot in front of the other. Just keep moving forward.

By the time I was turning off of the main road onto the winding game trail to the camping spot I had in mind fatigue was starting to weigh on me as well. Not from physical effort but from the stress and length of my day. It doesn't take long before I find the secluded little clearing among the bushes a short distance from a burbling stream. The long grass was still flattened from my stay here the night before.

"Rosa." I say softly as I kneel down. "We're here."

"Mmm?" She surfaces and I feel her tense up momentarily as she gets her bearings. "Oh! I'm sorry. I must have nodded off."

"Understandable."

She steps back from me rubbing her tired eyes then looks around the area more than a little confused. "Here? We're resting here? In the open?"

"Yes." I take off my bulky pack and set it down between us. "There isn't much food left but you're welcome to it. I'll try to get us some fish in the morning." Pointing toward the sound of the nearby water I say. "The water is clean and cool, if you're thirsty or wish to soothe that burn."

Her wide nervous eyes scan the bushes around us, her ears tilt and turn trying to pick up any odd noise. In Luna's pale glow everything is in soft shades of gray, even Rosa's vibrant eyes were muted in the wan light. Though all was quiet I could sense her fear. She really was a creature of city comforts.

Reaching into the pack I pull out my sheepskin blanket. "It is a mild night. The cloak ought to be warm enough for you." I sit down in the grass and start to flatten out a wider area to lay down upon. "Sleep as long as you can. We have many miles to go."

"Y-you want me to sleep on the ground?" Just then there are a series of titters, like the tinkling of tiny bells, that ripple through the vegetation around us. Rosa squeals and nearly jumps out of her cloak. In the blink of an eye she is right beside me. "What's that!?"

"It's just the nymphs. Ignore them. They're harmless."

"Nymphs?" She spins to the left, trying to track the sound as it moves. "They're all around us!"

"You won't see them. They're too fast. They're laughing. They'll be gone in a moment."

"That isn't laughter. They're angry." She says as she kneels beside me and clutches to my arm. "We shouldn't sleep here. Maybe…maybe…maybe a farmer would let us stay…"

"Rosa. We sleep here." I say firmly. "The nymphs will move on soon." Even as I say the words their high chiming voices were already receding. "See."

Slowly her grip on my arms loosens and she sits back. She nods uneasily though she continued to glance about the area as if a Gorgon might burst from vegetation at any moment. I had no words to comfort her. I couldn't promise her that we were absolutely safe as there were potential dangers out here, wolves foremost among them. The likelihood of experiencing any was very slim but not none. This was simply a reality of the country and this city girl was going to have adapt if she was going to stay with me.

Rosa notices that I was on the verge of bedding down when she suddenly crawls in behind me and grabs my shoulders. Her hands grip and knead the tense muscles on either side of my neck. "Let me give you a massage before…"

Shrugging her away I look back at her annoyed. "Get off me!"

"Master…"

"You! There!" I point to a spot just on the other side of the pack. "Now!"

"But Master…I…we…" She was grasping for something to say. "W-we…should sleep together. F-for warmth. For safety."

"Together!?" My eyes widen in shock.

"Don't make me sleep alone." There is a long pause before she adds in a hushed tone. "I will pleasure you Master. In any way you wish. Please let me lay with you tonight."

I was glad it was so dark as the bright blush that was surely coloring my cheeks would have been visible a mile away. In my embarrassment annoyance turns to anger. "GO!" My bellowing voice rings out in the night. "THERE!"

"Yes Master!" She scrambles away on all fours to the spot I pointed at. Her body language is bent and submissive with her ears down like a guilty dog about to be whipped. "I'm sorry. I meant no offense."

"Sleep!"

"Yes Master." She curls into a tight little ball and disappears inside of the large cloak, even pulling her head in through the neck hole so that she were completely inside of it.

I let out a huff and unfurl my blanket with a hard flap. I lay down and turn my back to my impudent slave. The nerve of her to suggest such a thing! I am stewing as I settle in and close my eyes to try to get some sleep at least before the dawn. We had days of hard travel in front of us and would need the rest. As I lay there my anger cools and I find myself wishing I hadn't shouted at her. It was common knowledge that you had to be firm with slaves or they would become a problem…but raising my voice to a frightened woman wasn't how I was raised. It just didn't sit right with me.

As I lay there struggling with my conscience I hear behind me, just barely, the muffled sobs of Rosa.

Chapter 5: Getting Aquanted

Chapter Text

I turn to lay on my back, the starry heavens above a glorious sight to behold, yet all I can focus on are the tears of my slave. She tried mightily to hold the noise in but in the silence of the night she cannot mask it entirely. I let out a sigh and sit up. Across from me all I could see of Rosa is a trembling lump in the middle of the paenula.

I get up and go the pack between us. At the sound of my movement I hear a gasp and some hurried sniffles as Rosa redoubles her efforts in hiding her crying. As I get close I could see her form tense up as she readied herself for a beating.

"Rosa."

She draws in a sniffling breath and tries to settle her voice though it still warbled with fear. "Yes Master?"

"I will never strike you." I say firmly. "I promise you that now."

Her form relaxes a little. "Yes Master. Thank you Master." She didn't entirely believe me but the words helped.

I pull my nearly empty waterskin out of the pack and walk through the bushes to the nearby stream. There I take a drink, splash a bit of water on my face, dump out the old water and refill it with fresh. When I return Rosa is sitting up with just the top of her horned head peeking out of the cloak. I pass her the skin and she takes it gratefully. Sitting up straighter she unstops it and takes a good long pull of the cool thirst quenching water then lets out a great breath. "Thank you."

Taking my blanket I move over to set up beside her, though still at an arm's length. "I didn't mean to be so cruel. I'm not used to…this."

"I'm sorry for crying Master."

"Don't be. I understand." I say. "How is your hand?"

She looks at it. "It hurts, but not so bad anymore. I heal quickly from burns."

"Yeah. I guess you would."

She wipes the wet from her cheeks. "I'll be okay Master. Don't worry about me. I won't be a problem."

"You don't have to talk like that. I don't know how to do this master-slave thing. Just…be yourself." I say in a warm gentle tone. "I can't imagine what this day has been like for you."

She didn't quite know how to take that. "Master…?"

"Just call me Quin."

She studies me for a long moment before taking another sucking pull from the waterskin. "Oh that's good." She whispers. "Thank you Quin."

I nod and summon my courage. Speaking with women did not come naturally to me. "My…my mother says a burdened heart can only be lightened by sharing its worries. If you want to talk I…I can…" I shrug. "…listen."

"Your mother is as wise as your father."

"More so." I motion to the pack. "As I said, I have food." Then I correct myself. "We. We have food. Eat if you're hungry."

She continues to look at me, as if trying to read my heart. It made me uncomfortable but I endure it. Reaching over she pulls the pack closer and begins looking through it. It doesn't take her long to find the small bundle. Unwrapping it she finds olives, dried fruit, a bit of sheep cheese, and stale chunk of flat bread. She breaks off a bit of the bread and goes to close it again.

"Don't be silly." I say. "I know you're hungry. Eat as much as you like. You need to regain your strength. Take it all."

"I couldn't take your last…"

"Eat. I insist."

"Thank you again." Bringing the bundle with her returns to my side. Sitting cross-legged she devours the food with relish right down to licking the tips of her delicate fingers and picking the crumbs to nibble them one by one. Though I don't watch her I glance over once to catch that her canines were a bit longer and more pointed than normal. Another sign of her demon blood. I sit and listen to her eat as I lean back and stare up at the spectacular sky above. "Mmm."

"They probably didn't feed you so well." I say as she is polishing off her meal with another drink.

She dabs the corners her mouth with refined mannerisms that were wildly out of place out here. "Just a thin gruel when I got it at all. It was terrible." She takes in a deep breath and as she breathes out it was as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. With her hunger sated and a far more friendly atmosphere between us Rosa could finally let her guard down, at least a little. She whispers. "I don't know how I can ever thank you Quin."

"It was just a bit of food." I quip, trying to deflect away from the heavy topic and lighten the mood.

"Quin."

"I know Rosa. I know. Just…you don't have to think that way. You don't owe me anything."

"Your parents did one heck of a job with you." She says. "You are certainly not what I expected in a master." She sets the water to the side. Bringing her knees up she hugs them to her chest. I wished she didn't look right at me like she was but it seemed to help her. I gave her a focus that wasn't the big dark scary world around her. Feeling her eyes on me I continue looking up at the sky. She looks up then back at me. "They're pretty aren't they? The stars."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess."

"Do you like pretty things?"

"Err, I mean, as much as the next guy. I don't give it much thought."

"Hmm." She hums. "What do you like Quin?"

"Like? I don't know. A good day's work and good food I guess." I shift uncomfortably. When I suggested she talk I hadn't expected her to start asking questions. As she became more relaxed and conversational I was becoming more tense.

"Work and food? That explains why you're so strong." She says. "Is this your favorite flower?" She tilts her hand to show the back side. "The rose. Do you like roses?"

"Uh, I guess. It was just something I drew. I made it up on the spot."

"You made it up right there? Just for me?" She says. "It's very pretty."

"Er, that's not exactly how it…well, I guess so." I grumble. "It was just a quick sketch. I didn't know what to put."

"How old are you Quin?"

"Twenty."

Out of the corner of my eye I catch a little smile play at her lips. "So young. The fire is still burning bright in you."

"Um…how…old…"

"How old am I?" She asks. "How old do you think I am?"

Looking over I very briefly glance at her pretty face. "I don't know…twenty…three?"

"Older."

"Twenty…nine?"

"Your half right." She says. "Thirty nine."

"Thirty nine!" My snaps back to look at her smooth youthful face glowing in the moonlight. I look away again quickly, blushing yet again. "I mean…I knew…with your demon…it's just…" I shake my head. "Your as old as my mom."

"I'm in good company then." She yawns adorably and rubs her tired eyes. "Though I can't claim to be as wise. Most of my life was spent in one building."

One building? My curiosity naturally begins to grow. "Your accent. You aren't from Rome, are you?"

"No. I'm Alexandrian." She says in a low voice. With a full belly and her fear subsiding her blinks were getting heavier and slower each time. "I lived there all of my life. Well, most of my life. I came to Rome last year." It was not hard to hear the regret in her voice in that last sentence.

"You're from Alexandria? Wow." Alexandria! To a simple man of the earth like me she might as well have said she came from Elysium. While Rome was larger no city was as renowned for its sophistication, education and cosmopolitan population as the legendary Alexandria. She and I could not have come from more different backgrounds. "You weren't a slave, were you. You were a free woman."

"Free?" She says softly. "It depends on what you think that word means. But no, I wasn't technically a slave Quin. Not until now."

That confirmed my suspicion. So many more questions were buzzing about in my mind.

"There is something you really ought to know about me." She says, sidling a little closer. "Please don't get upset."

"What is it?"

"My profession." She says. "I am, or I was, a meretrix."

"A meretrix?" I pull back. "A prostitute? You were a prostitute!? That's impossible."

"Is it?"

"Your curse." I say. "Forgive me but, no man would willingly be with an Amazon in that way. And they certainly wouldn't pay for it."

She smiles a kindly patient smile. "You would think that by our reputation. But some men act very differently when in public and when in private. Some women too. You see the real person when nobody is there to judge them." She says. "In Alexandria there is something for every taste."

I look over to see if she were fooling with me but her expression showed no sign of deception or humor. This was hard to take. She looked so…innocent. I shake my head. "No."

"It's true I'm afraid Quin."

I shift uncomfortably. "I-I didn't buy you to be a p-pleasure slave. I-I never…I never thought…"

"I know Quin. It's okay." She says in a calming tone. "I just thought you should know that up front." She shifts a little closer…and I shift a little away. "Have you been with a woman before Quin?"

My blush returns with a vengeance. "That is none of your business!"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that." She reaches out and very carefully lays a hand on my foot. "It's okay Quin. I didn't mean to upset you. There is no shame in it either way."

"I'm not upset!" I snap back, though my sharp words revealed the truth.

Without asking she begins to unfasten my sandals. She unties the long leather twine and unwraps it from my ankle.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm just taking your sandals off. It will feel better, no?" She says.

"Well, yeah. But I can…do it myself."

"Or you can let your slave do it for you. Let me serve you. Let me do this for you at least." She pulls my shoe from my foot. The fresh air did feel good against it. Then she moves on to the other. "Tell me about my new life Quin. Where are we going?"

I hesitate a moment before answering. "Lacania. I inherited a parcel of land along the banks of the Aciris river."

"Would you like me to rub your feet Master?"

"No!" I wave her away. "I'm okay. Thank you."

"Land on a river. That sounds nice. It is farmland?"

"I assume so. I've never actually seen it."

"You've never been there?"

I shake my head. "I never even met the uncle who left it to me. I hail from Brutium. My family is there." My eyes wander southward. "I've never been this far from home before."

"That makes two of us." Rosa lets out another big yawn.

I sense another question coming but cut it off. "You are exhausted. Sleep. We can talk later."

"I'm okay." She insists, though her eyelids told a different story.

"Sleep. You'll need it." I say.

She nods and lays down beside me, facing me. "Thank you Quin." She says softly. "For everything." Reaching out she touches my hand with just the tips of her fingers. My instinct is to pull away but I could tell that that tiny bit of human contact helped calm her. I continue to sit, propped up by arms behind me. It is not long at all before I hear her breath slow and deepen.

When I am absolutely sure she is asleep I look down at her curled up beside me. In the light of the gibbous moon her face is at peace. Gods she was pretty. I pull my hand back and rub it where her fingers had been touching me. Part demon, part Amazon, small, delicate, nearly twice my age, a lifelong city dweller, a foreigner, an Alexandrian, and a high class prostitute! What would my mother think of this? Had I ever set out to purposely buy a slave to help me with my farm Rosa would have been the exact opposite of what I would have purchased. And yet here she was. If I ever needed proof that the gods had a sense of humor this was it. They would be having a good laugh at this poor mortal right now.

Chapter 6: Quite an Awakening

Chapter Text

I am back in the slave market. The blindingly bright baking sun is at its zenith. The noise and smell and sights of glorious Rome all comes flooding back. I am naked, on my hands and knees, a heavy collar attached to a chain around my neck. Around me citizens in their long togas stand facing me. I am on the platform!

Reaching up I feel the rough iron ring encircling my neck. I frantically pull at it but it is too strong. "I'm not a slave." I beseech the hard uncaring faces looking at me. "There's been a mistake. I am a free man! I don't belong here!" I look left and right to see that it is only me and that wicked man in yellow up here. I try to stand but the chain snaps taut and forces me back to my knees. I plead with the slave master. "I'm not supposed to be here. I am not a slave."

From out of his sleeve he produces a familiar piece of parchment. "You signed the contract boy. You should have read it all."

"You said no tricks!"

He throws his head back and laughs a booming wicked laugh.

Cutting through the din of the crowd I hear a familiar voice. "I warned you. He never should have left the farm. Strong of body but weak of mind."

"Grandpa?" I turn to see standing well back from the platform among the others my family huddled together. "Mom!" I cry out…and then I see who is standing beside her. "Dad? Papa, you're alive?" I pull against my chains but it is no use. None of them speak but in their eyes I see deep disappointment. "Mama! Papa! I was tricked. I'm not a slave!" As one they all turn their backs and leave the square. "NO!"

Moving into the space they vacate is a towering figuring, head and shoulders above the others in the crowd. It is a woman with the muscular build of an imposing Amazon warrior. It takes me a moment but I recognize the violet to pink hair and pointed ears. "Rosa?" Her eyes glow with a light of their own, her skin is crimson, and the horns at her crown are jagged and a foot long. She wears only a tight breast wrap and loin cloth, both bulging heavily.

She leers at me and licks her shark-like teeth. "How much for the boy?" She growls.

"One hundred and sixty!" The auctioneer says.

"I will have him." She says and throws him a purse full of coin. The crowd parts as she strides through them. Coming up onto the platform in one great step she towers over me with the blazing sun just over her shoulder.

I squint up at her and grovel at her feet. "Rosa. Help me."

Her huge powerful hands reach down and snap the collar from my neck as if it were sewing thread. Then, wrapping her long fingers around my neck, she forces me down onto my back right there on the platform. "You wanted a pleasure slave boy, but it is you who will pleasure me!"

"No!" I shake my head as much as I could in her tight grip. "No!" Despite my protest and struggle my manhood stood hard.

With her free hand Rosa tears the clothes from her body. Her enormous breasts and horse-sized cock spill free. She bears down on me. I cannot fight her. She is too big, too powerful, too dangerous.

Around me I hear the gasps of disgust from those watching. "Doesn't he know she's an Amazon?" "He is sinful." "What a wretched boy." "Grotesque!" "He is a shame to his family."

I stare up in wide-eyed awe at her massive face hovering just inches above mine, her intense magenta eyes burning a with soul consuming fire. "No." I whisper weakly.

And then…I feel her breath. Warm, gentle, smelling of cheese and olives. It blew from her mouth, through her dagger like teeth, but it didn't fit. The breath was a welcome intrusion from another place and another time. Still keeping me pinned to the ground she raises her other hand and brings it down on my crotch! And then it happens again…I feel her touch. A touch out of place with the rest of what is happening. It is not a strike but a tender caress. Nothing like this fearsome monster looming above me. She strokes me and I feel it! Ohhhh how I feel it!

"HAH!" I gasp as my eyes flare open to see Luna gleaming in the starry sky above. It was just a dream…yet I could still feel her!

My hand shoots down and I take Rosa's slender wrist in a white knuckled grip. It is only then I feel her warm body pressed at my side, her soft breath wafting across my cheek, and her small supple hand beneath my blanket and tunic wrapped around my rock hard cock. She let out a little grunt at the strength of my grip.

I turn my head and look at her in stunned shock, my mind still struggling to catch up. "What…? What are you…?"

Silently, patiently, she gazes into my eyes with an openness and a tenderness I had never seen in anybody before. The only sound is that of my panting breath. I don't know why…something about how she looked at me…but I slowly let my hand go loose and release her wrist. With her arm free she begins to slowly but steadily stroke my dick in a light grip.

She whispers in a voice so quiet I can barely hear it despite how close she was. "Good boy."

Oh her hand! Oh gods! I never knew anything could feel this good! I knew this was wrong but…by Eros did it feel right! I had pleasured myself countless but was a pale comparison to how this felt. Her small hand is sooooo much softer than my own and she knew exactly the right places to tighten and loosen her grasp.

With her other hand she teases my thick hair in her twirling fingers. "Feels good, doesn't it?" She whispers.

I nod stiffly.

"Good." She smiles. "You've had such a stressful day Master. Just relax. Let me make you feel better. You're a good boy. Such a good boy."

"Nnngh!" I whine. Why was she calling me a boy? What was happening here?

"You called my name in your sleep. You were dreaming about me. That makes me happy." She says. "My good good boy. Such a strong handsome Master."

"Mmmmm!" Fuck this felt so good! So good! And the way she spoke to me…it was doing things to me that I couldn't comprehend.

She stops and squeezes my dick and it flexes in her grip. "You have a beautiful cock Master." She starts stroking once more and combs her fingers through my hair. "Such a good boy."

My breathing gets even more rapid and shallower. My panting rising and irregular. The wildly erotic feelings build and build. Her wide eyes keep me absolutely enthralled. She was so cute, so sexy, so irresistible. I found myself wishing that she would kiss me even though I wouldn't dare to kiss her. I wanted her to be the one to do it. Had she cast a spell on me? Was this some demon power? I felt so powerless…yet so wonderful!

I bring both my arms up above my head and clasp my hands together as the pressure in my balls grows. Her sweet smile grows. Reaching up she places her hand over my clenched together fists and holds them there. Had she been that warrior from my dream I couldn't have resisted her brute strength, but despite the fact it was this girl that was half my size I still felt just as helpless to escape. My muscles flex as I let these unbelievable feelings flow through me.

"Nnnnngh." I couldn't hold back my whimpering moan.

"You're doing so good. You're so beautiful. I can feel your power rising." She murmurs. "Are you going to cum for me Master?"

I nod rapidly I huff quick shallow breaths and squirm as my orgasm approaches. Though my body bends and writhes I dared not pull my hands away from where she held them. I liked it! I liked her control of me. I yearned for it.

She presses tight into me and I feel her small supple breasts touch me. Getting right in next to my ear she breathes. "Don't hold it in. That's it. Cum for me Master. Cum for me. Cum for your slave girl."

"Hunhhhhh!" My voice is high and mewling as my climax overwhelms me entirely. I am shaken to the core by an explosion of pleasure as my manhood throbs in her hand.

Quick as a nymph her other hand darts down to cup my tip and catch my seed. Her milking strokes are long and hard as my cum shoots out into her hand. Wad after incredible wad of my hot jizz pumps out as I ride ecstasy itself.

"Good boy! Good boy! Such a good boy." Her cooing words takes my rapture even higher. "Let me hear you moan."

"Ohhhhhh!" Ambrosia itself couldn't be this good. "Ohhhhhh!"

When it is over I lay there panting and slightly trembling at the power of my release. It was only her hand yet having another pleasure you…it was a whole different level of bliss. Masturbation couldn't touch this feeling.

She milks the final dregs from my cock then pulls her hands away. Turning away from me she wipes her palm in the grass then cleans it with some of the water.

It is during this time, as the glow of my release fades, that I feel a shame and an embarrassment like I had never experienced crash over me like a mighty wave. I let a woman touch me! A woman who wasn't my wife. An Amazon woman and a slave! And I let a woman initiate a sexual act. It is supposed to be the other way around. Always. That was the proper way. I let her call me a boy. A boy! I let her hold me down. I let her take control. I let myself enjoy it. Why did I enjoy that? And those high mewling moans…so weak and unmanly! As incredible as my high had been, my humiliation now was twice as intense.

"Thank you Quin." She whispers. "You were amazing."

I lay stiffly and pull my blanket tight around me. I stare straight ahead, not able to even glance her direction.

"Quin?" She says softly, sensing all was not right. "Are you okay?"

"Go to sleep." I say in clipped terse voice.

"Quin?"

I stew in my shame trying to think of something to say. "Go to sleep Rosa."

"Very well Quin."

"And Rosa."

"Yes?"

"I've changed my mind. You call me Master from now on. Slaves shouldn't call their master by name."

There is a long quiet pause before she says. "Yes Master."

"Also, I'm a man. I'm not a boy. I'm not a sissy!"

"Sissy?"

"I'm a man!"

"Yes Master. You are a man." Her gentle voice is contrite and her ears droop. "You are a good man. I am sorry Master. I made a mistake. I was a bad slave. But…I want to repay you for all of your kindness. I want to serve you. I thought you would enjoy that. Most men…"

"I didn't enjoy it. It was filthy. Don't do it again."

"Yes Master." She says sadly. "My apologies."

"Go to sleep. Do not bother me again."

"Yes Master."

She lays down at my side, a little further away then before and not daring to touch my arm this time. The common knowledge of slaves had been right after all. You go soft on them and they will take advantage of you. I wouldn't forget this lesson soon. Deep down though, gnawing at me, was the knowledge that I could have stopped it at any time. She hadn't used a spell or some demon charm on me. I laid here willingly for her. For the rest of the night I lay there steeping in my anger and shame watching the heavens creep from East to West until the glow of morning brightens the horizon.

Chapter 7: Fishing

Chapter Text

I listen to Rosa's soft steady breath beside me as I lay there until the sky brightens to the point where I would have been waking anyway. Sitting up I rub my face. Around me a sprinkle of nymph voices tinkle through the grass and soon recede as my motion scares them off again. Had they been there last night? Had they watched me humiliate myself? Rosa certainly had. I shake my head.

Standing up I stretch and take a deep breath of the early morning air. All around me the world is still and silent. A light fog still hung in the air from the night's cool. Drops of dew glistened among the grass, normally invisible spiderwebs in the bushes glowed a frosty white. The ground is damp and cool beneath my bare feet. The orange radiance of sunrise lit a clear sky. It would be hot today, I could feel it, but right now it was…perfect. I loved this time of day.

I look down at my sleeping slave, trying my best to ignore how beautiful she was. Most of her life in a single building? I couldn't imagine a fate worse than that. The events of the night before run though my mind and again I find myself feeling bad about how I'd treated her. I despised speaking harshly to her. But…she shouldn't have done what she did. She crossed the line. There were boundaries. Boundaries between master and slave, boundaries between men and women, boundaries between virtue and vice. Straying outside those limits had felt good, it felt SO surprisingly good, but it was wicked and wrong. We would start again properly today.

I move around Rosa to the pack. Kneeling down I dig through it to find my weighted fishing net tied up in its tight bundle. As my hand brushes against the pommel of my father's pugio I pause. I run my fingers over the riveted brass of the sheath. I could still remember the day he volunteered. I could remember the elation of his too brief visits home. To my young eyes he looked like the Emperor himself in that gleaming armor. The glory of the Empire personified. I could also remember the day we received the news, along with this dagger. There would be no more visits. He wasn't coming home. Closing my eyes I let out a sorrowful sigh.

Taking the net I quietly make my to the stream then follow it along the bank to a backeddy I discovered the last time I was here. As I approach I pad extra softly among the reeds and stay low so that my shadow would not pass over the water's surface. Staying absolutely quiet I peer through the wide reeds and scan the dark eddy. I could just make out the dark shapes of trout lazily swimming against the flow. There had to be a dozen or more, some as long as my forearm. Very carefully I untie and unfurl my net, loop the handline around my wrist, then arrange the weights for a cast. Holding the net in my right hand and the and the lead line in my left I twist and tense my muscles as I prepare to cast.

"EEEEEE!" Just then I hear a piercing scream of terror come from behind me, from back at camp!

I drop the net where I stood and flick the line free from my wrist. Crashing through the reeds and grass and bushes I sprint as fast my legs would carry me. Stray stones bite against my bare soles and branches scrape my legs but I ignore it all. Bursting into the flattened area that was our camp I see Rosa, her magenta eyes wide with fear, huddled beneath her cloak. When she sees me she springs to her feet and rushes to meet me, and because she had been using the cloak as a blanket she is nude as she does so.

Rosa runs right up and throws her arms around me. I tense up and hold my arms out and away as the naked little Amazon presses her face into my chest. Clutching me tight she says through panting breaths. "I thought you left me. I thought you left! Oh gods. I thought I was alone out here."

"You screamed because…gods damn it Rosa." I grumble. "I was just fishing for our breakfast. I would have been back shortly."

"I'm sorry Master. You were so upset last night…I just…I didn't know." With me there, knowing she hadn't been abandoned, Rosa soon regains her composure. Her breathing settles and her tight body relaxes. "I'm sorry."

Looking down at the top of her horned head I let out a sigh of exasperation. "It's okay." I lightly pat her bare shoulder…her skin is pleasantly warm and oh so soft.

She lets out breath and looks up at me. "I should have known you aren't the type to run away from things. My master is an honorable man."

"Er." I look everywhere but her face. "Yeah. Anyway, I'm going to get back to fishing."

"Of course." Stepping back she covers her breasts with one arm and her crotch with the other hand despite the fact I'd seen her every bit of her in the slave market yesterday. This simple act of discretion was a welcome one. It felt right and normal…and it was really quite cute!

With a sheepish grin she bows her head and bats her big eyes bashfully. "Master! Look away."

My cheeks glow with an intense blush and I spin around. "Uh! Yeah! Sorry! Sorry!"

She giggles. It was the first time I'd heard her laugh. It was whimsical and melodious and joyful. Just hearing it lifted my mood. How was I supposed to stay angry at her when she acted like that?

I stand there a moment flustered before retreating back toward where I had dropped my net. "Big fuss over nothing." I grumble to myself as I find the net tangled and knotted in the reeds. "Gods damn it!" Looking over at the back eddy it is as empty as our bellies were going to be if I didn't catch something. "This girl will be my ruin."

I collect the net and take the time to get it all back to normal. I get it ready again then begin to creep down the bank to find a new spot to fish.

By the time I return the morning fog had been burned off and I could see a few travelers moving along the road across the wide grassy field. One of them waves to me and I wave back in a friendly manner. Sitting on my sheepskin blanket is Rosa in a simple short sleeveless tunic and shorts, neither of which had been here when I left. Her long wavy hair is combed smooth and she had it draped to the front over one shoulder. To her right are my shears and to her left the little sewing kit my mother had packed for me. In her hands is what I realize is the remnants of my paenula that she is transforming into a hooded capelet. I wasn't upset at the use of my cloak in this way, in fact I was thrilled by it. Not only did it mean Rosa wouldn't be just a breeze away from being exposed to the world, it showed that she had initiative and at least one useful skill. While the garments were simple they were crafted well. I also appreciated that when I told her these were our supplies, not just mine, that she took it to heart. She and I were in this together now…at least until I could sell her on. I should probably talk to her about that soon.

Looking up at me she spreads her arms to show off her new outfit. "What do you think?"

"Uh…great."

Her ears perk up high and she grins wide enough that I could see her little pointed canines. "Thank you Master."

"You're feeling better today." I toss my net to the ground. Inside four good sized trout were still twitching and gasping.

"Much better." She says as she returns to sewing. "I've got a kind master who looks after me and rushes to protect me. A strong, handsome, hard-working young man. It's literally all I prayed for when I was in that awful auction. I'm such a lucky girl."

"Errr." I scratch the back of my head. "Yeah." Pointing back over my shoulder I say. "I'm going to get some sticks for a fire."

"Okay!" She says as she hums a merry tune, her bare feet swaying back and forth in time to it.

I give a sidelong look. How could a new slave be this chipper? Was this all an act? Was she acting cute thinking I would be nicer to her? Shaking my head I turn and go to leave in search of dead wood.

"Master."

"Yes Rosa?"

"I'm thirsty."

The innocent tone of her voice made it impossible to tell whether it was a statement of fact or a request. Why tell me this? She could have easily gotten the water herself. I stand a moment then slowly look back at her. She sits there humming away, her focus on sewing her new garment. I see the empty waterskin just in front of her soft slender feet. Had she placed it there on purpose? I go to tell her to go fill it herself but the words don't come. I would be right near the stream as I searched for wood in the bushes. It would hardly be any effort at all for me to do it. And she was busy with her sewing. I hesitate…then walk back and go down to one knee in front of her to pick up the skin. Pausing I glance up at my slave. She doesn't look my way or even acknowledge me though I do catch a little smile play at her plump pink lips.

"I'll get it this time."

She peeks my way just for an instant before looking down again and says in her sweet happy tone. "Thank you Master."

Chapter 8: Breakfast

Chapter Text

I return a short time later with a bundle of sticks and twigs under one arm and a full waterskin in my other hand. Rosa was still sewing her capelet. I set the water at her side and she gives me an appreciative nod. It was a simple act but doing things for other always made me feel good. Even if was just a slave. I leave the sticks there, take a few things from the pack, then return to the stream to do my morning grooming. To my surprise Rosa is not pleased. Glancing up at me as I return she does a double take.

"You shaved!"

"I shave every morning."

"Master!" She pouts. "You should let me shave you. I am very skilled with a razor."

"Shave me?" I scoff. "I can shave myself."

"Master, you need to let me serve you. I want to serve. I want to be useful." She says. "All you've let me do so far is take. I want to give back."

I could understand the sentiment but that was a very peculiar request.

"Tomorrow." She says firmly. "Promise me."

"Tomorrow?"

"I will shave you. Promise me."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. Although it's really not necessary."

"Thank you Master." She smiles. "You won't regret it."

City folk were a strange bunch. Digging out a small area I set up a small mass of the smallest twigs around some dried moss I was lucky enough to find. With my flint and steel I am able to get an ember glowing by the time Rosa had finished her sewing and had a nice little flame going soon after.

"Sandals won't be so easy. I've never made them before." She says as she crawls over to the pack to look through what supplies we had. "Hmm." Looking up at me she quips. "I suppose you carrying me all the way there wouldn't be an option." I roll my eyes as she giggles. "Can't blame a girl for asking."

As I gut and clean the fish then get them cooking on a couple of spits Rosa is able to cobble together enough to start crafting a pair of slippers that could handle the long days of walking we had ahead of us.

"You've got a little bit of everything in here." She says. "Measuring twine. Mirror. The heads of tools. What's this thing?"

I look. "A plowshare."

"It's heavy. Let's see. Some scrolls, a bit of pottery, ohhh some oil. I can't believe you can carry all of this. It must weight as much as I do."

"It's all I've got in the world. I hope it's enough to start my farm." I say. "I might have to work as a laborer for someone else this first year though. I made sure the taxes were paid up until next fall so I've got some time." I nod. "I'll make it work."

"We'll make it work." She corrects me. Pulling out the dagger she inspects it. "Hey, this is a military weapon. Were you a soldier?"

I look at the brass sheath shining in the sun. "No. It was my father's."

She studies it a moment then, sensing the importance of it, she carefully places it back in the pack. "I'm going to use a bit of this leather."

"Sure."

The fatty flesh of the trout begins to sizzle and a mouth watering smell fills the air.

"Master?"

"Yes Rosa?"

"Do you want to talk about last night?"

I squirm uncomfortably and say in a low tone. "No."

"If you wish to punish me…I'll understand. I won't judge you for it."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not going to punish you! You are not a child. Just…don't do it again." I shake my head. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Okay." She says warmly. "Hey, those are smelling good!"

"Nothing beats fresh trout." I say. Then, after a moment, I can't help but ask. "How can you be so upbeat? You were just sold into slavery."

"I already answered that. You are more than I ever hoped for." She says as she stands with the scrap of leather in her hands. Her eyes focus out into the distance and she looks around. "It's scary out here I admit. I feel lost. But I've got you and that gives me courage." She waves at a group of the travelers moving along the road in the distance as I had done earlier and they naturally wave back at her as we country folk do. "It's no longer just me. Me trying to hide. Me finding my place. Me against the rest. It's us." Her eyes follow the group as they move and in a hushed voice adds. "Us. I like that better."

I had to say something.

"Rosa. I may sell you. You aren't suited for the country. I'm not suited for…the kind of woman you are. We're a poor match. Don't get used to…us. This is likely temporary."

She looks up at the sun and closes her eyes, feeling its warmth on her skin. Her long hair drifts with the breeze. There wasn't a care in the world creasing her lovely features, in fact…she smiles.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes Master." She says in a light whimsical voice. "I heard you."

"Good." I nod. "Just keep that in mind, okay?"

Each of us fall quiet as we focus on our own tasks. I cook each of the fish and lay them out on the on the grass then extinguish the fire as Rosa makes herself a pair of rudimentary slippers.

"Come eat."

"Yes Master." Sitting cross legged across from each other we tuck into the trout, one for her and three for me at her insistence. With a knife she carefully carves out a bit, blows the steam from it, then daintily eats it. "Ohhhh!" Her face lights up. "So good!"

"Mmm." I break off a hunk of the cooked meat with my fingers and pop it in my mouth. While still chewing I answer. "Yep. Hope our river is this good for fishing."

She grins. "Our river. I bet the fish taste even better there."

We eat and drink our fill and are soon packing up for the road. Once I get my sandals on I am kneeling by the pack, tying it up tight, when Rosa approaches from in front of me. Just before I lift the pack from the ground she comes in close and places her slippered foot onto it. I freeze, my eyes staring downward. Here I was again kneeling in front of my slave. The soft creamy flesh of her smooth shapely leg was right here in front of me. With the index finger of her branded hand she lazily traces up her supple thigh though my eyes are still locked on the pack. I dare not look.

"What do you think?" She asks.

Very slowly my eyes pan up her exquisite curvaceous body. Her tunic came down just far enough to cover her groin and her shorts weren't much longer than that which left her most of her legs exposed. Making the most of the fabric she had available her sleeveless tunic hugged her lithe nubile body, her small breasts two small humps in the plain white cloth. Her cute hooded capelet could cover her upper body down to her waist but she currently had it draped in behind her as the heat of the day was just beginning to be felt. Her long hair cascaded down over both shoulders. Towering over me she stands with confidence, her eyes peering into mine, and smiles down on me. She seemed larger than life. I wanted to touch her…or her to touch me. She holds my gaze for a moment before speaking.

"My slippers." She motions down with her eyes. "What do you think of my slippers Master?"

"Huh?" My gaze snaps back down again to her foot. "Um…good. They look good."

"Why don't you take a closer look." She whispers.

I stare at her slipper without really seeing it. Every fiber of me wanted to obey her. Cupid had pierced me with an arrow of passion, it's hot venom lust courses through my veins. But it was that same shameful passion as last night. I wanted to bow low, my head all the way down…to kiss her delicate feet…to grovel to her beauty. I wanted her to speak to me as she had last night. I ached to feel her soft touch again. Yet I resist. Despite last night I still had my manly pride, thankfully. I let out a shuddering breath and shake my head. "We should get moving."

"Yes Master." She steps back and looks toward to road eagerly. "I am ready."

I hoist the pack and sling it over my shoulder. Without another word I follow the path back toward the road with Rosa close behind. We are soon on the road and heading South once more.

With food, water, rest and recovery Rosa is an entirely different traveling companion than the day before. She was a ray of joy on this already bright day. Gone from her was the fear and trepidation of a frightening alien landscape and an unknown future. She knew our goal now and had made it her own. She was still easily intimidated by the new sights and sounds of the open road but when she was uneasy she would simply walk closer to me and that seemed to make it better. She greeted the other travelers happily and exuded a contagious enthusiasm. At no point did she tempt me or behave like anything but a loyal slave. From the outside one would have thought she and I had been together for years as master and servant. With her at my side the miles may have passed by much more slowly but never more easily.

Chapter 9: A Bitter Meal

Chapter Text

Just past midday the afternoon heat is really bearing down and, seeing a broad beech tree up ahead, I tell the flagging Rosa that we would be resting here for a time. She is grateful to hear it. There were a pair of travelers and their loaded up donkey already resting in the shade when we get there.

"Hello." Rosa says cheerfully.

The two men nod our way. The older of them, a wiry dark skinned man in his fifties, notices the brand on my slave's hand. It was a healthy pink already but still quite obviously fresh. As soon as he notices it his entire focus shifts to me. His eyes were shrewd and calculating. A slave was beneath his notice but someone who just purchased a slave was just his type of person.

As Rosa and I find a place on the bare rocky soil he greets me. "Greetings young man. Coming from Rome?"

"Yeah." I nod as I place my pack on the ground and roll my tense shoulders.

"We're just heading there ourselves." He rubs his chin and studies me as if I were a puzzle to be solved. The newly purchased slave, a beautiful young woman no less, suggested wealth but my simple attire belied that. He cuts to the chase. "Is this your slave?"

"Yes." I answer honestly. "I didn't set out to buy her but…I did."

"Indeed. These things will happen." He grins. My answer seemed to be exactly what he wanted to hear. It takes me a moment to realize that the way I said it made it sound like I had bought her on a frivolous whim. Frivolous whims such as this were reserved only for the ultra wealthy.

I am about to correct this impression when Rosa jumps in. "Master's bid was the only one. He won me outright. No other would match it."

"Indeed." He says again as he looks at my slave once more, not as a person but as one might inspect a prize stallion. "It must have been a princely sum."

"I was humbled by it." She bows her head demurely.

Why was she leading them on like this? I go to set things right. "It's not how it sounds. I received an inheritance from my uncle."

"My condolences." He says solemnly, though his mood seemed to only brighten.

"He is now the master of an estate far to the South." Rosa continues. "Holdings along a rich river valley. From plebeian beginnings my Master has come to be a landowner and a slaveholder. A patrician in all but name." She giggles and smooths her tunic. "Despite what our modest appearance at the moment might suggest. Bandits you know."

Estate? Holdings? Rich river valley? Patrician in all but name? What was she on about?

"Indeed!" His grin widens. "Fortuna smiles on you. Come young master." He waves me forward. "I would be honored if you shared refreshment with us." Without waiting for a response he tells the younger man to break out food and wine.

"Um." I fidget. I was not one to turn away hospitality, and I was hungry, but this was clearly being done under a false pretense. I feel Rosa's hand on my back pushing me forward. I step toward them then, after a moment's hesitation, I lower myself to sit on the ground across from the Aethiop man. Before my butt can hit the dirt Rosa's capelet was suddenly beneath me. I look down at it and then over at her. She bows her head in a show of obedience. Rosa then moves over to help the younger man serve, he accepts her help as if it were expected. Together they bring down a long wooden box from the donkey's back and open it up.

"I am Gaius Fabianus from Neapolis." My host says in a friendly tone. "I didn't catch your name young master."

"Quintus." I mumble.

"Quintus." He waits a moment for more information but soon carries on when it wasn't forthcoming. "Very good. Well Quintus, I believe lady fortune may have blessed you a second time by having us meet under the shade of this tree."

"Oh?"

"I am a mosaic artisan, specializing in floors. My work graces the finest villas of Neapolis, Cumae, Pompeii, and beyond. Though country estates are something of a specialty of mine. At a fair price I take my talents where they are needed."

"I see."

"Boy!" Gaius barks, causing the young man to snap to attention. "Bring me my samples."

Instantly the man hurries around to the other side of beast of burden to unstrap another wooden chest and bring it to his boss's side. Opening it with a flourish Gaius begins showing small samples of his work. One after another he lays the out squares of tile and glass mosaics as he sells me on his talents. Everything from simple patterns to mythical beasts. I had to admit the guy was clearly good at his craft. I look at them each with a polite interest, feeling worse by the moment. He actually thought I could afford such extravagances thanks to Rosa's exaggerations and my complicit silence.

When he gets to the last two he pauses with a roguish smirk. "Now these may really take your interest. I notice that you didn't just buy a slave. You bought a demon. And a beautiful one." He says approvingly. "You enjoy the exotic and the sensual. I respect that." He takes the next one out and lays it among the others. Leaning in to make out the pattern I realize it shows the nether regions of a naked woman in impressive detail! I feel my blush rise.

"Oh! Oh my."

His grin widens then he brings out the other one and places it beside the first. The two clearly went together as this one shows the erect penis of a Faun lined up to penetrate the woman in the first tile.

I look away. "I-I-I don't think I can…"

Seeing my reaction he whisks them back into the box. "Perhaps not your style after all. Well I can do many styles and scenes, as you can see, and I can offer something no other can in all of Campania."

My curiosity gets the better of me. "What's that?"

"This." He says as he reaches into the box and pulls out a small black glass cube about the size of a fingernail. He turns it so that it glinted in the light.

"What is it?"

"A tesserae. A very special tesserae." He leans across and offers it. I hold my hand out and he drops it into my palm.

"It's cool! It's quite cool actually." I say as I feel the cold glass on my skin. As it sat there it only got colder. "It's magic!"

"Yes it is." He says proudly. "A minor enchantment but one very few know. All through the summer months it absorbs heat, in the winter months it releases it as a pleasant warmth. If there are enough of them they can make a room stay the same temperature all through the year." He explains. "Though even a few dozen can make a noticeable difference. They only come in black unfortunately but they can easily blended in with any design."

Duly impressed I hand it back to him and he puts it away. "Wow. I've never seen such a thing."

"A premium product for a premium clientele." He says. "I hope you consider me for your new villa. Remember young master. That's Gaius Fabianus from Neapolis. You can find me easy enough there if you ask around. Don't forget it now."

"Uh…yeah."

Just then Rosa stands with a spread of food laid out on a wooden plate. She brings it to me. Kneeling at my side she places it in front of me like any well trained slave might to a lord or lady. Across from me Gaius' boy does the same. This felt sooooo strange. I did not like it.

"Rosa…" I am about to tell her to feel free to eat as well but she looks up at me and gives me a very subtle shake of her head. This food was only for the master. Looking over the plate there is bread, vegetables, cheese, figs, and even a bit of meat. At the side is a cup of dark wine. As sumptuous a meal as one could have on the road. "This is too much."

"Nonsense." The man says. "Enjoy. I insist."

We fall quiet as we begin to eat. The food is good but honestly better on the eye than the palate, the trout this morning was better. Rosa shifts in to behind me. I feel her hands touch my back and rub all the way up to my shoulders where she begins to massage me. Oh my goodness did it feel good!

"Carrying that load." She says softly. "Your muscles are tense. Let me help."

Gaius looks up with jealousy in his eyes. Feeling self-conscious at being so spoiled and bashful for having her touch me like this in front of another I shrug Rosa away. I hear a disappointed little sigh but Rosa respects my wishes and stops.

Rolling his own shoulders Gaius seizes the opportunity. "Perhaps one act of hospitality for another?"

"Hmm?" I ask with a mouthful of wine.

"I wouldn't object to a massage from a pretty young thing. These days on the road can be long and tiring."

Eating his food and drinking his wine as I was I find it difficult to say no outright even though I hated the idea. Looking back over my shoulder at Rosa she gives me a little nod to indicate I only had to give the word and she would eagerly obey. I suppose it was only fair. It didn't sit well receiving this meal while offering nothing in return.

"Um. Yeah, sure. It's okay. I guess."

"Demon!" He snaps his order. "Come here."

"What did you call her?" I slowly set my wine down beside me.

He is tilts his neck left and right. "Hurry now slave. I've got a hell of a knot in my neck. Come, come!"

My eyes narrow in anger. "Her name is Rosa."

From just behind me my slave rubs my back and whispers oh so softly. "It's okay Master. Be calm. Enjoy your meal."

Standing up Rosa walks over to the older man, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed. The very picture of innocence and obedience. She moves in behind him and begins to massage his neck and shoulders as she had with me. From the moment her hands touched him the sight of it turns my stomach. I didn't know why should it bother me that this girl I barely knew touched another man, but it did. I sit there picking lightly at my meal as I listen to his hums and groans of enjoyment.

"Ahhhh." Gaius groans as Rosa works her small hands into his stiff neck. "Yes girl. Like that." Looking at me he says. "She's good, isn't she? Very good."

"Yeah." I mutter as I look down and stare at my meal. I had completely lost my appetite. Taking another drink I turn to look out over the nearby wheat field. I couldn't bear seeing her do this or hearing her servile little hums and comments to him. Her kindly tone as false as the story that got me this meal. A tone not unlike how she spoke to me. Why did I expect anything different from a whore? She'd have been working for longer than I've been alive. He was just another man to her…and so was I. Just another in a very long line.

"Demon, you are a treat." He sighs. "Ohhhh. Had I been at that auction I may have started a bidding war."

"Oh you old charmer you." She giggles and playfully slaps his shoulder. "You flatter me."

He laughs and shimmies back closer to her.

I grit my teeth then finish my wine in a single gulp. Gaius' boy hurries forward to refill my cup but I wave him away annoyedly. "We ought to be moving soon."

"Moving? In this heat?" Gaius says. "Just relax young master." Then he lets out a long. "Ohhhhh!" As Rosa digs an elbow into a particularly stiff area of his shoulder. "Ohhhh gods that is good!"

Given her background Rosa knew what she was doing, his noises left no doubt of that. They seemed at ease with each other. They were city folk, all three of them, they spoke the same language and embraced the same ways. They understood each other. Despite our rural surroundings I was the outsider here. The stupid young rube. Hidden to my opposite side my fist clenches tight. I stew in my bitterness and anger as Gaius enjoys his meal as well as the skillful service of my slave. It seems a grueling eternity before they are finished.

"Something wrong with the food?" Gaius asks as Rosa, finished her massage, bows to him and thanks him then returns to me.

"I wasn't hungry." I answer curtly. As Rosa kneels at my side I fix her with a hard stare. "Finish it up Rosa."

"Master?"

"Eat it." I command her sternly and push the plate her way. "You earned it. You eat it."

She glances Gaius' way and tries to laugh it off. "Silly Master. Don't be…"

I get to my feet all at once surprising everyone. I could feel their eyes following me as I stride over to my pack and hoist it onto my shoulder. "Eat." I say again without looking back. "Catch up once you're done."

With that I start off down the road at a hard brisk pace with my eyes fixed Southward.

Chapter 10: A Clash of Values

Chapter Text

Low mountains both to the East and West blocks what soft breeze there was. High over head Sol bakes the valley with a merciless radiance. The shrill buzzing and screeches of insects are a grating cacophony. Even the slaves in the fields have taken a break to gather and sleep in whatever shade they could find. Though I drip with sweat I barely notice any of it.

Walking at pace I cover ground twice as fast as I had with Rosa and I realize just how much she had been holding me back. The slower pace, the more frequent rests, the brief stops to talk with other travelers or look at something of interest off the side of the road. Like a ship dragging an anchor it would take me over twice as long to reach my destination with my new slave. Maybe she would stay with Gaius. He didn't seem above claiming a stray slave and he certainly seemed to like her well enough, perhaps enough to overlook her curse. He was a man who could appreciate the kind of woman she was. It would be better for us all.

The more I walked though…the more I worried. Was she okay? Surely he wouldn't try anything right by the Appian way, one of the most traveled roads in the Empire. Although…would anyone really take notice of a slave girl being accosted? I look over to my right, to the spot where she had walked beside me last night and this morning, and I feel her absence. My angry steps slow just a little.

Just as I am considering turning around to go find her I hear the pit-pat of leather slippers running across the paving stones. I am relieved but continue to hold onto my annoyance. I was glad she was back but I wouldn't forget what had happened.

As she gets closer I can hear her gasping breaths. I stop so that she could catch up. She runs up holding a slender amphora in both hands. Staggering to a stop she sets the clay vessel down and bends over to place her hands on her knees and suck hard for breath. I stand quiet a time to give her a chance to catch her breath. I am just about to speak when she suddenly stands up, takes a step toward me, and slaps me across the face!

"Don't you ever leave me like that again!" She says between her hard panting.

I bring my hand to my face. The slap hadn't hurt but it certainly shocked me. A slave hitting their master! She could be flogged for such an offense. "How dare you!"

"How dare YOU!" She shoots right back. She wasn't just upset, she was furious. She steps back her hands balled up at her sides, her ears back flat, her shoulders and chest rise and fall with her rapid breath as her vibrant eyes burn with rage. "Were you just going to abandon me out here by myself? Leaving me by the side of the road?"

"No." I confess in a low voice. "I would have come found you."

"If you wish to sell me…then sell me." She says as the glimmer of tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. "But don't abandon me. Don't ever abandon me! You might not need me…but I need you."

"I…I wouldn't do that." I say in a softer tone. "I wouldn't…" I let out a huff. "Did you eat?"

She sniffles and angrily wipes the tears away. "Of course I did. I would never disobey you like that in public."

"Good." I nod. "It was your lying tongue and your skillful hands that earned that meal. You can leave me out of your…ruses."

"Lying tongue?" She shakes her head in frustration. "I didn't lie, I embellished. Master, Gaius is a businessman. Do you think everything he said was the full truth? Do you think he actually believed everything we said? Come on now. It's just a part of the give and take of things. Part of the game. Those magical tesserae aren't nearly as rare and don't work nearly as good as he claims. Buttering up clients is part of his business. He was happy to share a meal and a rest with you. Even if you didn't become a customer it keeps him sharp and gets his name out there. Wheeling and dealing and building connections is the lifeblood of men like him. And you never know, perhaps you'll have need of him or his services at some point. These things are small but important." She says with rising emphasis. "You might not understand it but I do. Let me help you! Let me serve you! Please!"

I cross my arms. "People ought to say what they mean and mean what they say."

"If only life were so simple."

"It is. Or it was, back home."

Ignoring my comment she goes on. "I explained to him that you acted as you did because you were still bereaved from your uncle's death. He understood."

"Another lie."

Her face flinches but she lets the comment go. Looking to the stoppered amphora she says. "The wine is a gift to help ease your grief."

"You shouldn't have accepted."

"I didn't have a choice. I'm just a slave." She says with exasperation. "And my master wasn't there. Besides, I thought it was nice. Gaius is crass but he has a good heart."

"Does he? You really liked him didn't you? A man who could appreciate your talents. A proper master for a…" I stop myself, then say more calmly. "A proper master for you."

"You are my master!" She says vehemently then shakes her head again as she mutters. "You jealous fool."

"Jealous!?" I exclaim. "I wasn't jealous! Why would I be jealous?"

Ignoring the question she walks back and picks up the amphora by the handles. Then, as I had previously, she turns and starts off down the road without me. She only gets a few steps away before she stops to wait for me. I walk up beside her and look down. Her eyes remain straight ahead.

"I am sorry I upset you Master." Her voice is flat and lifeless.

"Rosa."

"We should be moving." She says in that same dead tone. "Master is in a hurry."

I let out a sigh. "Fine." I reach to take the clay jug but her hands grip tighter onto the two handles. I give it a tug but obstinately she holds it with all of her strength. I wasn't about to fight her about it. I start South with Rosa at my side again, but this time a step behind as well.

In the blazing heat we walk in silence. We stop at a public well to take refreshment, refill the waterskin, and have a rest. I didn't wish to stop but even I had my limits. For her part Rosa didn't seem bothered by the heat, she was barely sweating and her pale bare arms and legs didn't show a sign of burning or tanning, but the long hours of hiking was not something she was accustomed to. Despite the group of about a dozen others here my previously ebullient traveling companion remains stolid and silent, never leaving my side but never engaging me in conversation. As sun the dips lower and the temperature at last begins to dip we start out again to get some more miles walked before darkness fell. Even if they weren't quite honest I missed her cheerful words and attitude.

As the evening wears on Rosa tries her best to keep up but her strength was flagging. Her steps slow, the amphora is carried lower and lower, and her head and shoulders sag from fatigue. Eventually I stop. She shuffles to a stop beside me, not looking up. I rearrange my pack to the front, reaching over I take the container from my slave. She doesn't resist this time. I kneel down beside.

She stands still a moment before coming around to climb up onto my back again. Worn down by the day she hadn't the energy to resist. She wraps her arms around my chest and her legs around my waist and I stand then carry on walking. I could smell her again. Feel her again. Somewhere back on the road during those hours of tense silence I had left all of my anger.

"I'm sorry." I say. "I'm sorry I called you a liar. That wasn't fair. I'm…not so smart sometimes."

Her arms tight around me in what I realize is a hug. "You are smarter than you think Master." She says, thankfully with real emotion in her soft voice once more. "Pride is your Achilles heel, not intelligence."

"I didn't like how he talked to you. I didn't…like…seeing you with him. I didn't like seeing you serve another."

"I know." She whispers soothingly, her hand petting my chest. "Now we know that and we won't let it happen again. Will we?"

"Mmm. No, we won't."

"We're learning Master, together. It will take time."

"Rosa. I won't abandon you."

She rests her head against mine. "I know."

We walk on in silence for a time. I feel her horn rest against my cheek and welcome it. "Tomorrow…tomorrow we won't travel so hard. We don't need to be in such a hurry."

She lets out a soft sigh and clings tight. "Thank you Master. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up this pace. I've never walked so much in my life. I swear you must be descended from Hercules to keep going like you do."

"Rosa?"

"Yes Master?"

"Do you…actually like me? I mean…had I not bought you…if we just met on the street or…in Alexandria. Would you have even talked to me?"

She chuckles lightly. "Yes Master, I like you."

Obviously she couldn't have answered in any other way but I choose to believe her. Those knots inside of me start to unwind. Despite the long day and the heavy load I carried I walk on with a renewed spirit. Rosa yawns and sighs but she stays awake this time. Luck is with us as darkness nears. I spot an empty stable space on a small farm just off the main road. Setting Rosa down we walk in and greet the farm family. After giving us a good once over, already knowing why we were here at this time of night, they tell us we were welcome to the stable for the night before we even had to ask. We thank them profusely and retire to the open wooden structure.

With a mule as our neighbor we arrange the hay out on the floor and Rosa flops down onto it floor in exhaustion.

She stretches out and smiles wide as she lets her whole body relax. "Ohhhh. My aching feet."

I sit down by her legs. "Blisters? We have an ointment."

"I don't blister." She says. "Just throbbing and sore. By the gods that was a long day." She bends her lithe body and shifts to the right then places her aching feet up on my thigh.

I raise an eyebrow and look at her warily.

She gazes back at me with wide soulful eyes, her violet hair spread out around her face like a halo among the hay. In the dim gloam her fair skin made her glow like an angel despite the demon horns on her head. "Rub my feet Master? Please?"

"Me? R-rub your feet?" I say in a wavering tone as I look down at her slippered feet. "Y-you've got some nerve for a slave."

"Nobody can see us." She whispers. Her gaze becomes more focused, more pointed, and she says again. "Rub my feet."

Chapter 11: Feels So Good

Chapter Text

Such impudence! As the master I ought to have been the one asking for a massage. Yet…she had done so well today and bore the long march so bravely. I was really proud of her. She was tired and sore and she deserved a little care. Couldn't a master reward their servant? That wasn't so strange, was it? Back home I would give our old horse a good brush down after a job well done. This wasn't so different, was it? And Rosa was no animal. She might be a slave but she still had a right to be treated as a human being. These are things I think…though the shameful truth was I wished to do it. Especially after being told to.

Cradling her right foot in my hands I look down at the crude slipper, a bit of rough leather held together by twine, made elegant because it was on her. I run my thumb along the skin of her slender ankle and whisper. "So soft."

Rosa smiles and watches but doesn't say anything. I try three times to look at her but each time my eyes retreat back to her foot after just a quick glance. She was so pretty laying there relaxed. Her arms flopped out at her sides, head pillowed by a pile of hay, and her feet up on my leg. Even in that wondrous city of Alexandria she must have been the most beautiful meretrix around. Out on the road it was easy to forget just how lovely she really was. I don't mean to look but from my angle I catch a peek up her tunic and see the bulge of her Amazon heritage. Blushing furiously I refocus completely on the feet on my lap.

I untie the short lace that helped support her slipper around her ankle. I pull it from her foot and take a quick look at the scuffed sole.

"They're holding up pretty good." I say, trying in vain to keep this casual like how we talked during the day.

"Shhh." She hushes me. I look back to her face to see her eyelids blink slowly and heavily. "No more talk today."

"Okay." I nod. "I'll be quiet."

I do the same with the other shoe and place them to the side. Her bare tootsies are as cute as the rest of her. To my surprise her feet did not smell that bad after such a trek, likely to do with how little she sweats. I take in a breath and gather my courage, and it was definitely courage I was summoning here. With both hands I very gently encompass the right one. The pale dainty foot nearly disappears in my large tanned hands. Bracing my fingers on the top of her foot I dig my thumbs into the supple flesh of her sole.

"Ooo!" She jolts. "Not so hard. I'm delicate."

"Sorry!" I ease up immediately and caress the top of her foot in apology. Gauging my power more carefully I start again, applying pressure and pushing my thumbs from her heel up to the pad.

"Ohhhhh!" Her eyes roll back as she melts back into the hay.

Right away I feel subtle spongy pads just beneath the skin not too dissimilar to the feel of a cat's paw. As she wiggles her adorable toes I notice they are much more dexterous than mine. I go again, rubbing from bottom to top in a firm smooth stroke.

"Ohhhhh."

Hearing her moan with pleasure, pleasure I was giving her, fills me with…new feelings. Deeply gratifying new feelings. As good as this felt for her I swear it did even more for me. I was sexually aroused, very much so, but it went so far beyond that. Attending to Rosa brought both joy and peace into my heart. I take time and massage the base of her toes before sliding my thumbs up her sole once again.

"Oh Quin." She sighs happily and half asleep. "That feels soooo good."

I didn't dare correct her on using my name despite my orders not to. She told me no more talk today and I didn't want to bother her. Besides, I had been silly and rash when I gave her that command. Closing her eyes she snuggles down into the dry hay and lets me make her feel good. I rub and knead and press in all the ways I imagined would feel nice. Her ankles, her heel, her silky soft arch, the ball of her foot and the top, along with each individual toe. Each part is given my entire attention for a time. I wanted to touch more, I wanted to touch so much more, but I didn't have permission. By her light cooing I knew I was doing well and it made me feel wonderful inside. I wasn't a masseuse but what I lacked in training I made up for in thoroughness and eagerness. With her not watching me anymore it gave me the bravery to gaze upon her as I rubbed her foot so that I could see her joy as best I could in the growing darkness as well as hear it.

By her calm still and deepening breath I could tell that she was succumbing to Somnus' nocturnal enchantment. I switch to her other foot so that she could feel the pains of that one be relieved as well before nodding away.

"Mmmm." In a hushed hazy voice more asleep than awake she whispers. "Good boy. Gooood boyyyy."

It is the last thing she says before drifting off into her slumber.

I sit there for a time just watching and listening and hopelessly trying to make sense of everything I was feeling. She called me a boy again. Is that how she thought of me? As a mere child? That didn't seem to be the tone of it, it seemed more a term of endearment than derogatory, but I couldn't be sure. She was much older than me after all. I hoped and prayed that she saw me as a man. Only time would tell.

Very gently I lift her feet, slide out from under them, then let them down to the ground as soft as a feather. I wring my hands, nervous at what I was about to do. I poke my head up to look around the dark quiet farmyard. Nothing stirred except the light breeze. Even our neighbor the mule had fallen asleep. Getting on my hands and knees I kneel down at my slumbering slave's side…I lean forward to bow low like I imagined doing this morning…and I kiss the top her soft delicate foot. I linger there reveling in my beggarly genuflection, my lips just barely touching her skin, for as long as I dare.

Getting up I feel ashamed but relieved I was finally able to do it. It had been playing on my thoughts all day long. As hard as I could ever remember it my manhood ached with suppressed potency. I consider sneaking away to relieve my passions. Given the intensity of my lust it would take but a short time to get myself off. But…I didn't want to leave. As quietly as I could I pull my blanket from the pack and lightly drape it over my slave's petite form.

"Mmm." She stirs but does not wake.

With neither my cloak nor my blanket I arrange my tunic as best I could and curl up in the hay across the stable from my slave. To my surprise sleep comes swiftly.

Chapter 12: A Promise Made

Chapter Text

No interruptions. No disturbed dreams. No lying awake staring at the sky. No tossing and turning. My sleep is deep and peaceful. The best sleep I'd had in weeks!

As I gradually fade into consciousness I sense the dim light of early morning and hear the piping song of a lone thrush in the distance.

"Mrmm." I groan softly and settle deeper into my cozy blanket.

My waking mind groggily hones in on something out of place. Blanket? I didn't have a blanket when I went to sleep last night. That is when I feel her. Cuddled up behind me is the warm little body of the slumbering Rosa under the cover with me, her arm draped over my side and through the loose arm hole on the inside of my tunic. Filling her hand is the muscle of the left side of my chest. With the bare skin of her arm across my bare chest, her body pressed up tight against my back, I can feel her natural body temperature is a bit higher than my own, making it nice and toasty under here. My heart then nearly stops as I realize that between my buttocks is the hard length of Rosa's penis at full arousal! It seems Amazons got morning wood too. In a flash I am wide awake.

I go absolutely still.

My mouth is dry. My breath held. My heart beating like a hummingbird's wings. My insides are a roiling mass of nerves though on the outside all is deceptively still and silent.

So many conflicting emotions hit me all at once. Top among them was the wickedness of feeling this stiff cock nestled between my butt cheeks. There couldn't have been a more stark reminder of Rosa's taboo nature than this. She may look and act like a normal woman but she was Amazon. The enemy, the cursed, the ruiner of all that is good and pure. Having now had some experience with one I honestly could not say whether that reputation was deserved or not. Rosa was cute, lively, willful and resourceful. She seemed harmless. But she was also a cajoler and a temptress who was constantly pushing boundaries and pulling me out of my comfort zone. In just two days and nights with her I had done things, and allowed things to be done, that I never would have before.

Sadly, even had she not been Amazon I wouldn't have felt much differently in this moment. Rosa had already turned my life upside down in so many ways but waking up like this might have been the most earth shaking part of all. I was naturally shy around women, I always had been, especially if there was even a hint of intimacy or future intimacy insinuated. My mother said it was something I would grow out of, but that never happened. She said a big strong man like me would have so many partners to choose from. That hadn't happened either. There had been interest expressed and there had been match-making attempts, but every time a woman sent out signals that she was available I found reasons to be busy or avoid her altogether. It just never felt right. Whatever the reasons the fact was that all of my friends and cousins were already paired off by their late teens and here I was entering my twenties without even having kissed a girl before. Now here I was being spooned by one, and such a beautiful one at that.

I couldn't deny how nice this felt. Her holding me like this. Feeling her warm skin on mine. Sensing the slow rise and fall of her body against me. Having her soft form pressed up tight behind me, even as it contrasted with the hard dick at my bottom. It was lovely. But my better judgment would not let me enjoy it. The brighter the sky got the more uneasy I became. Last night, worn down from a long day and hidden by Nox's dark cloak, I had allowed myself to be weak again. But with the light came clear thinking and guilt. Jupiter, Juno, Ceres, and the rest could look down and see us here. For the second morning in a row I lay there with a conflicted shame filling my heart.

As gingerly I could, so as not to wake Rosa, I start to move.

"Hmm." She stirs. Hugging me tight she nuzzles into my back, gives my pec a gentle squeeze, and presses her hips tighter into me.

I wait a moment for her to settle again then move a bit more. Gradually, one small shift at a time, I am able to slip from her embrace. Despite my best efforts though my slave had been roused. She rolls to her back, eyes closed and with the most adorable pout on her face, and whines. "Mmmm, come back. It's so early Master."

I can't help but smile at her cuteness, the way her drooping ears matched the sulky mood of her pouting lips was too much. "Go back to sleep Rosa." I whisper. "I'll wake you when it's time to go."

"Mmmm." She rolls over and buries herself in the blanket.

Still grinning I shake my head as I leave the stable. I stretch out and move around a bit to get my back and limbs limber. Unsurprisingly I could see activity already stirring at the house as they readied to go to work with the first light. These were my people. The farmer, his eldest son, and two slaves were outside sharpening their sickles with stones. I approach and shake the farmer's hand.

Looking out over his swaying golden field I say. "The Mother and Maiden blessed you with a fine bounty."

The man nods proudly. "A good crop."

I motion over to behind the house. "I noticed a pile of wood back there needs splitting. It'll be done before we head out."

He gives me a nod. "Appreciated."

A shuttered window on the house opens. Squinting at the light the farmer's wife pokes her head out, behind her I could see their two daughters were up and busy as well. Despite the early hour Rosa was the only one still sleeping. "You'll be havin breakfast 'fore ya go." The woman says in that motherly way of letting you know that they would hear no argument. "Jus a bit o' bread and honey but I ain't sendin ya away hungry."

I smile. "Thank you Ma'am."

Yep, my people. The men head out to the fields and I set to work splitting wood. A hefty tool in my hands, a straight forward but important task to be done, and a bit of physical exertion. It felt so damn good being back in my element if only for an hour or so. Crack! Crack! Crack! One after the next I split the logs with a practiced efficiency. I leave what was a disorganized pile of logs in neat rows of halves all the way down to kindling. I sink the ax into the chopping block almost disappointed there wasn't more to do but I knew we had to get moving. I had my own farm waiting for me and there would be plenty of work to do there.

The first thing I notice as I walk back around to the front of the house is the merry giggling of girls. Turning the corner I find the farmer's wife standing on her porch, arms crossed, watching her two young daughters dance with my slave in the open central farmyard. Rosa was teaching them a dance to be precise, demonstrating as they followed along with her flowing elegant motions. Her bare feet glide over the earth effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing at all. It was a simple dance yet she made it easy to see the music meant to accompany it in her lissome movements, to hear it in your imagination, even though none played such was her skill.

"Very good Cecilia." Rosa praises the youngest one. "Like you're tip-toeing. Let your hips lead. No straight lines. Very good!"

The girl, who couldn't be more than six, squeals with delight at the compliment. "You see me Mum? Just like in Alexandria! See!"

"I see ya." Her mother calls from beside me. Looking over at me she gives me the strangest look, probably wondering how a common man like me was traveling with an exotic slave such as this.

Rosa now catches sight of me. She spins and dips in a dazzling display sensual grace. The two children clumsily try to keep up, one of the falling to the ground in a heap of giggles. Holding her plain wool capelet out in her hands like how, back in her former life in Alexandria, she would have held a shimmering silk scarf Rosa swirls it and uses it to hide behind…then slowwwwly peeks over it to give me just a glimpse of her piercing sultry eyes. Woah!

She turns, twirls the cape, and bows deeply to the girls. "Thank you, thank you. You have been amazing students."

"Awww, not yet!" They protest.

"Don't be a pest now." Their mother says.

"Pleeeease." They beg in unison as they tug at her arms. "Just one more thing before you go! Plllleeeeaaaassseee!"

"Oh, alright." Rosa winks. "Because you are such good students."

"YAY!!!"

"Another important skill all Alexandrian ladies need to know." Her eyes turn to you and linger there, followed soon by all the others. "Is how to shave a man."

"What?" I say looking around to each of them. "Wait a second." It is then I recall the promise I made her the morning before.

"Pfffft! You're going to shave him?" The youngest asks through her titters.

"Yes little one." Rosa says brightly.

"He doesn't shave himself?" The older one says skeptically.

"My master works hard. He deserves his indulgences."

Beside me, sensing my sudden discomfort, the mother chuckles. "This I gotta see."

Chapter 13: A Good Shave and a Hard Truth

Chapter Text

With Rosa directing things she and the two girls set to work. One would have never guessed who was slave and who was free by watching them but the kids had been charmed by my lovely servant and hung on her every word.

Things begin to happen around me. A chair is brought out to sit on the bright porch. I am sat down there and told in no uncertain terms, by the six year old no less, that I was not to move a muscle. A pot of water is boiled and the hot water put into a large bowl. The bowl along with a towel is set on the short bench that went along the side of the building. Rosa and the eldest child work together to carry my heavy pack to the porch. Rosa finds my novacila, sharpening stone and soap and sets these out beside the bowl. Off to my left the farmer's wife watches on with an amused grin. I look to the woman in a silent plea for help but no rescue was coming, she was as interested to see this as her daughters.

Rosa slips her hand into the steaming water. "Too hot." As Cecilia reaches to do the same she says. "Careful little one, you're not a demon."

The girl touches it with the tip of her finger. "Whoo! Yep, too hot!"

"I saw a demon on the road once. Red skin and big horns and everything." The other one says. "He was scary looking!"

"We're just people too." Rosa chuckles. "Not so scary once you get to know us."

"You're not scary. You're great Rosa."

"Thank you Cecilia." Rosa says. "You're pretty great too."

"I bet you saw lots of things in Alexandria."

"Mmm." Rosa shrugs, neither confirming or denying.

"Did you see any angels?"

"They prefer to be called Jinn where I come from. And yes, I've met a few."

"A few!? Wow! For real!?"

"For real."

"What about a minotaur? What about a medusa? What about a cyclops?"

Rosa laughs. "A cyclops!? It would have eaten me up!"

The girls giggle. "What about an amazon?"

Rosa's laughter fades from genuine to polite. Bringing in amazons hard on the heels of asking about true monsters revealed how the girls viewed that race. It wasn't their fault, it was common wisdom. She answers with a nod. "Yes, I've seen Amazon." Before she could be peppered with more questions she refocuses the girls back on the task at hand.

As the water cools Rosa adeptly sharpens my razor to a well honed edge, showing the girls how to do it and explaining why it was so important. My face is cleaned as the towel soaked in the hot water.

"Okay Master. Lean back." She says. Noticing my wary expression she smiles. "Trust me."

I hesitate only to be roughly shoved in the chest by Cecilia. "Lean back Mister Quintus!"

"I'm leaning! I'm leaning!" I gripe playfully, rubbing my chest as if it hurt. "Geez!"

"You gotta lean back. Rosa says."

"I think you better listen to her Master."

"I think you're right." I say, pretending to intimidated by the spirited child.

I lean back and fold my hands over my chest. My slave pulls the towel from the water, lightly wrings it out, then brings it over to me. "Close your eyes please." Placing one end over my chin she coils the hot wet towel over my face so that just my nose was exposed in the center. It felt better than I expected. Any hotter and it would have burned but as it was it was both relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Rosa leaves me like this for a time.

"Do you cut his hair?" The older one asks.

"If he wishes me to."

"Do you cut his nails?"

"If he wishes."

"Do you wipe his butt!?" Cecilia interjects with a burst of giggles.

"Ceecee!" Her mother warns.

"Sorryyy."

"No, no butt wiping." Rosa chuckles. "But massaging, grooming, trimming, exfoliating, manicures, pedicures, perfuming, make up, dressing; back home our men have very high expectations."

"Make up?"

"Mmm hmm." Rosa says. "Obviously not on my Master, he is a proud Italian Roman, but in Alexandria many men wear pigments."

"No!"

"Mmm hmm."

"Decadence." The mother snorts. "Makes 'em weak."

"Perhaps." Rosa replies. She wasn't about to argue with our host.

The towel is removed. I open my eyes to see Rosa pouring a dab of olive oil into her hand. She then starts rubbing it into my face, her slick smooth hand rasping over my thick stubble. She doesn't simply apply the oil but rubs and works it into my skin briskly and thoroughly, taking the time to really stimulate the whole area. What a treat! This really was an indulgence. After rinsing her hands she take the razor and steps in very close.

"Don't fidget now." She warns me.

I give her a small obedient nod. I knew that if I didn't obey blood might be shed so I stay very still.

She smiles. Taking my head in her free arm she angles it away from her and cradles in close to her stomach, just beneath her breasts. She studies me a moment then brings the razor up, I feel the cool metal touch the skin of my cheek and hold my breath. With a practiced touch she scrapes the blade down my cheek in one deft steady motion. She used half the pressure I usually did yet left the skin as smooth and sleek as I had ever felt it. She runs the tip of her pinky down the freshly shaved swath.

"Just like that." She says. The girls lean in for a closer look and nod their approval. She explains to them the basics of what angle to hold the blade, how to shave with and against the grain, and which spots to be extra careful around. She gets me to raise my chin and down my neck the sharp razor glides. One little slip and I would be meeting the ferryman. Yet the hint of danger somehow only makes it better. I just sit there at the mercy of my slave relishing every bit of the experience, it's all I could do. This was so nice!

"Isn't he worried you're going to cut him?" The elder sister asks what all of us were thinking. "Isn't he scared you'll kill him and escape?"

Rosa smiles a gentle smile as she continues to shave me one smooth stroke at a time. "Some men are confident enough to be vulnerable with a woman…or even a slave." She says softly as her eyes meet mine. I gaze up at her as long I could but, as usual, I have to look away after just a moment. "It takes a lot of courage to give up control to another. But the rewards can be great."

"Rewards?" Cecilia asks.

She glances over to the girls. "So many rewards. If a man won't let you shave him you shouldn't marry him. Just my opinion. Love cannot live without trust, that's what Cupid said to Psyche. There's wisdom in that."

"Are you going to marry Quintus?"

"Ceecee!" Her mother scolds. "That's none of our business."

"No my dear. He doesn't like me like that." Rosa explains. "Besides, I am just a slave. Slaves can't be married. Master will find a free woman to be his wife."

"Oh…yeah. Well, when I'm married I'm going to shave my husband every day." Cecilia declares to the scoffs and eye rolls of her amused mother. "Whether he likes it or not!"

Rosa laughs softly. "I think I believe you Cecilia."

"I know!" The girl claps her hands. "He could free you! Then you could be married."

"No little one." Rosa's smile fades and she lets out a sad sigh. I look up at her, wondering what was going on. She closes her eyes, takes in a deep breath, then turns her head to look at the child. "You see Cecilia…I can't be free. I'm Amazon."

And with that single word the entire pleasant mood we were enjoying on the sunny porch darkens. There is a long pause as the meaning of the word really sinks in.

Cecilia looked up at Rosa with confusion on her innocent face. "No you're not."

"Not what you expected, huh?" Rosa says kindly, but I could see the melancholy in her eyes.

The elder sister steps back from my slave as if Rosa were on fire and stares rudely at my slave's groin with bulging eyes. She even dips down to look up under the tunic. Letting out a shocked peep she points. "It's true! It's true!"

The mother gasps then steps in to roughly yank her youngest away. "Gods protect! You never tol' us that!" The woman was both scared and angry. "You never said! Ohhh, gods protect!"

"Uhh…I…" I stammer, this whole thing had blindsided me.

"Sinful man! Demon! Finish your…indulgence." Her words drip with venom. "Then leave! GET! And don' you never come back." The three of them retreat back into the house, the littlest being dragged in against her will. The door slams shut followed quickly by the nearby shutters.

So much for bread and honey for breakfast. Kindness, hospitality, appreciation of hard work…and xenophobia. My people. My family would have done the same. I would have done the same too had fate not bound our paths together. There would be prayers and sacrifices after we left. A priest would be summoned. Such a lot of bother over one little slave girl.

"I'm sorry Master." Rosa whispers as she holds back tears.

"Rosa…why did you even bring that up?" I hiss, trying to keep my voice from traveling into the house. "They didn't need to know."

"I'm tired…" She starts to say then lets out a long breath. "I'm sorry Master."

Inside the house we hear Cecilia's voice. "I want to see Rosa!"

"Don' you never speak that thing's name in this house 'gain. You hear?"

"I knew she was no good." The older sister says, wise after the fact. "I knew it."

"But she was nice!"

Rosa straightens up. She collects herself then blinks the tears away. Taking the razor she returns to her work and finishes the shave with a strange sort of pride in her magenta eyes. She cleans me up with the towel and says in that bright breezy voice I was accustomed to. "All done. How do you feel?"

I look back at the house then up at her. "Uh good, thank you Rosa." I rub my silky smooth face. "That was…nice."

"You're welcome Master." She looks toward the closed door and calls out boldly. "Thank you for your kindness Ma'am. Gods bless you." After a second of no answer she adds. "I won't forget you Cecilia."

"Goodbye Ros…" Cecilia's voice is quickly hushed by the others.

"I hope I did more good than harm." Rosa whispers.

I reach out and give her hand a little squeeze and say quietly. "She'll remember."

Rosa nods then turns and starts to pack up the shaving supplies. With empty bellies but a good night's rest Rosa and I are soon back on road again.

Chapter 14: A Deal Struck

Chapter Text

Moving at a pace more comfortable to Rosa we walk in relative silence for the first half of the day. Each of us were lost in our own thoughts. We pass right through the towns and villages along the way, without a coin to my name they weren't much use to us. The Appian Way, slicing through the hilly landscape in long straight stretches, is as busy as always. Traders, scholars, workers, soldiers and long heavily laden caravans stream past us making their way toward the voracious capital city of the Empire. With such traffic came safety from robbers and worse. The further we got from Rome however the more the travelers coming the other direction petered out bit by bit. Security was something that played on my mind much more than usual now that I had a companion at my side. I knew I could handle myself in a scuffle and I knew I could run like the wind if things got out of hand. But Rosa…she would slow us down and that worried me. There was nothing to be done about it though, I'd simply have to be extra cautious. These worries and others occupy me as Rosa walked beside me pondering her own concerns.

Just past midday we had just come through a narrow pass to look down on a vast green valley spread out before us. Less than an hour's walk away another town could be seen with a river running through it. It would be a good place to refill our water supply.

Nodding toward shady little area off the side of the road with a old brick tomb in the center I say. "Let's rest here." Rosa follows. I set my heavy pack down beside a stone bench in the shade of the monument and sit down. Rosa studies the tomb briefly then comes to sit beside me.

"You okay?" I ask. "You're quiet."

Letting out a soft sigh she nods. "Yes Master." She rubs her palms up and down her smooth bare thighs then asks. "Hey, can we talk? Or…can I talk at least?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Again, I'm sorry about what happened back there."

"It's fine." I say. "My fault. She was right, I should have let them know when we arrived. I just didn't think it would come up."

"That Cecilia…she reminded me of…someone very special." Her wistful eyes drift to the South-East. "I wanted to be honest with her. I wanted her to know."

"It's okay."

"My burden has become yours. A burden you never wanted."

I sigh. She wasn't wrong. "It's okay Rosa. Like you said before, we're learning. It'll take time."

"You're not angry with me?"

"No. Not even a little. If a person can't speak the truth…well, that ain't right. I'll never be angry with honesty."

She looks up at me, really studying me to see if I meant what I said. I shift uncomfortably at the direct attention. "You really mean that, don't you?" She says, a bit mystified. "You really are what you appear to be."

"Yeah, of course." I say. "Though…if you could have waited until after breakfast to confess…"

She laughs lightly and leans her head against my arm. "My poor hungry Master."

"I'm kidding of course. Don't worry about it. I think I understand."

"Respectfully Master, I don't think you do." Cupping her branded hand in the other one she stares down at it and traces her thumb along one of the petals of the rose. "You did so much more than just save my life. You liberated me." She says as she gazes down on her brand as if it were a precious piece of jewelry. "I might be a slave but…at least this allows me to be who I really am."

I ponder a moment, watching her trace the pinkish symbol that was now all but completely healed. "You're right, I don't understand."

"I was born and raised in the Empire, never once been outside its borders, yet I've never been truly welcome within it. I've never even seen fabled city of Themiscyra or been anywhere close to the lands of the Amazons. Yet my whole life I've been considered an enemy in the only homeland I've ever known. You can't know how that feels. You just can't know." She whispers. "But now…I found a place. I've found my anchor." Hope and strength return to her voice. "I finally have a proper and legal status. It cost me my freedom, but that freedom was always an illusion. I don't have to hide anymore. No more threats. No more blackmail. No more being manipulated by selfish men or jealous women. You have no idea how terrible it is to have to live with a secret this big. To be forced to put your trust in people only to have that trust betrayed again and again."

"Nobody should have to live like that." The words sounded trite but I didn't know how else to reply to her opening up to me like this. What did a sheltered farm kid know about such things? And I'd never been good with emotional stuff. This was all so much.

She looks up toward the sun filtering through the canopy and smiles. "It feels good to be in the daylight. It feels good to breath clean country air. It feels good to hear nothing but the wind and the birds and the bugs. It is all so different from what I am used to. I feel…reborn."

"Uh…wow. That's…that's great to hear, I guess."

"Master…" Her voice fades off.

"What is it?"

"Give me a chance."

"A chance?"

"Don't sell me." She whispers. "Give me a chance to learn."

"Rosa…Rosa, I'm a poor farmer."

"And I'm a poor farmer's slave girl."

I let out a huff of awkward frustration. "I can't offer you anything but a hard life out here. These first few years especially are going to be rough. It would be easier for me if I was alone. I don't wish to be rude but…you'll make things so much harder for me."

"Yeah." Her ears droop sadly.

"Besides, you'd be happier with a wealthy man or a powerful man, a city man at the very least. You can offer them things they want and they can offer you the life you deserve. You know that world. You belong in that world."

"That's the world I'm trying to escape. The type of men I'm trying to escape." Rosa looks up and watches a group pass by us heading North. "Do you want hear something crazy?"

"Uh…sure."

She looks back down at her hand. "I gave myself up to those slavers."

"What? You what?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"I told you it was crazy."

"You sold yourself into slavery?"

"Sold? No. Gave myself for free." She says. "It was just a matter of time. A very wicked man knew my secret and held it over me. I was living under my own Sword of Damocles. He would have given me up eventually. I didn't have the support network I had back home. I had nowhere to run and I didn't have anyone to fall back on. And I am so tired of hiding Master. So…I did it myself. I turned myself into the slavers so that he, or anyone else, couldn't have that over me. I didn't want to be anyone's victim." She nods to herself, a look of conviction on her comely face. "I did it of my own free will. Crazy, huh?"

"That's…that's incredible!"

"It was stupid! It was nearly suicide." She lays her hand on my thigh and turns to face me. "I never imagined I wouldn't be sold. I had a married couple, a senator and his wife, both clients who treated me well enough, that I had an arrangement with. I was sure they would come in for me, to buy me as another household servant." The hurt in her expression touched me deeply. "They came to the market. I was so relieved to see them. But they had just come to look. To stare at me and witness my humiliation…they never bid. It would have been nothing for them…but they in the end they couldn't be seen bidding for…someone like me. In their bedchamber they both spoke of their love for me…but in the market they didn't speak to me or even acknowledge knowing me. Not even to say goodbye." The hurt, just for a moment, turns to angry indignation. "Bitches! The both of them. They just stared at me with pity in their eyes, until they turned their backs and left."

"I can't imagine how that felt." I say.

After a second to collect herself she continues. "Even then I thought I would be okay. In Alexandria a slave like me would have fetched at least a few bidders, to be used as a pleasure toy or a pretty curiosity to amuse the dinner guests if nothing else." She laughs, though there is no humor in it. "Not up here. I didn't realize how dangerous it was to do what I did. I was so foolish. Had I known the city better I would have never done it. I would have…just kept surviving anyway I could. Rome is so much different than home. Status and reputation rules over everything else. Everything is public and political. Everyone so full of false pride and piety and patriotism. I'm happy you're taking me away from that place." A little shudder runs through her. "I was so scared. By the gods I was scared. If you hadn't have been there…" She takes a deep breath then swallows. "But you were. By lady Fortuna's grace, you were."

"Why…why did you ever leave Alexandria?"

Looking up at me she weighs the query in her mind…then her face hardens just slightly and she shakes her head. "I don't know you like that. Not yet. Maybe in time I'll share, but not yet."

"Fair enough." I say.

There is a long quiet pause, the breeze sighing through the boughs above us. Watching her in my peripheral vision I cannot help but sympathize with my slave. She was far from home and forced into a desperate decision. A decision that nearly cost her everything. I couldn't say if it was pure folly or incredible courage that allowed her to put herself into bondage, but the brazenness of it had to be respected. I was in no position to judge her but I could feel for her. Feeling a need to show her support I reach to take her hand, but then thinking better of it I quickly pull it back again before it even gets near.

Catching the movement she reaches down between us to slip her soft hand into mine and squeezes it. "It's okay. Don't be afraid to touch me."

I try to pull my hand away but she holds it tight. I take a breath and make myself relax. Then I grip her hand back. "This is hard for me."

"I know." She smiles, her whole demeanor brightening once more, as she brings my hand to her lap and pats it with her free hand. "So…how about it? You know how I got here now. You know what I gave up to be yours. Will you give a foolish demon girl a chance at a second life? Promise to keep me? Mmm?"

"Rosa…" As I look at her she bats her big magenta eyes, nibbles nervously on her plump bottom lip, and her pointed ears slowly rise in an expression of pure adorableness. "Would you stop that!"

She giggles. "Stop what?"

"You're being cute on purpose."

"Am I?" She says innocently, tilting her head to the side like a curious puppy. "Is it working?"

"No!" I lean back with a big hearty laugh.

She grins happily. "That's the first time I've heard you really laugh."

I shake my head and look at her. "You are too much." After a bit of thought I say. "How about this. I won't promise not to sell you. But what I can promise is that I won't sell you to anybody you don't want to be sold to. I want you to be happy with your new master. That sound fair?"

Rosa raises an eyebrow. "You mean…you'll need my permission before selling me?"

"I mean, I guess that's one way of putting it."

"Deal!" She brings my hand to her lips and gives it a big wet kiss to seal the bargain. "Thank you Master." Looking up at the monument she says. "As witnessed by the spirit of Gnaeus Aetius Bassus." She gives the tomb a bow of her head then says. "Hey, do we have any water left?"

"Yeah." I pass her the waterskin.

She sits up tall, her feet swinging in front of her, and takes a drink of the water. With that off of her chest she was feeling so much better. Seeing her feel better also lightened my mood as well.

The deal was struck and it was one we were both pleased with. She had some control and stability and I had maintained a reasonable way out of this arrangement when it eventually came to it. A few days on the road was one thing, but I knew that as the day turned to weeks my lifestyle would take its toll on her. City folk were soft. It was simply a matter of time before she would begin to miss the comfort and perfumed luxuries she was accustomed to as a big city meretrix. In the meantime we could both relax and get on with things.

Chapter 15: Testing Rosa

Chapter Text

After a brief rest we were on the road again with both of our spirits high. Rosa is back to her talkative ebullient self which ends up slowing us down more than ever as she chats with other travelers and stops in the shady areas to look at any little thing that interested her. I was happy I'd paid over a year in advance of taxes on my land from my uncle's inheritance while I was in Rome, it might take us that long to get there at this rate! I didn't mind though, Rosa's uplifting attitude made the time fly by.

The sun was beginning to get low in the sky as we are passing through yet another town. This town was going to be a bit different though, I'd been planning this surprise for better part of the afternoon. I was finally going to put my slave to work. As we enter the still bustling main square I move off to a quiet corner and set down my pack.

"We don't usually rest in towns." Rosa observes.

"This isn't a rest." I say. "I've got a job for you."

"You do?" She says curiously.

Untying the pack I pull the slender amphora of wine we'd received from Gaius from it and hand it to her.

She takes it by the handles and looks at me confused. "You wish…to drink?"

"As much as I would like that, no." I say. "It is weighing me down. I want you to put that gift of gab to use and see if you can get a good price for this. If you could even get enough for a few loaves of bread that would great." I sit down beside the pack, lean my back up against the wall behind us, fold my hands over my stomach and stretch my legs out. "Buy whatever supplies you think we need. I'll be here relaxing. You can rest up on my back later this evening."

Slowly a smile grows on her pretty face. It was a task. Her first opportunity to really contribute toward our goal in a concrete way and she was more than eager to prove her worth.

"Don't take too long now." I say.

"Yes Master!" She says excitedly. With that she takes the bottle of wine and hurries toward the market, her petite form quickly disappearing among the crowd.

With her natural charm I had faith she could sell the wine and, given that she was a businesswoman of sorts in her former life, I knew she'd get the best price she could for it. What I was curious about though is how she would spend what she got. Would it be practical or frivolous? Either way I was curious to see, as long as a bit of food was obtained I would be happy. I felt no ownership over the wine in the first place so losing it was no sacrifice.

It doesn't take long, perhaps a bit longer than expected, when I see her trotting back toward me. Her capelet flaps out behind her as she jogs. In her left hand are two disks of stiff flatbread. In her right…a long wooden flute. Not food, not supplies, but a flute! I was definitely disappointed. She had failed my little test for her. I had hoped she would have leaned toward the more practical, but a I suppose leopard cannot change its spots overnight.

She walks up and stands over me looking more than little pleased with herself. She hands me one of the breads.

"Thanks." I say as I take it. Biting down I hold it in my mouth and rise to my feet. I sling on my pack and without a word the pair of us are heading South. I tear a piece of tough bread off and chew it. It was good, though with as hungry as I was anything edible would be. Rosa nibbles on hers and spins the flute around her fingers in the other hand. It isn't until we are through the outskirts and back on the open road that I finally comment. "Interesting choices."

She holds the flute out and turns it left and right. The sheen of varnish on rich tan brown of the instrument was pleasing to the eye. Running along either side was a darker toned design of a winding vine carved into it. "Not bad, huh?"

"A flute and two bread for a bottle of wine. It's…it's more than I expected."

"Ha!" She exclaims. "It took everything I had just to get the flute." Tilting her head to show me she says. "I had to let him file some of my horns away too. He wanted to use the powder in a lacquer." Looking over I then notice that her nubby little horns had been filed to sharp, slightly curving, points. "Don't worry Master, they'll grow back normal pretty quick. And it was worth it!" She grins proudly. "I can't believe I got a flute like this for one bottle of wine. I think the guy liked me. He he he!"

Looking down at my half eaten bread I ask. "Where did this come from then?"

"That." She points at it with the flute. "Was got with this." She raises the instrument like a scepter and spins it once more. "I am a very good flute girl. And I know songs and styles the musicians up here haven't even heard of." She tucks it up under her arm and continues to munch on her bread. "I could have gotten more but I knew we needed to get moving."

"You played for our bread?"

"Yep." She sinks her fangs into the food and rips off a piece to chew. All it took was a bit of hunger and she was eating like a country girl. "Mmm."

"That is…brilliant!" Not only had she gotten us some food, we now had a way of earning a bit of coin along the way. She hadn't simply passed the test, she exceeded all expectations.

"Mmm." She beams with a crumby smile.

"Did it hurt? What he did to your horns? Are you okay?"

She looks at me, touched by my concern. "Didn't feel a thing." She then takes another bite and shoots me a wink. "Better be careful though. They're sharp. I might gore you if you make me mad."

"I'll keep that in mind." I chuckle.

I eat most of my bread and Rosa not quite half of hers then we pack the rest away for later. With her hands free she brings the flute to her lips to play as we walk. The cheerful chirping tune buoys our spirits and brings a bit more spring to our steps. True to her word, she was very good. The notes were true and clear, her deft slender fingers dance along the shaft never once missing their mark. We are greeted with bright smiles by those passing by us on hearing the Rosa's merry music. She trots and spins and dances beside me despite how tired I knew she must be. I'd never heard any of the songs she plays. It was music from her homeland. The scales and notes of them had an evocative exoticness about them that spurred the imagination. In my mind's eye I could imagine the chaotic streets of Alexandria. Greeks, Persians, Jews, Egyptians and more haggling and jostling along narrow streets. Gold bedecked elephants trundling along with turban wearing traders from the far East. Ladies and men in brightly colored silks. Students and scholars from every corner of the known world debating maths and philosophy and politics. And there amongst all of it…this violet haired dancing demon girl playing her flute.

It's not long before the music ends. It was late in the day and Rosa had to preserve what energy she had left.

"That was amazing." I tell her, a smile still on my face. "You're quite a talent."

"Thank you." She says as she spins the flute left then right. "It's a fine instrument. I was lucky to find it."

As we walk, the sky now a beautiful orange-pink, Rosa becomes more and more quiet. Eventually she reaches over and tugs on my tunic.

I stop. "Need a lift?"

"Yes please." She says in a tired voice.

"Of course." I kneel down. Rosa climbs aboard as if it were second nature and I feel her warm lithe lovely body cling onto mine. I secure her up on my back and rise to my feet then set off at a brisk pace.

Rosa hugs me around my chest and nuzzles into the back of my neck. "Don't you ever get tired?"

I pat her foot. "We'll stop soon. I promise."

Taking in a breath she says. "Forgive me Master but…you stink."

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm sure I do too." She says. "If we find a stream or pool I'd like to stop there for the night. I need to wash these clothes."

"They're not that bad."

"Listen Master, you men can be as filthy as you wish when you're with the boys or by yourself, but you've got a woman in your life now. I don't care how poor we are, I'm not going to put up with a rancid man."

"You sound like my mother." I chuckle.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She retorts, then, using her flute, she points forward down the road. "Now find us some water!"

Jokingly I groan like a sullen teen being scolded. "Yes Ma'am."

She gives my neck a little peck, sending a wave of tingles out from the spot her lips touched, and hugs me tight. "That's my boy."

Chapter 16: Get Naked

Chapter Text

Lady luck continues to smile on Rosa as it is only an hour later, as evening gave way to another clear night, that we notice a line of dense green foliage running parallel to the road. A few small campfires could be seen here and there at the edge of the greenery, other travelers camping along the banks of whatever river that was. I set Rosa down and we follow a well worn trail toward the area.

Walking along the bank we are greeted by a few of the groups though others just watch us pass by with hard suspicious eyes. Moving past the rest we find our own quiet little area under the wide boughs of an old gnarled carob tree. I set the pack down and rub the shoulder that had carried its weight throughout the long day.

"Do you want me to massage it?" Rosa asks.

"I'm okay." I sit down and lean back against the trunk of the tree. Letting out a long breath I let my fatigued muscles relax. Rosa kneels by my feet and removes my sandals without asking. I don't try to fight her on it. Before I get too comfortable I ask. "Do you want a fire tonight Rosa?"

"No." She says as she sits back and pulls her slippers off then rubs one of her sore feet. "I just want to wash those sweaty clothes of yours and get them drying, then get some shut eye. The moonlight will be enough for that."

"Don't worry about…" I start to say, only to be interrupted.

"Don't say it. I am too tired to argue about this. I want you out of those stinky clothes." She crawls over and opens up the pack. Pulling out the folded up blanket she passes it over to me. "Here. Get under this and get naked."

"Are you usually this bossy?" I quip.

She smirks. "You have no idea."

Despite my brave facade I was tired too and didn't wish to spar with her over this, and it was difficult to disagree with her anyway. While I had tried to keep myself clean and presentable I hadn't properly given my garments a rinse since even before arriving at Rome. Unfurling the blanket over my body I wriggle and twist, being extra careful not to show anything despite the dim light, to get out of my tunic and breeches. I push the clothes out from under the blanket toward her.

She scoops them up. "Under britches too."

I roll my eyes. "I'm getting there."

Out they go too. With my clothes rolled together under an arm Rosa heads off toward the sound of the burbling water. Thankfully, after moving a couple of pesky stones and branches, the dry earth beneath me is relatively smooth. Keeping the blanket tucked tight around me I settle down the trunk until I am laying flat. Staring up through the dark branches I feel the night breeze and listen to crackle of fire and low voices from the camp nearest to us. My the tightness of my muscles and joints gradually fade away. I knew it wouldn't take me long to fall asleep tonight.

Just minutes later I lift my head to watch as my slave returns from washing my clothes.

"Gods!" She gasps as I see the outline of her limber form tip-toe through the bushes with a big bundle of wet clothes in her arms. Watching her lean silhouette move against the dim moonlit landscape it takes me a second to realize…she was naked! "I'm f-freezing." She chatters. "Heat I can handle, the cold I am not so good with." Hurriedly she hangs one garment after another over the lower branches of the tree.

"You bathed?" I exclaim, then notice it wasn't just my wet clothes she was hanging. "Wait…you washed your clothes too?" I ask. "I thought you'd do yours in the morning. You don't have anything dry to sleep in."

"I guess you'll have to let me under your blanket, we only have the one. You won't leave me shivering out here will you?"

"Rosa!"

"Besides, I hate sleeping alone." She says through her chattering teeth. "Especially out here."

"Rosa, Rosa no." I mutter. I was naked. She was naked. And she wanted crawl in under here with me! My blanket was meant for one, there wasn't exactly a lot of space under here. Hindsight being clear, I now wished I had traded that wine for another blanket. I scramble for a solution but none was presenting itself.

She hangs her shorts, the last of the garments, then scampers back toward me. "Lemme in, lemme in. Brrrr!" The next thing I knew my naked slave was knelt beside me and tugging at the edge of my cover. "Lemme in!"

With no other option I relent and let her under the blanket with me. I try to make room but Rosa was on me immediately. She actually climbs on top of me, straddling my legs, and presses her chest into mine. She clings to me, maximizing skin to skin contact and trying to absorb my heat into her shivering little body. "Ahhhh." She sighs as the warmth of my body and the blanket settle into her.

I lay frozen in place. I couldn't see a thing but I felt…everything. Chest to chest. Belly to belly. Her knees at my sides and her inner thighs pressing in on my hips. Her supple skin was warm and still damp from the river. Her small breasts were so soft yet her nipples stiff from the cool. And most unnerving of all…her dick and balls, tight and shrunken from her cold bath, are mashed directly against my own.

"Mmmm." She sighs happily. "Isn't this nice?"

"Rosa…"

Her body relaxes into mine, my own body was taut as drum. "Shhh. Be calm. It's okay." She says.

"R-Rosa…w-we can't…"

"I know." She whispers. "Don't worry Quin. I know we can't make love. I understand you can't do that with someone like me. I'm not expecting that. Please…just relax. Feel how nice this is. Enjoy it. It's going to be okay."

"Rosa…I c-c-can't…" I try to control it but my breathing was rapid and shallow as the instinct of fight or flight seizes hold of me.

"You're safe Quin. Shhhh. I'm not going to do anything you don't want. Shhhh." She turns her head and rests it against my chest, her freshly pointed horn scrapes briefly across my chin sending ripples of tingles out from spot it touched. She pets me and soothes me. "It's okay. Everything is okay."

"No…no it's not okay. I'll…I'll sleep in my wet clothes."

"And catch a cold. No you will not. Be calm, be still."

My cheeks burn with a furious blush as between us, completely beyond my control, my manhood began to respond to the feelings of the beautiful woman pressed and moving against me. "Rosa. I…I…"

"Quin." She says in a calm smooth voice. "Listen to me. Listen to my voice."

"I-I can hear you."

"Good, now shhhh. Breathe. Relax. Close your eyes. Everything is going to be okay, I promise."

"B-but…"

Rising up off of my chest she grips my shoulders in her hands and leans her weight into them, pinning me to the ground with all the strength she had. The cool night air rushes in between our bodies. Such was the dark I could only see her shape but I knew her vibrant magenta eyes were staring down at me intensely. "Quin." Her voice is firm now, full of confidence and authority. "Listen!"

"Yes!" I gasp.

"Slow down. Breathe. Close your eyes."

"Okay….okay." All those feelings of shame and pride I had during the day were but vague memories now. I seize onto her controlled assured tone like a rope thrown to a drowning man. Though I knew I'd regret it in the morning I had no will nor desire to resist my slave's commands. My only instinct was to obey. Rosa had me now and she was going to make everything okay. Closing my eyes I focus everything on slowing my panting breath.

"Are your eyes closed?"

"Yes."

"Good boy." She says more gently, yet still with that same stern authority. "That's good. Keep focusing on your breathing. Atta boy. Just like that. You're doing so good."

"Breathe. Calm."

After giving me a moment she continues. "Now, I want you to tuck your hands in under your butt Quin."

"Why?"

"Do it." She whispers.

"Yes." Keeping my eyes closed I lift my bottom up off of the ground and slide my hands beneath my butt. I slowly let my weight back down again, my firm buttocks presses hard down into my flattened hands. I could easily pull them free but my hands were now pinned under me with both our weight on top of them. "I did it."

"Good." She says approvingly. "That's it. You listen so well. You're such a good boy."

She goes quiet, her hands still pushing down on my shoulders, and waits. Crazy as it was…these things really were having an incredible effect. I felt so much better. About everything. My heartbeat was slowing and my breath was returning to normal. The stress in both body and mind melting away to disappear into the dark night.

"Are your eyes still closed?"

"Yes." I whisper.

"Good." She says as she lays back down on top of me and I welcome the weight on top of me. Her hot breath washes over the side of my neck. "Now I want you to use your imagination. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

"Good. I want you imagine that your wrists are bound behind your back. I want you to imagine your ankles are tied together." Unconsciously my feet come together so my ankles touched. I could actually feel the ropes binding my ankles and my wrists as keenly as the earth beneath my body. "I have you tied down. I am lying with you tonight. You have no control, no choice. I am doing it whether you want it or not." Her voice is so soft yet I hear each word with perfect clarity. "I want you to imagine you are completely helpless. You cannot escape. You are at my mercy Quin."

My cock surges. "I'm sorry." I peep meekly.

"You're getting hard. That's okay. It's natural." She says. "I'll probably get hard too. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a beautiful thing."

I take in a deep breath, hold it, and then as I release it so to do I release every anxious bit of worry and shame I had been holding onto. I am calm. A type of deep calmness I'd never felt before. My breath is deep and slow, my muscles slack, and a strange type of peace descends over me. All my life women had made me so unsure of myself and nervous, yet here I was with a gorgeous naked girl on top of me feeling completely at peace. Miraculously, in just a matter of minutes, Rosa had lifted every care in the world off of my soul. The only part of me not in a state of calm was my now raging hard-on that flexed against her soft belly.

"This feels…good." I whisper. Letting out another long breath I cannot help but smile. "This feels so good."

"Yes. It does." Rosa replies. Alongside my rock hard cock I could feel Rosa's dick swelling as well.

Chapter 17: Cuddling

Chapter Text

Laying beneath the old carob tree, arms pinned beneath me, I settle into a wonderful state of tranquility. Honestly, the only thing that could have made it better were if the ropes I was imagining around my wrists and ankles were actually there. Tranquil as I was though, by the gods I had never been harder! Passion burned through my veins.

"Rosa." I whisper.

"No." She says firmly, seeming to read my mind.

"No?"

"Cupid has you under his spell." She says. "I will not have you feeling bad about yourself all day tomorrow for a moment of pleasure tonight. I learned that lesson after our first night together."

"But…"

"No." She says again in a tone that told me there would be no argument. "We need to find peace between us and you need to come to grips with a few things before I pleasure you again."

She was right of course. When the morning light shone and the eyes of the gods and the world could see me again, those feelings of guilt and shame would come flooding back. My will might have been as weak as a frayed thread but Rosa's was rock solid. As much as I wanted relief I was so thankful for her strength and her care for my well being. Her denial made me feel like I was in safe hands.

"Thank you." I say.

"You're welcome." She says. As we lay there her dick slowly grows alongside mine, her balls rest on mine. "Mmmm. Now that you're relaxed, isn't this nice?"

"Oh yes. So nice." I confess. Having a woman's soft body pressed against mine, even an Amazon woman, was…well…it was simply wonderful. My imaginary bondage giving me no choice but to relax and accept my situation I found there was nothing I didn't like about this embrace. She felt good, she smelled good, everything was good. "Rosa, can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I'm…I'm a virgin."

"Mmm." She hugs me tight. "I know. I figured that out. But thank you for telling me."

"It was that obvious?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

She chuckles and gives me playful pinch. "For what?"

"I…I don't know."

"Mmm, just relax my boy." She coos as she kisses my neck. "I've got you now. Nobody can see us here. It's just you and me. You don't need to feel self conscious or embarrassed. You can be yourself. I've got you Quin."

She had me. Her words felt as nice as her weight on top of me. I pull with my arms just hard enough so that they wouldn't come free, imagining that it was the bonds Rosa had put on me holding me in place. I was so helpless, so wonderfully secure in Rosa's experienced care. With aching rigidity my dick flexes and presses up into her tummy.

"My goodness you're excited."

"I'm sorry!"

"Stop apologizing my boy. It's okay. It's flattering. It's cute!" She giggles lightly and gives her still growing organ a little flex. "I'm pretty excited myself." She lets out long sigh. "Having a big strong obedient boy beneath me…mmmmm, it does things for me." Her body writhes as her dick lurches and swells some more. "You feel so damn good."

"You feel good too!"

"Mmmm."

"Rosa."

"I told you no Quin." She says, reading my trepidatious tone.

I let out a frustrated snort. Gods I was so fucking horny! "I was going to say, you don't have to touch me but, if you want to pleasure yourself I…I wouldn't mind."

"I bet you wouldn't." She teases. "No, not tonight. Tonight I just want to cuddle."

"Okay."

"Besides, if you want to see me pleasured you'll have to beg a lot better than that."

"Beg?"

"You heard me."

"Oh gods! You want me to beg? I'll…"

"Shhhh." She shushes me. "I told you. We're just cuddling tonight. Be still my boy."

We lay quiet for a long time. Resting but not yet falling asleep, just enjoying the warmth and feel of each other's bodies. Soon Rosa's member was hard as mine, the two shafts laying parallel against each other between our bellies. Her right hand slowly and tenderly caresses me. Feeling the shape of my chest, tracing the muscles of my shoulder and arm, running up the edge of my lean muscled abdomen.

"You have an incredible body." She says as if it were a matter of fact.

Not knowing quite how to reply I just say. "You too."

"Mmmm." She hums as she twists and shifts against me, the sensual thrust of her motions telling me she was every bit as worked up as I was. As she moves, as her shaft slides along beside mine, I notice something.

"Rosa!" I gasp at a hush. "Are you…are you bigger than…!?"

"Shhhh." She places a finger on my lips.

I didn't need her to tell me though. I could feel the hard throbbing answer pressing against my stomach. The shaft to left of mine was noticeably fatter. Our balls were touching and I could feel her further up my belly. And when she moved I could feel the crease of her foreskin at the edge of her flared knob brush past my exposed tip. Height wise I towered over her and I outweighed her by probably a good hundred pounds or more, yet down below my petite slave girl was longer, thicker, just plain bigger.

"Nnnngh!" Again my dick surges with restrained potency. I could feel a spot of wetness, precum oozing from my tip, touch my body and hers and smear around. My hips, moving with a mind of their own, begin to thrust.

"Stop." She tells me flatly.

I stop but still the pressure builds on its own. In time with my heartbeat my dick rhythmically bucks and flexes against my will. "Ohhh."

"You don't have permission to cum." She tells me.

"Wh-what!?"

"You heard me Quin. I told you already. You don't get to cum tonight."

"If you just let me…AH!" With one of her sharp little fangs she had nipped my nipple! The bite stung my sensitive nip and sent a wave of titillating tingles radiating out from it. It hurt, but in a good way. I'd never felt that before. My cock twitches hard. My steadily dribbling precum now smeared all over the area past my tip. "Ohhhh!"

"Behave." She warns. "I said no. Do not cum."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Her weight on me, her control of me, my hands pinned under me, that stern tone in her voice and my obedience to it, the hot prickle of pain still on my nipple, the incredible sensation of my hard cock alongside hers sandwiched between her belly and mine, it was all feeling so good. Her telling me not to cum only made it more likely to happen!

"Oh gods!" I gasp.

"Don't cum!" She hisses. "You don't have permission. You hear me boy? Don't you dare cum without me telling you to."

"Mmmmmm!" I whimper. "I want toooo."

"No! Control yourself Quin." She urges me as she goes very still and clings tight to me. "Hold it back. Hold it!"

Pushing back with all I had I am somehow able to keep my orgasm at bay. After a few breathless moments with Rosa holding everything still the pressure gradually ebbs away. I let out a long breath and my body relaxes. "Hohhhh."

"Good boy!" She says proudly.

"Good." I echo back.

"That was too close. I think I'd better stop teasing you." She shifts to left to lay along my side then lackadaisically traces a finger through the slick precum on my belly. Her finger glides through the ooze in lazy circles and swirls. "If you are very good, maybe some night soon I'll let you bust your nut for me." She brings the finger to her lips and sucks the tip clean. "Would you like that Quin?"

"Yes!" I say. "Yes! I'll be good."

"Yes you will." She says. "Because you're a good boy."

"Yes." My voice is barely a whisper.

"I didn't hear you Quin."

I pull my arms again, reminding myself of her power over me. Gods how I wished I had real ropes holding me. "Yes. Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I'm…I'm…I'm a good boy."

"Ohhhh." She croons happily as she strokes her fingers down my cheek. "There it is. You worried me with all that manly man talk earlier. Yes, you are a good boy."

"I'm…I'm…" My voice dies in my throat as tears begin to well up.

"What is it?" She encourages me. "What's wrong?"

I let out a little gulping gasp. "I'm…ashamed. I'm ashamed of myself."

"Noooo." She soothes and strokes. "No, no, no. Don't you be ashamed my boy. Not with me. Not about this. With me you don't have to hide anything."

"Men…men like my father…"

"Shhhh." Crawling up my body she comes to cradle my head between her bare breasts. She holds me close and combs her fingers through my hair. "I've known my share of soldiers over the years, generals and officers mostly. Strong, brave, ambitious, responsible, hard fighting men. In the privacy of my bed chambers their true nature was revealed. The stronger the man the more he needs a strong woman." Her voice is so smooth and exuded such control, I couldn't believe this incredible woman was also the spunky little cutie I'd been traveling with. Arms cradling my head close she oh so tenderly pets me and coddles me and nuzzles my hair as one would their own precious child. My ear against her chest the thrum of her strong steady heartbeat lulls me to a dreamy calm. I cannot even describe the deep joy this all brings me. By her contented coos and sighs I sense she was getting as much out of this as I was. Then, with a warm wet smooch to my forehead, she says. "Let's get some sleep."

"Rosa…"

"Shhh. No more talking tonight."

"Okay."

Her hand slides down over my shoulder to rub my arm. "How are your arms? Are your hands going numb?"

"My hands feel fine." Not entirely the truth as I did have a few tingles in my fingertips, but not a lie either. "Please don't…please, let me stay like this."

"Okay Quin. Just a little longer then." She yawns and kisses the top of my head. "When they get uncomfortable you may pull them free."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She cuddles in closer, her stiff cock jabbing into my armpit, and pulls the blanket up to cover her shoulder. She doesn't see my feet poke out from the bottom into the open air, and I don't say a thing about it. I didn't want her to change a thing. Denied sexual release my body is a bundle of swirling passions yet somehow my mind floats above it. My eyes closed I drink in every detail as I lay there held in her arms drifting off to sleep. The babbling of the nearby river, the sigh of the breeze through the branches above us, the smells of dying campfires and green vegetation wafting by, the sounds of our breathing, the cold ground beneath me contrasted with the cozy heat radiating from Rosa, her soft breast against my cheek, the rhythm of her heart…

Chapter 18: A Rough Start to the Day

Chapter Text

I wake up the next morning with my head still nestled into Rosa, using my warm little slave like a pillow. She was now on her back with me curled up beside her under the nook of her arm. My hand rests on her opposite hip, her skin was so silky soft. Her chest slowly rises and falls with her breath. What a wonderful way to wake up!

I keep my eyes closed, trying to hold onto this lovely hazy half-sleep for as long as I could. The harder I tried to deny it though the more awake I became. And with wakefulness comes awareness of where I was, who I was with, and what we were doing.

Was anybody watching us? I couldn't hear anything but the nearest other camp was just a stones throw away. Could they see me curled up in such a submissive pose? With an Amazon slave no less! These people would think me twisted.

As sleep evaporates and unwelcome clarity intrudes into my joy I am suddenly hyper conscious of the fact that I was naked. Rosa was naked. Both of us nude and touching each other. Unlike last night, when Rosa talked me down from my panic and made me think I was bound up and under her control, I knew I was free. That wonderful security of my fantasized bondage and Rosa's strong confident voice seemed but a dream now. With freedom came the now familiar waves of crippling shame and doubt and regret.

Worse yet comes recollection. As I reflect back on everything that happened after Rosa returned from the river the emotions of the memories begin to erode like a castle of sand to the tide. Warm feelings start to be questioned. Actions and words seen and heard now with a sober mind. And then the questions came. Had she been…mocking me last night? Toying with me for her own amusement? Seeing what she could make me do just for sport? Had she been secretly laughing at my simpering weakness and obedience? Why had I had gone along with it? Why did I enjoy it!? Was she testing me? If she was I certainly failed. All my life I'd been taught what a real man was…and those things I did last night were the total opposite of that virtuous ideal. My mother would have been so disappointed by my weakness. What my father would have thought of his son touching penis to penis with an Amazon prostitute while also submitting to her without even a fight I dared not even think about.

Speaking of disappointment, did I disappoint Rosa? Was I too small? I now knew I was smaller than her, how humiliating! Did almost cumming like I did make her think less of me? I imagined that never happened with those great generals and senators she'd been with. What could a woman like her possibly see in a poor virginal country boy like me? Was she using me for another end?

I had almost convinced myself of Rosa's cruel conniving nature, chalking it up to her cursed Amazon blood. But…what was I really basing that on beyond the prejudices I'd been raised with? What had she actually done to make me suspect her of being so terrible? Was I being like that scared hateful farmer's wife who cast us out? Such nasty thoughts as the ones I had didn't seem like the Rosa I knew at all. She had been nothing but wonderful since the moment I met her. She told me not to be ashamed and last night I believed her. Why should I doubt her now? She held me and soothed me when she didn't have to. Why doubt her after the fact? If it was my debasement she was after she could have made me do so much more last night, I had been completely under her spell, yet all we did was cuddle.

I didn't know what to think anymore. Rosa was right. I needed to make peace with a few things before my spirit was torn into pieces.

Moving very gingerly I slip back and out of from the blanket, being extra careful not to expose Rosa even for an instant. I get to my hands and knees and cast my nervous eyes about for any onlookers. I could hear some motion and the crackle of a fresh fire some way off but nothing close by. I get to my feet and brush the dirt and leaves from my body. When my hands reach my stomach I feel the flaking crust of dried precum and frantically wipe the shameful evidence off of me. Quickly and quietly I find my clothes where Rosa had hung them then pad down toward the water for a quick washing up and getting dressed. Back under the tree Rosa is curled up under the wide boughs of the carob tree sleeping soundly, her peaceful expression looking angelic in the gentle morning light. I knew I shouldn't, but I feel bad seeing her like this. Sleeping on the bare ground out in the open. I wished I had more to offer her.

Needing something to occupy me I wander down the trail toward the sound of activity. It was coming from the largest of the various camps, a group traders from the same town traveling together to take their wares to the capital I surmised. I am greeted as I approach and I greet them back. After a polite but noticeably cool back and forth I get to why I'd come.

"Say, I was wondering if I could take a bit of your fire." I say in a friendly tone. "I was going to try my luck at some fishing." I look around the camp. "Although, if you folks have something that needs doing I'd happily put in some work for a half dozen of those eggs and a bit of bread." I nod over toward the table they had set up to prepare their breakfast.

"Pff!" A gruff looking heavy set man sitting at the fire picking the meat off of a roast squab scoffs. "A beggar? Out here? What is this Empire coming to? Everyone expecting a handout."

I grit my teeth but try to remain polite. "I'm not begging. I'm a farmer, I don't expect anything for free. I was just asking if you had work that needs doing."

"Heh! Nothing you can help us with." Popping a wing in his mouth he rolls it around and sucks the meat from the bones. "Your slave girl though." He mumbles with his mouthful.

My whole body tenses up. "What about her?"

"She's a pretty little thing." He spits the bones into the fire then asks bluntly. "She don't look like much use for honest work. Is she a pleasure slave?"

"Excuse me?"

"A whore. Is she a whore? You her pimp? Me and the boys have been on the road for awhile now and could use a bit of fun."

"She's not a…a whore."

There are a few groans of disappointment among them. This was clearly something they had talked about. That realization set me ill at ease and reminded me how vulnerable the pair of us were out here.

"Nah, she's a whore alright. Titus there said he only saw one bedroll over there this morning. I bet she serves her master real good, eh?" I feel a blush rise as a ripple or laughter runs through the group of men. Someone had seen us sleeping together! "Come, come boy. Don't be greedy now. Share some that fine demon pussy with the rest of us."

As I sputter with indignation one of the other quips. "I bet her pubes match her hair. Ha! Imagine it boys, a purple and pink bush. I bet she's a wild one!"

"She's not a whore!"

"Hrm." The man at the fire grunts. "Would you consider it this once? We could take up a collection. Tidy little profit for just an hour or two? You wouldn't have to do a thing." He chuckles with a creepy leering grin. "We'd even throw in the eggs and bread for free."

"Fuck you!" I give him and the rest a rude gesture. "To Orcus with all of you!"

There are a few laughs around the camp. "Hrm." He says, not bothered even slightly by my anger. "Shame that." Then, waving me away as if I were some serving boy, he says. "We don't need anything. Be on your way now beggar boy."

I stand frozen with impotent anger, fists clenched at my sides. Had this man been by himself I would have throttled the bastard, but he had a crew behind him and I had nobody but Rosa. And involving Rosa in anything like this was the LAST thing I wanted to do. I spin on my heel and march back to camp swearing under my breath the whole way. I had never been so insulted in my life!

Sitting on the grass just beyond the canopy of the tree I stew in my indignation. I had woken up so happy but it had quickly turned into an absolutely wretched morning. My shame and doubt on reflecting back to last night, the humiliating encounter with the men, just…everything seemed wrong. And I was starting to miss home too. Loved ones, safety, community, knowing what was expected of me, a good roof and a warm bed. I knew my place there. The more I looked at our sad little camp beneath the tree only made me more upset. No wonder that man thought me a beggar. Look at the state of us! A shared blanket, no bedroll, no tent, no donkey to carry our load, and just a single pack of meager belongings. I was indistinguishable from a common vagrant.

With the sky brightening it is not long before my slave rouses from her slumber. She slowly opens her eyes and spots me sitting about ten feet away. A lovely smile graces her visage.

"Good morning Master!" Rosa chirps as she sits up with a big sleepy grin, she is careful to keep the blanket over her body. She takes a deep breath and rubs her eyes. Gone was the smooth voiced dominant woman from last night, in her place my cute cheerful slave had returned. Seeing her usual personality helped to put me at ease, as if what happened last night had been with another woman entirely. "Not so hot today it seems." She says as she looks around. "A bit cloudy."

"Uh, yeah." I mumble. "I think it'll be a good day to travel."

"Mmmm!" She stretches and rubs the back of her neck. "I slept so good, thanks to you. Thank you for cuddling with me."

"I slept good too." I confess.

"Mmm, I'm glad." She says. "Hey, what's up? You seem down."

"Rosa." I say as I stare down at my hands, rubbing them together. "I…I just…"

"What is it?"

"I promise you. We won't always be living like this. When we get to my land…once we get settled…we'll have a proper home. You won't have to sleep on the ground. You'll never have to sleep on the ground again. I promise. I'll get you proper clothes and a proper bed in your own room. This isn't who I am Rosa. None of this. This isn't me."

She looks at me a moment, studying my expression, then says. "I know that." Her bright voice was filled with a resounding optimism, showing faith in me that I did not deserve. She hadn't a clue just how out of my depth I really was out here on my own. "We're going to look back at these days and laugh. You'll see Master."

I stand and turn away from her so that she could get dressed. My eyes scan the bushes for any peeping neighbors. Behind me I can hear Rosa rise, brush herself down, and pull her clothes from the branches. Soon after she comes up beside me and slips her arm around my waist.

"You're upset. What happened? It isn't last night, is it?"

"No." I stare into distance. "That camp over there. Those men. I thought I might do a bit of work for our breakfast. They thought I was beggar! I've never begged for anything."

"Not yet." She quips.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, of course I do."

"They thought…they thought I was a p-pimp. A pimp!"

"You!?" She giggles. "A pimp? That's hilarious!"

"They wanted you Rosa."

"Hmmm." She hums as if thinking about it. "That would take care of our money problems for awhile."

"Rosa."

"Did they look wealthy? How many were there? Did they want me one at a time or all together?"

"Rosa!"

"I'm joking." She titters as she leans her head in my chest, her sharp horn jabbing my rib. As I flinch she pulls back. "Ha! Sorry, forgot they were sharp." She gives me a shake. "Lighten up Master. I'm never going back to that life if I can help it. I've got you to look after me now."

"Yeah." I say, doubting my ability to live up to her expectations. "I'll try."

"We'll be okay. Have some faith."

"They saw us." I say glumly. "They saw us lying together. They saw! We shouldn't do that anymore."

"Aw, don't say that Master."

"But they saw!"

"This morning or last night?"

"This morning."

"Then they only saw us sleeping. No harm in that." Patting my chest she says. "And who cares what a bunch of horny merchants think? Don't let them get to you Master. We don't need anything from those people. We've made it this far on our own, right?"

"Yeah…you're right."

"Damn right I'm right. Hey, there's a bit of bread left. Let's eat and get you shaved. I want to get back on the road!" She hurries back for the pack to find the crusts of leftover bread. "The sooner we get home the better."

"Home." I repeat under my breath. Despite myself I cannot help but grin. Rosa was such a ray of sunshine it was impossible not to. The morning didn't seem nearly so wretched anymore. We make short work of the bread and soon I am with my back against the trunk of the tree. Shaving me was one of Rosa's hard won duties and I wasn't about to deny her that despite how weird it still felt to be pampered like this.

She straddles my legs and sits down facing me, razor sharpened and at the ready. We didn't have a bowl of hot water or towel today but everything else was the same. She tilts my head up and I rest it back against the tree. I close my eyes so that I could avoid eye contact, it was getting a bit easier with her but it still made me squirm. She then rubs the oil into my skin in that oh so nice way she had.

"I can't believe they thought you were a pimp." She chuckles. "You of all people. A bit dim, weren't they?"

"Yeah, probably. Definitely assholes."

She brings the razor to my face and deftly scrapes the blade down my stubbly cheek in a smooth even stroke. "Would have been funny though."

"What's that?"

"Seeing their faces."

"Their faces?"

"Seeing their faces when I whipped my dick out."

"Pfffft!"

"Sorry boys. No refunds."

"Ha ha ha!"

"Don't laugh!" She giggles. "I don't want to cut you. Stay still Master."

"Oh gods, I can imagine it. You getting them all hot and horny with a dance or something, then…bam. Out comes your big…thing. Ha!"

"Quit laughing." She shaves along my neck in short controlled motions. "And please don't call me big and don't call it a thing. It's rude. I quite like my lady dick thank you. I think it's…elegant."

"Sorry. It's just…bigger than mine." Just saying that makes me blush. It was a new thing for me being able to talk about stuff like this with another person. "I wasn't expecting that."

She pauses the shave. I open my eyes to see her gazing at me with a funny look about her. Batting her big magenta eyes she says in a sweet innocent voice. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a little slave girl. Master's cock is so much bigger."

I furrow my brow, looking at her puzzled. "Rosa…it was…it was pretty obvious."

"Yes it was." She agrees. "By the gods you had big fucking cock. Best you keep it hidden. Jupiter himself would be jealous! And we know that never ends well for mortals."

"Rosa…?"

"My big strong Master has a big beautiful powerful cock." She insists, her eyes slowly rise to stare into mine. "The biggest I've ever felt." She whispers. "If I'm honest…it kinda scared me a little."

"Rosa?"

"Don't you believe me Master?" Her eyes widen and her pointed ears droop low. "Please believe me."

"I…I, uh…" I had no idea why she was lying, but she was absolutely intent about it. "Okay, if you say so."

"I do say so." She smiles, her ears perk up, and she happily returns to shaving me. "I know my cocks."

Crazy as it was, despite knowing the fact of the matter, I almost believed her!

Chapter 19: A Fork in the Road

Chapter Text

That day's travel was the best yet. We were starting to find a rhythm now. A couple of hours travel then stop at a town to let Rosa play her flute. Then a couple of hours more travel and we stop so that I could lend a hand with a broken wagon wheel, which earned me a few coins. A few more hours on the road then a drink and a rest. And the final stretch of the day where I would carry Rosa and I could go full out, spending what energy I had left into putting as many miles behind us as I could.

A good portion of the day was spent traveling close to the coast. While we rarely saw the sea we did see plenty of shore birds and could smell the briny aroma on the air. The fresh wind coming in off of the water combined with the cloudy sky made the temperature nearly ideal for a ideal day of hiking, ideal for me that is. As she'd mentioned to me Rosa didn't do well with the cool. During this stretch she had her caplet pulled in tight around her, though it still left her legs exposed. When she pulled her hood up I nearly bust a seam.

I looked over at her to see that the hood on her hurriedly crafted capelet formed a long high point when worn up. Between the conical hood, her bare legs, and her pointed ears she looked just like the drawings of pixie creatures my father brought back with him from the Celtic lands far to the North. The sight of it struck me as funny, coming out of the blue like it had. Oh how I laughed!

"What?" She asked, unsure of whether to join in or be offended. "What's so funny?"

The ways she tilted her head in puzzlement only made it better. I just pointed at her head and continued to guffaw.

She reached up to feel the point of her hood then said with a sulk. "I had to make this quick you know. It's hardly my best work." Rolling her eyes she giggled and slapped my arm. "You are a silly boy!"

The absolute best part of the day was watching my slave gradually open up to reveal more of her true self. She wasn't afraid anymore, afraid that I might beat her or sell her or cast her away. She knew me better than that now. We were becoming more comfortable with each other with each passing hour. She was still the lively woman I'd come to know but more of the details of her personality were being filled in. I discovered she had a wicked sense of humor and was not afraid to use foul language. As we walked I continued to marvel at the fact that this bubbly slave girl and the assertive woman that had held me last night were one in the same.

That night, with the money we'd been able to scrape together throughout the day, we were able to afford a hot meal and roof over our head. It turned out to be a mixed blessing. The hospitium, the only one we could find that allowed slaves in with their master's, was the seediest dive I'd ever been in. Not that I'd been in many. It was loud and raucous well into the night as the men and women drank too much wine and told bawdy tales. While Rosa kept up a brave facade at one point she leaned over to me and whispered. "Don't leave me alone here, even for a moment." Needless to say I stayed right by her side. The shared common room we slept in was warm and dry and we each had a mattress and blanket of our own, but the scurrying bugs and loud snoring of the other patrons did not make for the most restful of nights. The next morning we both agreed that our money could have been better spent.

Day five continued on much as the previous one though the elements were starting to become an issue. The weather cooled more, unseasonably so, and a light rain began to fall just past midday. We soldier on though, we had so many miles yet to travel.

It is late in the day when we are passing through the city of Capua and reach the fork in the Appian that connects with the road leading South to Neapolis, Pompeii, and beyond. Her head down against the rain Rosa continues on for a few steps not noticing I had paused to stare at the sign.

"Master?" She turns to look back at me.

Traffic bustles around me as I stare. I look to my right. Southward. The road leading back to my family home. Thus far in our journey I had been walking back over the route I had taken to get to the capital. But here, in this spot, one more step toward my uncle's inheritance meant I would be traveling into lands I'd never seen before nor stepped foot in. Though I had made my decision weeks ago to do this, it was only now that my choice truly felt…real. I could feel Fortuna's eyes on me, watching to see which way I turn. This was it. This was my moment of destiny. My next step would be irrevocable and set the course for the rest of my life.

All I had to do is turn right and I could go home again. Home. Back to the farm. Back to my life. I could sell the land I'd inherited or even abandon it. As I stare Southward, in my mind's eye I can see the familiar landscape of my childhood, I can see the faces of my friends and loved ones, I could feel that sense of belonging. Grandpa didn't think I could do this on my own, he was probably right. It would be so much easier for me back there. Mom would be disappointed but she'd understand and be so happy to see me again. They would all welcome me home with open arms, especially her. Ohhh, I could almost smell the stew that Mom would have simmering on the kitchen stove right this minute.

"Master?" My slave's voice snaps me out of my trance. I look to my left where the Appian Way stretched out Eastward into the unknown. The long smooth stone road had never looked more intimidating. And yet, there on the side of the road, my petite magenta eyed slave girl beckons me to follow. She looks so small there on the road alone. She is cold and soaked to the bone, water dripping steadily from the sagging point of her hood, but there wasn't a hint of quit in her vibrant eyes. She reaches a pale slender hand out from her capelet and holds it out toward me. "Come along Master." She says with a warm smile. "Home is waiting for us."

So she commands, so I obey. With bold unfaltering steps I walk up and take my place beside her to continue our journey together. She slips her hand into mine and onward we walk. It is late in the day yet I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. The moment of truth had come and the choice was made. For weal or for woe only the gods knew, but it was done. Feeling as energized I did I knew we would make good time tonight once Rosa let me carry her.

Squeezing my hand Rosa peers back over her shoulder. "What was that about? Did you want to go see Neapolis?"

My gaze fixed on the road ahead I shake my head. "I thought I saw something from my past. I was mistaken." I take in a big deep breath and let it out in a puff. "Hahhh." I look to the sky and let the cool rain patter against my face. "This is a good day. I can feel it. Don't you think so? Yes. It is a very good day."

Rosa chuckles and hugs close to my arm. "If you say so Master."

Chapter 20: Any Port in a Storm

Chapter Text

We had left the city and were back onto the open road within the hour. I walk with renewed purpose and Rosa couldn't help but notice.

"You're in a good mood."

"Sure I am." I say. "What's there to there to be glum about? Like I said, this is a good day."

"Well I'll certainly be happier when we're warm and snug under the blanket." She says. "I hope we can find a place out of the rain."

At the mention of being under the blanket carnal memories of the night before come flooding into my mind. Not recollections of thoughts or ideas but of raw sensations. Skin against skin. Warm bodies. Hands touching me. The smell of a woman. The softness of her hair. The sound of a heartbeat.

"Rosa. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you ever…" I say softly. "Do you…ever wish you weren't…the way you are?"

"An Amazon?"

"Yeah."

"When I was little I would fantasize about it. But no, I am who I am."

"But…" I try to think of a proper way to say the things I wanted to say.

"Go on."

"But, don't you just want curse the gods? Denying you a happy life. A normal life. Denying you freedom. Taking away the chance to find a husband. Denying you a chance to bear children. How can you accept that? It seems…cruel."

There is a moment's silence as she weighs her answer. "Did the gods do all that? I've never met a god, not that I know of. I've seen people. Lots of people. People with hate in their hearts and fear clouding their mind. People who write unjust laws. People who blame others for their own ills. I'm not so sure what you're talking about is the work of the gods."

"But…it's a curse. Everyone knows that."

"A whole race of cursed people?" She shakes her head. "That doesn't make sense to me. I've spoken to people who have been to Themiscyra. They said it was much the same as it is here. They work, they worship, they love their families, all the same as us."

"But…they're savages! They capture women. They kill or enslave any man who enters their realm."

"You don't say." She holds up her branded hand to look down at the rose that scarred her flesh.

"But that's…different." My voice fades. "Isn't it?"

"Is it? Listen. This is the fate I was given Quin. It's mine and I accept that. Denying it would only fester inside of me and rot my soul. I've seen it happen with people. It is a terrible thing." She pats my chest. "And as to becoming a mother? I suspect your storybook image of Amazons is incomplete."

"I don't understand."

"You will."

We walk on in silence for a time, the steady pit-a-pat of the rain on stone and leaf gradually getting louder. With rising concern I look to the North and the dark clouds looming beyond the high hills. If the rain got any worse we were going to have to find some cover. But it wasn't so bad yet, hopefully the worst would miss us.

"May I carry you Rosa?"

She gives my hand a squeeze. "Not yet. Soon."

"Rosa?"

"Yes?"

"I know I'm the master but…I like it…how you let me do things for you."

"I know."

Our feet slap along the wet stone as I summon the courage to speak again. "I liked rubbing your feet. I like carrying you. I like…when you…tell me what to do. But…I don't understand why."

"Why does there have to be a why?"

My voice hushed I confess. "I like how you held me down the other night. Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad." I give her a quick glance to see she is smiling.

"You said…you said other men like those things?"

"Yes." She answers. "It's not so unusual, just nobody talks about it. And I like those things too Quin."

There it was. The switch from 'Master' to 'Quin'. Despite the cold wet weather a hot desire warmed me from within. "I…I enjoyed lying with you."

"Mmm, that was nice. Wasn't it?"

"I…I like the things we did."

"Oh? What things?"

I swallow as my cheeks burn with blush. "It's hard to talk about."

"Take your time."

Before I could think of a response the wind suddenly whips up into stiff gusts that buffet us from the left. Soon after comes a roll of distant thunder. The dark sky was becoming downright menacing. It was clear now that a storm was heading our way, and fast!

"Shit." I say, looking to the North. "I was hoping that would blow past us. Boreas has other plans. We have to find shelter." I scan the patchy blotches of foliage high up on the hills around us, they wouldn't be much use. The floor of the valley itself was dominated by flat fields of grain and rows of orchard crops. There were no caves in the hills that I could see and it had been over an hour since we passed a bridge we might hide under. There weren't even any villas or traveler camps visible. "Shit!"

"Eeee!" Rosa squeaks as a hard gust slams into us, knocking her back a step and forcing her capelet to flap out behind her. Grabbing it she pulls it back around her body and holds it closed with both hands. "It's cold!"

I feel a powerful instinct to help her…but how? There was nothing to be done out here. We had to keep moving.

"Come on. Stay close" I shout as I lean into to the wind and forge my way forward. Rosa falls in behind me, allowing me to breath the gusts for her. Squinting against the rain I keep looking for any place that might shield us even a bit from the storm.

I was starting to lose hope when I spot a grouping of about a dozen small shacks situated between two fields. "Slave quarters." I point. Without another word we make our way toward the buildings.

The cool wind and rain lashes against me, chilling me deeply. Normally I would have had my cloak on in this weather but I'd lost that days ago when Rosa made her outfit, an outfit far more suited to summer heat than this. If I was cold I couldn't imagine how Rosa must be feeling right now. Another rumble of thunder. Not long after we see our first flash of lightning. My eyes locked on my target I keep going. As soon as we were off the road the waterlogged earth squelches under my feet like a wet sponge. Kneeling down I wave Rosa onto my back. She hops on without argument. Through ankle deep puddles and sucking mud I stride for the shacks. I was relieved when we arrived to find the buildings up on a rise with solid earth beneath. I set Rosa down on the good footing and continue on.

We walk to the first building I could see light coming from and knock on the rough wooden door. As we await an answer I scrounge up the few coins we had to offer. The door cracks open and a stout blonde man with a long mustache peers out at us. On his forehead are branded initials that I am sure were not his own. Holding out the coins I say loud enough to carry over the wind. "We are a pair of travelers needing shelter from the storm. This is all we have to offer. May we please share your roof tonight?"

The man looks back over his shoulder to others I couldn't see then back to us. His fierce blue eyes flits back and forth between my slave and I.

"Master not allow." He says with broken Latin in a thick Gaulish accent of some sort. "Punish."

"Please! We have nowhere else." I say as a crack of thunder punctuates my point. "Just until the storm passes."

He points behind him to the East. "Master home. Go there."

I look to Rosa, soaked and shivering in her roughly made outfit. I knew I didn't look much better. The master of a villa would surely cast out a couple of vagrants like us away.

"Please." I say again. "My slave…she is…"

"Amazon." Rosa says. "They will turn us away."

A look of understanding comes over him though he was clearly not happy this problem had landed on his doorstep. The man looks to the dark sky and lets out an annoyed snort. I could see he didn't like the idea of turning away people in need. He ponders a bit more before shaking his head and swearing in his own language. A hand darts out and nabs the coins from my open hand. The next moment the door slams shut!

"Hey!" I pound on the door.

A moment later the door swings open and the man was now in a cloak. In his hands was a clay lantern that he shielded with the cape of his cloak. He motions hurried toward another shack situated down at the end of the grouping. Behind him a dark skinned woman and teenage boy who looked to be their son watch on with curiosity. Rosa and I nod at them then start toward the building he'd indicated, the man follows close behind.

As we walk we see eyes and faces peeking out from the other shacks to watch us. The man calls something out so that all could hear then says to us. "You leave morning. We not see you."

"Thank you." Both Rosa and I say as one.

We get to the shack and the man continues to motion us forward. I lift the handle and open it up. As the man steps in behind us the light from his lamp reveals the dark interior. It was a single room bare of furniture. A small clay stove was situated on a terracotta slab in the corner. It was windowless with untreated wooden planks forming the walls and floor. It was simple but it was dry, it was clean, and it was all ours. It might be slave quarters but it was a hell of a lot better than our accommodations the night before, and at a fraction of the price thanks to this man's mercy.

"This is perfect." I say. "I cannot thank you enough."

Rosa had immediately moved into one of the corners to get away from the draft of the door and stood shivering hard with her arms wrapped tight. The man gives her a concerned look then looks at me and nods. He leaves us in the dark. I close and latch the door behind him and total darkness descends on the room. Dropping the pack I feel my way toward my slave. Her skin is wet and clammy.

"You're so cold."

"I'll b-be ok-kay." She chatters.

A roll of thunder shakes the shack.

"I shouldn't have pushed it so long. We should have stopped earlier. Sit down." I say. "I'll find the blanket."

"Th-thank you." Her small voice trembles.

I feel my way back to where I had set our pack and with only touch to guide me untie the drawstring and begin to rummage. Everything was damp though thankfully not soaked. I had just gotten Rosa bundled up when a knock comes to our door. Praying it isn't the master checking in on his slaves I follow the sound and open the door.

There stood the man and his family. In his arms was a big bundle of dry firewood. Behind him his wife held a steaming pot in one mitted hand and a pair of bowls in the other. Beside her the son had a metal bucket in each hand, one with glowing coals from their hearth and the other half full of fresh water. Without waiting to be invited the three of them make their way in. The coals are deposited into the clay stove and some of the firewood added on top, the rest of the wood set beside. The pot is placed down in front of Rosa, the woman leaning in to pat my slave's smooth cheek.

"Thank y-you." Rosa smiles back.

"Bless." The woman says to her.

I stood speechless. I turn to the man at a loss as to what to say.

He just grunts. "Leave, morning."

"We will." I promise him. "We'll leave at first light. Wake us if you need to."

He nods and says something to me in his native tongue. With that the slave family files out and hurries back across the common yard holding their cloaks against the pouring rain. I close the door and latch it again. I turn to look at Rosa still in disbelief at the family's generosity. The wood had quickly begun to burn on the coals casting a warm light. The smell of a succulent soup filled the room.

Still shivering Rosa looks up at me. "You w-we're right. This is a g-good day."

Chapter 21: A Big Question

Chapter Text

The storm intensifies but Rosa and I were now safe and dry in the cozy one room shack. Huddled beneath our blanket my shivering slave undresses and passes me her wet clothes. I stretch a length of twine across the room, high up and out of the way, to use as a clothes line then put her dripping garments over it. Here and there I lay out those of our belongings that needed drying out as the fire within the clay stove steadily warms the room.

By the time I am able to sit with Rosa her shivering had stopped and she was looking much more herself again. Across the still steaming pot from her I sit cross-legged.

"Really restores your faith in humanity." She says as she sets out the bowls.

"Yeah." I agree. "I wish we could have offered them more."

Rosa nods. "When we can we should make an offering to Feronia on their behalf." The irony of a woman who could never be free suggesting that we make offerings to the goddess of freedom for the benefit of others was not lost on me.

"Absolutely." I say. "I won't forget this anytime soon."

Rosa reaches out with her bare hands and picks up the pot, one hand on the handle the other grabbing the scalding hot bottom.

"Rosa, don't!" I reach to stop her…before I recall her tolerance of heat.

She looks up with a smirk then proceeds to pour each of the bowls full of the rich vermilion red broth. I cup the warm clay bowl in both hands and bring it to my face. I take in a deep breath of savory steam. It was some sort of bone broth with parsnips, garlic, and herbs. The incredible aroma alone seemed to nourish me. I give silent thanks to our hosts as well as my goddess Ceres as I blow the steam to cool the broth.

Rosa, unconcerned by the temperature, picks her bowl up and brings it straight to her lips and take a long slurp. One, two, three deep gulps before she lowers the bowl again with a satisfied sigh. "Ohhhh that's so good!"

I laugh as I notice a bit of the soup had touched her nose. She giggles and goes cross-eyed to look at it, looking absolutely adorable in doing so, before casually slurping the tip of her nose clean with a long thick pointed tongue. It happened so quick it takes me a moment to register what had happened.

"You can lick your nose?" I stretch my tongue out to try to do the same but can't even make it halfway.

"He he he." She giggles. "You think that's something?" Opening her mouth she slowly extends her red tongue. Four, five, six inches of it! Along either side of it are fleshy ribbed protuberances. She curls and twists her tongue in the air with a dexterous control that was simply inhuman. She then curls it back toward her to make the tapered tip touch the dead center of her forehead. It then zips back into her mouth and she smiles her fanged smile.

"Uh…wow!"

She winks and brings the bowl to her lips to finish it off. Placing the empty bowl to the side she leans back against the way and relaxes, only her head and feet peeking out from the blanket she had wrapped around her. I knew she was naked under there though…and it excited me. I blow across the shimmering liquid and begin to slurp. I could feel the delicious broth warm my insides as it flowed down to my stomach. Driving rain pelts the roof but not a drop gets through. The howling wind rattles the door but the sturdy latch holds tight. These boxes must be hell in the heat of the day, but for holding up against a storm they did the job admirably.

This was the most privacy Rosa and I had ever had since we'd been together. There were no distractions of nymphs or nearby campsites or snoring neighbors. It was just her and I in a room of our own. With no words spoken I could feel the energy between us begin to change. As I sip the nourishing soup I notice Rosa staring at me. I can't help but lower my eyes and blush a little.

She chuckles. "Do you have any idea how cute you are?"

"Don't you mean…handsome?"

"I said what I mean." She says. "Come a little closer Quin."

I hesitate, but only for a moment. Shifting around the pot I come to sit by her feet. She turns to place her bare feet against my knee, the blanket parts a bit to reveal a peek of cleavage. "That's better." She says, settling down once more.

Keeping my eyes down, mostly looking at her delicate feet, I continue to drink my soup. "Do you…want me to rub your feet again?"

"Mmm, no. Not tonight." Her little toes grip against me.

"Do you wish…to cuddle?"

"If that's all you'll give me, then yes." She purrs as her big toe traces down my shin. "But I was hoping for a little bit more tonight."

I swallow hard. "Oh?"

"I know it took a lot of courage for you to tell me those things you did out on the road."

"Yeah." I whisper. "Where I come from…you don't talk about stuff like that."

"I'm proud of you Quin."

I didn't know what to say to that. Hearing those words from her felt really good but only confused me more. At a loss I focus on finishing up my soup. Rosa hadn't stopped staring at me, her intense gaze glimmering in the firelight. Awkwardly I continue gripping my empty bowl and wait for Rosa to say or do something. Her feet continue to stroke and grip at my leg.

Eventually she breaks the silence. "If it makes you feel better, I feel as lost as you do."

"You do?"

"I don't want to hurt you but…I want you." She says. "We've finally got a place all to ourselves and I want so badly to play with my horny boy."

A gasp escapes me. "Play?"

"You said people should say what they mean and mean what they say." She says. "I am a woman of powerful desires. It is said that Bacchus instilled in us demons a keen appetite of sensual pleasures." She sighs. "I know you have your boundaries but…you make it…difficult."

"What do you want…to do to me?" I ask in a breathy voice.

Her sultry grin grows. "So many things." She says in a voice as smooth as silk. "In my years I have had clients, regulars, and even a few brave suitors. But I've never had a man of my own. A boy who has committed himself to me. A strong, beautiful, obedient boy. It is a…humbling thing." Beneath the blanket I catch movement as she fondled herself. Through clenched teeth she hisses. "Are you my boy Quin?"

"R-R-Rosa…I…I…"

"I need to hear you say it. Are you my boy?"

"B-but…I…I…" There was a war raging inside of me. Twenty years of upbringing battling my newly awakened desires. I squirm. I fidget. I struggle to make words. My whole body starts to twitch and shake. "I d-don't…I…I…"

"Shhhh." She soothes. "My lust makes me impatient. Apologies. Let's start again."

"Start again?"

Her voice hardens into a command. "Stand up."

"What?"

"Put down your bowl and stand up."

"Okay." With fumbling hands I drop my bowl on top of hers. They clatter together loudly, nearly breaking. "Sorry!"

"Shhh! Stand up."

I stand up breathing hard, my hands gripping again and again at my sides.

"Turn around."

I spin to face back toward the stove. My shallow breath quickens even more as I hear her move. She glides up behind me and puts her arms around my body. The blanket was gone. She was naked against me. My heart hammers in my ears and my nervous tension rises.

"Shhhhh. You're doing so good."

"I'm scared."

"I know. I know my boy." She coos. "I'm going to make it better."

"Thank you!"

"Shhhh." She says. "Now close your eyes."

I close my eyes.

"We had a hard day, didn't we?" She says as she reaches around me to unfasten the belt of my tunic.

"Yes."

She allows the belt to snake around my waist as she pulls it from my body. "But a good day."

"Yes. Very good."

"Yes." She pulls my tunic up as far as my armpits. "Take this wet thing off." I pull the garment off to feel the warmth from the stove against my damp skin. "Good boy." She takes it from me and I hear it splat off into the corner.

"What if th-they come back?"

"In this weather? They won't." She assures me. "Besides, I suspect they know better than to interrupt a young man and his slave girl."

"But…"

"Shhhh." Her slender hands glide up my back to my shoulders and then back down again, tracing my tense muscles as she goes. "Relax. I've got you now."

I take a breath, trying hard to remain calm.

"Are your eyes still closed?"

"Yes."

"Good." Next she reaches around and unties the drawstring of my breeches. Loosening the waist she lets them go, weighed down by the damp they fall all at once to down around my ankles. She had me down to my underbreeches. The next time she moves I feel her breasts touch my back and her chubby cock brush against the back of my leg.

"Rosa."

"Shhhh. We're almost there." She says. "Keep your eyes closed."

The next thing I knew she was stepping away from me leaving me to stand nearly nude in the center of the room. I felt so…exposed. "Rosa!"

"It's okay Quin. I'm right here. Everything is okay." There is a sound of a little snip from near the pack. A tense moment later I let out a gasp of relief as I feel her palm come to touch my chest. "I'm right here." Her hand slides up to rest along the side of my neck. "Lean down." I do so and feel her soft cheek touch mine. "Give me a kiss." I turn to kiss her cheek. "Good boy. Okay, stand up straight." Feeling better with her there I stand tall.

The next thing I feel is something very thin and a bit scratchy get wrapped around my left wrist. It was the hemp twine! My dick lurches to life, surely visible through my underwear.

In a calm patient voice she explains to me. "This is too thin for proper bondage. It might cut you if you struggle to hard. You'll have to control yourself."

I nod.

It is wrapped a couple of times before a knot is tied. The twine was snug but not tight. She pulls the loose end across my belt line and does the same with the other wrist. Some part of me wanted to say something, to have her promise me she'd let me go if I asked her, yet I stay silent. My true desire was for her to finish this. With my right wrist secured she then takes the remaining length around the base of my back to tie it back to the knot on the other wrist then back again all the way around and tied off at the small of my back. The result was that I now had a belt made of twine with my wrists both held tight against my hips.

"Can you get out?" She asks.

I pull and twist to feel myself firmly bound. "Ohhhh." Already my dick was rock hard but flexes harder even as my body relaxes. When I feel the twine bind my movements all the fear and tension just drains from me, body and mind. "I can't get out."

"Kneel down." She whispers.

Going down one leg at a time I obey without hesitation. Stepping forward Rosa embraces my head into her soft tummy. Her fat cock nestles between my pecs. I rest the side of my face against her as she tenderly runs her fingers through my damp hair. The internal battle had gone quiet. The storm raged outside but in here all was calm. The strange peace I'd gotten a taste of the other night fills my soul once more. The fact I could truly feel the ropes this time make it all the more glorious.

"Feel better?" She asks.

"Yes! Oh yes!" I beam. "I've never felt so good."

"That's good Quin. I want you to feel good." I could hear the proud joy in her lovely voice. "It makes me happy to hear that."

Again I tug just to feel the bite of hemp against my skin. "Ohhhh gods."

"Now that you are calm." She croons. "I'll ask you again. Are you my boy?"

Chapter 22: A Big Answer

Chapter Text

"I…want to." My eyes squeezed shut I lean my weight forward into Rosa, she holds me up as she continues stroking my hair. "I want to say yes. You make me so…so happy!"

"Then say it." She whispers. "Be my boy Quin. Let me be your Lady."

I reach out to hug her but the twine keeps my arms right where they were. "Ohhh!" I never knew feeling so helplessness could be so good! Had it not been Rosa here I might have been afraid. But in her soft embrace I had never felt safer. Nothing could touch me here. I press my cheek into her tummy and she instinctively cradles my head tighter. "I'm not worthy of a woman like you."

"You don't get to decide that."

"I have nothing to give you."

"Except yourself."

"I don't deserve you!"

"Deserve me?" She leans down to kiss the top of my head. "To be deserving of a Lady isn't something you just are or are not. It's a process. A commitment. It is work. Something earned each and every day through obedience and kindness and worship. It is about having faith in yourself to live up to her expectations. It is about being strong enough to give yourself to a woman. It is about being brave enough to let your Lady see that special side of you that is only for her to see." She strokes my cheek then traces the tip of her finger around the edge of my ear to make the hairs down my neck stand on end. "It is a journey, together. A Lady too must earn her beautiful boy. A good boy is so fragile, so easily spoiled in this hard cruel world. She must protect him and mold him, care for him and hold him precious."

"What if…what if I fall short?"

"You will. When that happens you will be disciplined then forgiven." She replies. "And we will learn and move forward." Again she combs her fingers through my hair. "Don't be afraid my dear, I will never let you fall too far. I will always be there to catch you."

"Ohhh." Her words were a cool salve on a fresh burn. Weeks of fear and stress about my big move away from home, about life on my own, given succor by Rosa's smooth sure tone and caressing touch. "But…how can this work? How can we…be together? We cannot be married."

"Married?" She chuckles softly. "Oh sweet boy. This has nothing to do with marriage or even being lovers. You will eventually have to find a proper wife and you will sire children with her. You will be the man your parents wanted you to be, it is the way of things." Her voice is soft, wistful, wise. "But what you and I will share, if things work out, goes so much deeper than that. To be my boy you don't have to love me Quin, but you do have to need me."

"Need you?"

"Like air and water and sunshine." She croons, her petting hand cupping along my jaw. "What is a Lady without her boy? What is a boy without his Lady? It is something you either understand or you don't. Most do not. But I suspect you do. Do you understand Quin?"

"I think so. I think I do."

"If you do not wish to be my boy, if it is simply sex you want…"

"No!" I gasp. Again I try to reach out for her and end up instead feeling the thrill of my bondage stopping me. The rope holding me firm feeling like another different type of hug from this incredible woman. "No, I want more. I want more! Yes. YES! I will be your boy. Please, let me be your boy."

The moment felt even more monumental than that decision back at the crossroads. I had crossed the Rubicon to change the course of future history. I didn't know how long this thing might last between us but I knew I would never be the same afterward. No other woman had made me feel like this. No other woman could speak words that seemed to be plucked from my own heart. No other understood me like Rosa.

"Mmmm." She hums happily, not unlike a mother cooing a lullaby to her babe. "Good boy." Leaning down she kisses the tender flesh of my neck. "You've made your Lady very happy tonight." I feel her cheek brush against my nose. "Give me a kiss."

Obediently I kiss her cheek.

"Good boy." She says as she stands straight. "You are my boy now. I am your Lady. It is done until we say it isn't."

A flood of joy rushes through me. The joy of connection. The joy of giving up control. The joy of finding my true self. This wasn't simply Cupid's sting any longer. Sure I was horny but this went SO much deeper. If the gods were watching and judging…so be it. As far as I was concerned there was only one goddess that reigned in this room.

"Thank you! Oh thank you Lady." I sigh. "May I…kiss…your…"

"Foot?" She says as if reading my mind. "Yes, you may." She steps back from me.

Without the use of my arms it is not easy lowering myself to the floor but I manage it. Getting all the way down I lay face down like a snake, my hard arousal squeezed uncomfortably beneath me. I open my eyes to see her slender foot before me. I press my lips hard into it, just above the toes, to give it a long lingering kiss. The bliss was better than any orgasm. I worship her foot and lavish it with kisses. It smelled of leather and sweat and muddy rain but I couldn't care less.

"You are doing such a good job." She whispers, to which I lavish her perfect foot with even more kisses. Open mouthed sucking kisses, even licking it now. "Good boy."

"Mmmm!"

"That's enough for now." She orders. I do as she tells me, after a moment of quiet I start to rise before she stops me by placing her foot on my shoulder and carefully pushing me back down. It is a gentle reminder for me to await her commands before acting. I settle into my supplication and relax, my nose hovering just above the wood floor. Her foot rubs down over my spine. "You look so good down there."

"Thank you Lady."

Her big toe snakes back over my shoulder, down around my neck to under my chin. With the back of her foot she applies just a hint of upward pressure before pulling it away. Now I had permission to get off the ground. Following her cue I start to rise, first struggling to get one knee and then the other under me as my arms pull and twist but remain bound at my sides. I come to sit my butt between my feet.

Rosa stands in front of me, towering over me like a titan. The dim light from the stove back lights her, casting shadows over her face and body. From my low angle the silhouette of her pointed horns and ears accentuates her demonic features. Her hair glows a lovely purple. She was fully nude, as she had been on the slave platform, but now she glowed with a confident energy. She stood, hands on hips, proud of her body. And by the gods she had a lot to be proud of! Bound and under her control I, for the first time, find the courage to gaze at her body without embarrassment. I drink in her soft curving feminine shape from head to toe. Smooth fair skin. Willowy shapely limbs. Small ripe pouting breasts with slightly upturned jutting nipples. Womanly perfection, Helen of Troy had nothing on Rosa. Having looked all around it I finally turn my gaze toward her most Amazon feature.

I thought it would look out of place. I thought it would stand apart like some ungainly extraneous extension. Perhaps it was my inexperience with the opposite sex but…it was beautiful. Natural. It belonged. It was a part of her as surely as any other. The same pale skin, the same violet hair fading to pink, it could only belong to her. I am struck and deeply humbled by the size of it. At the slave market I noticed package hung a bit low but I'd been so flustered I refused to give it more than the briefest of glances. Given Rosa's petite frame, I made certain assumptions. Very bad assumptions. I knew from feeling it against me that she was bigger, but actually seeing her half aroused and already longer and fatter than my currently raging hard-on really drove the reality home.

"Well?"

"You're…beautiful!" I say with hushed awe.

"Thank you." She says brightly. "I was worried I might scare you."

"You don't scare me."

"Mmm, I'm glad."

I keep my head respectfully bowed, still avoiding that overwhelming direct eye contact.

"May I pleasure you Lady?" The words come from my mouth as if on their own. Virgin that I was I hadn't a clue what I might do to her but I sure wanted to try.

She smiles and tilts her head. "No."

"I beg you. Please. I want to make you feel good."

"Oh sweet child, you already are." Her smile grows. "Tonight I want to spoil my good boy. You don't know how long I've waited for my very own boy. Tonight, I want to play."

I bow my head lower as I accept the fact that tonight I would be her plaything. "Yes Lady."

Chapter 23: Overwhelmed

Chapter Text

A roar of thunder shakes the earth, the wind howls, and rain pelts against roof and North wall of the shack as if Jupiter himself were trying to erase it from the Earth. Outside the storm raged but in Rosa and I's private little sanctum it was warm and calm.

"Get up." She says. "Just to your knees."

I rise from my sitting position to stand on me knees.

"Mmm." She hums approvingly as her eyes slowly scan up and down my body. "Your body is gorgeous. Such a lovely shape."

I lower my head a little, blushing from the random compliment. "Thank you." I say in a small voice.

"You would look good in silk."

"I…we have no silk."

"No. Perhaps someday though. I can make you garments that will highlight and accentuate. If you're comfortable with it." She says, her magenta eyes continuing to drink in every part of me. "Clothes to make you feel beautiful and sexy."

"I'm just a farmer."

"You are a beautiful boy and you deserve to feel beautiful." She says. "Do you feel beautiful Quin?"

I hesitate.

"Well you are." She insists. Holding her arms out she turns in a circle, doing a few steps of a dance very slowly. "And I would like a gown. A long lovely gown befitting a Lady. Something nice for when we're alone." She giggles, a bit of the cute daytime Rosa peeking through. "Something a slave has no right to wear. A private little act of defiance, hm?"

I could so easily picture her in a luxurious gown fit for a Queen. Jewelry glittering from her wrists and ears and horns. I could see her lounging in an opulent villa, being attended to hand and foot. A woman of her beauty deserved such things.

"I will get you a gown." I swear to her.

"Shhh. We'll see what happens. For now…it's fun to think about." Patting her thigh she says. "Come my side." I nod then go to step up but she stops me. "I didn't say to get up."

"Yes Lady."

Walking on my knees I move up to her left side where she indicated. I am rewarded with a pet through my hair. "Stay with me."

Rosa turns and moves to the stove. Kneeling down she holds her arms out over it just feel the heat for a time. Her smile is so pretty. She then feeds more wood into the fire. Pulling the open pack a bit closer she brings out a spoon and our vial of oil which we'd gotten refilled back in Capua. She sets the spoon on the flat top of the stove and pours a bit of oil into it. I watch but I don't question. The oil is put away. Standing up she pulls my head close and strokes my cheek before moving onto her next task.

Doing my best to keep up I walk on my knees beside her as she takes my wet clothes from where they landed to bring them to the clothes line I had put up. Shifting her clothes to the side she hangs mine out to dry as well. Next she brings the pot and the bucket of water to near the stove and moves the bowl off into a corner. Finally she checks the door to make sure it is secure before leading me back to the center of the room.

"You stay at my side so well. Are you sure you haven't been leash trained?"

"Leash trained?"

She pats my head. "Well you're doing great."

"Thank you."

"How are your knees?"

"They're fine."

"Have the ropes tightened?"

I shake my head. "They're fine."

"Good." Leaning down she offers me her cheek. I smile as I knew what was coming next. "Give me a kiss."

I kiss her cheek.

"Good boy."

Gods I loved that.

"Stay still now." She commands. I straighten up tall and obey.

Walking slowly around me she checks me out from every angle. Eventually she comes to stand right behind me, her feet stood just on either sides of my calves. She comes right up against me. The back of my head touches her chest between her breasts, her stomach makes contact between my shoulder blades, her legs touch along my hips, and her low heavy hanging dick finds a space along my spine. From there she just starts to…touch me.

With a delicate touch her fingers stroke along my shoulders and up my neck. Her tracing touch following the contours of my body. Her left hand strokes along my collarbone then down between my pecs. Her right hand glides up my neck to find my ear. She massages the velvety lobe between her finger and thumb. Her index finger moves along the outer ridge of my ear, gradually working around and in as she feels along every little groove. The fingers of her other hand spread wide to splay downward toward my abdomen, before turning to drape her arm across my chest to take the meat of one pec into a firm grasp.

I am frozen, completely at the mercy of Rosa's gentle pleasures.

From my ear her right moves along to my forehead, with just a light touch she has me tilt my head back. The fingers come down over my eyelids. With my eyes closed she feels my cheek bones then rubs my temples. She runs her fingertips over one brow and then the other. She feels my nose, down the center then along both sides. She touches around my mouth before circling inward to caress my tender lips. Nothing is hurried and no detail missed. She strokes and feels and caresses my face as if I were the most rare and precious thing in the world.

"Ohhhh." I sigh softly.

"Mmmm."

Her other hand, with a grip firm but not hard, fondles and massages my chest muscle. At my face she moves to my chin and strokes back along my jawline then back down my neck. Another light guiding touch and she has me tilt my head to the left. Her hand never leaving my skin she rubs it down over my chest to take the place of the other hand while that hand crosses over to grip my other pec. She gives both pecs a slow squeeze.

"Hahhhh." Her hot breath washes over my neck.

Bending down she kisses my shoulder. She kisses again a bit closer to the neck. And then closer still.

"Ah!" I gasp as what I expect to be another kiss ends up being a nip of her teeth. "Ohhhh."

She immediate soothes the little bite with another gentle kiss. The kisses continue up my neck before ending with long slow suckle of my earlobe.

A deafening thunderclap booms so loudly as to rattle the walls of the shack but neither of us even flinch. We were too lost in each other to take any notice of the outside world.

First the left, then the right, Rosa's index fingers and thumbs take hold of the nubs of my erect nipples. Continuing to suckle and tongue my lobe she gradually squeezes my nipples harder.

"Ohhhhh!" Overwhelmed by pleasure I briefly swoon back into her before catching myself and returning to my position. "HAH!" I suck a breath in as the slow squeeze of my nipples turns suddenly into a stiff pinch.

"Stay still." She tells me again.

"Yes Lady." I whisper through panting breaths.

Like the bite she quickly soothes my sore nip by rubbing them softly. She moves back down my neck again. This time however instead of kisses she treats me to careful nibbles. Nibbling all the way back to my shoulder. Each nipping bite sends tingling waves through my flesh. She then switches to the other side. Nuzzling deep into the crook of my neck locks her lips on the tender area to suck and lick and…bite! Her sharp fangs press against my skin, not enough to draw blood but enough to feel their sting.

"HAAHHH!"

"Mmmm!" She nuzzles up under my ear then takes the soft lobe between her teeth. Somewhere along the way her chubby half aroused cock had become as hard as my own. She nibbles and sucks at my ear. Pulling back she extends her long demon tongue to flick and lick around and into my ear. Her left arm pulls me tight, her right takes a handful of my ass and squeezes hard.

I whimper and writhe, pulling against my bonds, not from any want of escaping but simply from the overwhelming passion coursing through me.

With the grace of a dancer Rosa weaves around to the front, never letting her lips or hands leave me even for an instant. She comes to kneel in front of me. Wrapping her arms around my waist she smooches and licks my stomach, her kisses are wet and sucking. She bites me again…bliss! Up across my chest and up into the front of my neck she pecks and sucks. Every so often giving me sharp nip followed by a healing kiss. My whole body is glowing like an ember. I felt as if I was being…carried away…like a feather on a warm summer breeze. By the time she had worked her way to my nipples I am trembling putty in her arms.

"Let me hear you." She whispers.

"Ohhhhhh!" My voice is high…mewling…submissive. A most unmanly sound. I hear it as if at a distance. "Ohhhhh!"

"Oh gods!" She moans, her hands reach down to claw into my ass cheeks. "That's my boy!"

"Ohhhmmm!"

Her surprisingly strong tongue pushes into my right nipple then twists and twirls. She sucks on it sending jolts of ecstasy shooting through my body. She laps and nibbles and sucks some more. I struggle mightily to stay still. Wavering and pulling against my ropes. Ohhhh these wonderful ropes! Nothing could hurt me here, not in Lady's ropes. I couldn't even feel the ache in my knees anymore. I was floating on air. Rosa dashes to the other one and slaps her long tongue across like a whip of flesh, hard enough to produce a wet smack. Where there ought to be sting I feel only a strange numb pleasure.

"OHHH!" The next thing I knew I was falling.

I would have fallen straight backward had Rosa not brought her arms up to steady me in an embrace. "I have you." She whispers into my ear as she pulls me close. "I have you Quin."

I am panting. I try to return to position but my body wouldn't listen to me. I sway and rock but I couldn't find my bearings. If not for my Lady's embrace I would be on the floor. I try to look at her but…everything is blurry and far away. Nothing makes sense. My mind is lost in a haze. There was only Rosa now. Her warm skin against mine.

"Hey." She says softly as she strokes my suddenly sweaty face. "Can you talk? Say something baby."

"Hnngh!" I try to form words, I want to obey! I want so badly to obey my Lady. "Unnngh!" All that would come out were desperate whimpers. I start to cry thought I don't understand why.

"Ohhh my boy." Rosa coos and dabs my tears away. "Shhhh. It's okay. It's going to be okay."

What happens next is fuzzy and confusing. I wasn't sure where I was. There is movement and a soothing voice and I think I can hear…thunder? Time passes though I can't tell how long. I blink my eyes and find myself laying on my back with my head on Rosa's lap. The blanket was on me. When did that happen? I go to move…and discover my ropes are gone!

I bring a hand up to look down at my wrist, then up at my smiling Lady. "I'm sorry!"

"Shhhh." One of her soft hands plays softly through my hair as the other rubs back and forth across my wide chest. "Shhhh. Everything is good. Everything is wonderful."

"Nooooo." I moan, on the verge of tears once more. I ruined my Lady's play! I failed her. Never in my life had I felt so low and wretched.

True to her word though, Rosa doesn't let me fall too far. Holding back despair with a warm embrace, a soft touch, and gentle soothing words. "Shhhhh. You did good Quin. You did so good. I am so happy. I am so proud of my boy."

Chapter 24: Lovers and Dreamers

Chapter Text

Gradually, one soft caress at a time, Rosa coaxes me back into my right mind.

Outside the rain still pelted down but the main fury of the storm had moved on. How long had I been like this? Long enough for Rosa's penis to go soft, I could see it out of the corner of my eye. I stare up at the ceiling stewing in my self focused disappointment. Rosa's attentions helped, they helped a lot, but I couldn't shake the fact that I had let her down. I turn my face away to look at the far wall. I couldn't bear her attentive gaze. I didn't deserve it.

"Don't pout now." She boops my nose with the tip of her finger. "I don't think I could bear seeing you sulk."

My brows furrow with annoyance. Not at her but at myself. "I messed it all up. We were having fun, weren't we?"

"Oh Quin, fun isn't even the right word. You were incredible."

"No I wasn't." I frown. "You did it all. I couldn't even…" My voice trails off.

"Come here." She pulls me up a bit and brings our waterskin to my lips. "Have a drink."

I actually was terribly thirsty. I put my lips to the spout and suck some of the water into my mouth and swallow it down. She waits then gives me another swig before stoppering it and guiding me back down to rest on her thigh once more.

Bringing the blanket up to my shoulders she asks. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah."

Rosa hums a soft song and strokes my hair. I glance back at her. She looked so serene. So at peace and content. If she was secretly disappointed in me she sure was hiding it well. When she catches me peeking she smiles and blinks her big bright eyes. She made it very difficult to stay angry. The minutes pass under the care of her doting patient attention. It takes time but eventually I start to feel better.

With a sigh I turn to look back up at the ceiling. After a moment I ask. "What happened to me?"

"I wish I knew." She says. "As a Lady I've seen it in others but never felt it myself."

"Seen it?"

"Morpheus visited you, yes? A waking dream. A feeling of detachment. Like a blissful numb."

I ponder a moment. "Yes, yes exactly like that. I was here but…I wasn't."

"It happens to boys like you, girls too. Morpheus only bestows it on his chosen ones. It comes often in bondage. Often during great pleasure or punishment. Usually while deep in submission."

"Morpheus?" I whisper. The winged god of dreams and dreamers. Had he really visited me? "It was…it was…I can't even describe it."

She pats my chest. "It is your secret to hold. Mine is a different bliss."

"Lady."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for bringing me back."

"Of course." She says. "You'll always find your way back eventually, though having a Lady makes the journey easier." Her smile grows. "I feel so…honored that I could take you there. You are such a gift Quin."

"You say such nice things."

"And I mean them." She says. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Very good!"

"Mmm." She says. "You may feel a melancholy take hold of you. It might be soon, it might be in a few hours. You must tell me if this happens."

"Okay."

"I mean it Quin." She strokes my cheek. "On this you must obey me."

"I will."

"It too will pass. I'll be right there with you."

"I know." I look up at my Lady. "You wanted to play more. I'm sorry you had to stop."

"Oh, you think I'm done with you?" She chuckles as her eyes slowly pan down my body.

Raising my head I see the little tent in the middle of the blanket. After all that…I was still hard!

"I can't let you go to sleep like that. Not after being such a good boy." She shifts, pulling me a little higher. "Come here baby." I move under her direction so that my shoulders were now against her thigh and my head held in her left arm. My cheek rests against her bare breast. Her right hand slides beneath the blanket, rubbing down my stomach. I feel her fingers untie my underbreeches. The excitement in my cock spreads out to the rest of me. The fact we weren't done yet fills me with delight.

I look up at her and whisper. "Let me pleasure you instead Lady. Please. I'll do what you ask."

"Not yet."

"But why?" I ask as her slender hand wraps around my cock. "Hohhh!"

The gleam in her eye and her crooked grin revealed a bit of the demon in her. "You have to need it first."

She starts to feel my dick. Not stroke it, just touch it and trace it and explore it with her fingers. Front, back, sides, tip to base. Just…feeling it. Much as she had done earlier with the rest of my body. The sensation is divine.

"I do need it!"

"Perhaps. We'll see."

"Let me make you feel like this."

"No. Not tonight."

"You wish me to beg."

"Do I?"

"You said so." I say. "You said I had to beg for it. I will beg."

"Shhh." She shakes her head. "Not tonight."

"Ohhhh." I sigh softly and close my eyes. Two fingers trace up either side of the spongy flue that ran from balls to tip along the underside of my cock then part to glide back down the hard sides of my erection. In a supplicating voice I plead. "I want to make you feel good too."

"You already are."

"I want to please you…sexually. Hah!" She had pulled my foreskin back and gently a fingertip teased along the ridge of my knob as her thumb glided up and down the area just below the hole. The slick wetness of precum allowed her thumb to slide easily. "Oh gods!"

"You told me you are a virgin but, has anybody touched you like this before Quin?"

"No."

"Has anybody put their mouth on you?" She gives me two long soft strokes.

"No."

"What about the other way. Have you touched anybody like this, with hand or mouth?" Two more strokes, her grip tightening.

"Ohhh. No." Her exploring fingers find their way to my balls. She cups them and fondles them and feels the skin of the scrotum between her fingers. My body jerks at the unexpected intensity of having someone play with my balls. It was so much different than doing it myself. "OH!" My dick jumps and twitches under its own power in response. "Oh wow!"

"Mmm, just wait until you feel a mouth. You won't believe how good it feels." She says.

"I want to make you feel like that." I gaze up at her pleadingly. "May I put my mouth on you? I want to make you hard again."

"You are so needy." She pinches my earlobe. "Enough of those puppy dog eyes. I said no. Keep this up and no bondage for a week."

"No! Oh Lady! I'm sorry!"

"Shhh." She chuckles and leans all the way down put her cheek close to me. "Give me a kiss."

My heart lifts on hearing those words. I kiss her smooth cheek.

"Good boy." She grabs my sack and begins a deep firm massage of both my balls and the root of my cock. It was glorious! She kept finding new ways to make me feel good. "You have such a nice manhood Quin. I'm a lucky Lady. Moan for me baby, let me hear you."

"Ohhh. Ohhhh yesss. Mmmmm."

"Good boy." She says. "Have you touched yourself like I'm doing now? Have you pleasured yourself?"

"Yes." I confess. "Many times. Almost…every night, if I could find time alone."

"That's good. I like a horny boy." Her hand probes in under my testes, pushing up from beneath. "Have you played with your ass Quin? Or had others do it?"

On this question I hesitate

"Quin?"

"I don't understand."

She smiles warmly. "Yes you do." She kisses my forehead. "Does it scare you?"

"A little." I say.

"Nothing has been inside of you? Not even a finger?"

I shake my head. "No. I only touch there to clean."

"You do keep it clean?"

"Of course Lady."

"That's good. I want you clean." With her two middle fingers she rubs up and down the space between my manhood and my anus. I open my legs wider to make it easier for her. She rubs it. Firmly. Up and down. This felt good in still a different way. My legs spread a little more.

"Atta boy." She says proudly. "Does this feel good?"

"Yes. Yes it feels very good."

"Good boy." Her left hand pulls playfully at my hair.

"Are you…going to touch me there?" I ask. "Are you…going to…be inside of me?"

"I want to. I want to very much. Do you want me to?"

As an answer I spread my legs wider, thankfully my underwear was roomy. "Is it going to hurt?"

"Not so much. Not with just a finger." She nuzzles my hair. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes!" The Quintus from a week ago wouldn't have recognized the docile boy in this Amazon's arms, the boy who wanted this woman's finger in his butt. But the Quintus from a week ago never knew joy like I did. "I want it."

"My brave boy."

Her hand slips from the blanket. Shifting to reach for something her soft breast brushes across my face. Closing my eyes I rock my head back and forth to feel the silky supple flesh pass over my nose and cheeks. I smile. I cannot help myself. Tilting my face up I give it a little kiss.

She sighs. "Didn't I say you couldn't put your mouth on me?"

"Please!" I beseech her with wide pleading eyes.

"You are too cute!" She exclaims. "You are going to be a handful outside your bonds, aren't you?"

I bat my eyes and mewl softly. "Mmm?"

"Gah! Fine!" She relents. Petting the side of my head she says. "Go ahead then."

Victory!

"Mmm!" I immediately kiss it again, longer this time. I didn't know anything could be so warm and soft and lovely. I kiss again, a little harder, my lips and nose pressing into the pillowy flesh. I kiss it over and over, all around the underside of it and even at the edge of the nipple.

"You like my titties?"

"Yes!" I laugh. "Oh yes!" Gaining confidence I kiss it hard, nuzzling deeper. I open my lips to kiss it again, a wet sucking kiss. Could there be anything better!? How could such simple bit of flesh be so…so…wonderful!? "Mmmm." I suck against it again and pull, then release it. It jubbles back into shape. "He he he!" I rummage and wriggle my face over it and into it, glorifying in this incredible feeling. Honestly, had I known tits were this good I may have been just a bit more bold with the girls of my past. But as it was I was happy Rosa's were my first. I couldn't believe she was actually letting me play with them! I was such a lucky boy. I strain forward to give the other one some kisses too. "Ha ha ha! I love them! I LOVE YOUR BREASTS!"

"Shhh!" Rosa giggles happily. She turns her body to smack me across the face with her tit. "Not so loud. Silly boy."

"Ha ha ha ha!" I squirm and move closer. In Rosa's arms I felt so free! I could laugh and giggle and play and be as silly as I wished. It was a different thrill from the bondage but just as uplifting.

She laughs with me and rolls her eyes. "You are so silly."

"Mmmm!" I switch back to the close one and lick it…giggle…and lick it again. I liked how it bounced. I nose it just to see it jiggle. My left hand comes up to hover over the other. When I see that I had permission I touch it I do…carefully. Soft, so soft, so squishy yet firm. I push my palm into it. I feel its weight and texture. I very gently squeeze it. As incredible as it felt, even better was the soft hum of pleasure that comes from my Lady.

"Mmm, that's nice." She tells me. Knowing something I had done felt nice to her…ohhhh! My heart skips a beat and my hard cock flexes strong. "So you're a breast guy huh?" She says. "So many boys are. Do you wish they were bigger?"

"No! No, they're perfect." Joy swells in my heart. "They're the best."

I see movement. Straining my eyes left I notice her hand moving to go back under the cover, her middle finger now glistened with oil. This was happening. A blend of trepidation and heady excitement fills me. I bury my face in Rosa's breast and close my eyes. My hand rests gently on her other one and lightly hold to it. I spread my legs a little wider and go still as I await what she was about to do to me. My heart was beating heavy but with a pair of boobs to cuddle against I felt I could endure anything.

Chapter 25: One Little Finger

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Rosa's thumb and three of her fingers crawl and probe down over my hard cock, my tight tender testicles, and down between my legs with her oiled middle digit kept apart from the rest. Her slender extremities quickly find their way to their target. With my eyes closed I focus on every tickling touch happening down there. With her index and ring fingers she parts the butt cleft wider to either side of my back door.

I let out gasp as the middle finger touches me where nobody had touched me before. Squeezing my eyes tighter I push deeper into her soft breast.

Rosa is gentle. There is no jabbing or penetration. She simply touches it at first, placing the pad of her finger against my sphincter and just holding it there still as she allows me to relax.

"Quin?"

"Yes?"

"Are you getting tired?"

"No."

"Are you having fun baby?" She teases and strokes my hair.

"Yes." I grin. "Oh yes."

"Mmm, I could just eat you up you're so cute."

"Thank you."

"You have such a beautiful body."

"Ohhh. Thank you Lady."

"You are so pure. So soft. Such a good boy."

"Ohhhh." This unabashed praise was as foreign to me as far off Alexandria. It just wasn't how affection was expressed where I came from. I squirm and try to snuggle closer, my legs opening wider.

Her finger begins to move in a slow circular motion, massaging the oil into my anus. Reactively it clenches against at the new motion but once more Rosa is in no hurry.

"And you are so…fucking…sexy."

"Hnnngh." Her rubbing felt nice. A new kind of nice. It sort of tickled, not in the way to make me laugh though. The caressing of this most tender of places sent pleasing tingles into the base of my cock as well up the rest of my loins. It felt good in its own right but it was so much more than the raw physical arousal. I felt…vulnerable. Exposed in a way I'd never experienced. Yet also safe and cared for in Rosa's embrace. It echoed the thrill of being tied up and under her control but even more intimate. Gradually, as if by some magic, Rosa slow massaging finger coaxes my entrance to relax.

"Open your eyes." She whispers. "I wish to see this."

Opening my eyes I glance up at her to see her staring back down at me with doting care. In the warm dim light of the of the waning fire she exuded a pleasant dusky glow. On seeing me look up her tapered ears rise just a little. After a moment I pull my eyes away. As if looking at the midday sun I could only handle so much, she was simply too beautiful to bear. My Lady does not allow me to escape this time however.

"Look at me Quin." Her finger very gingerly begins to apply pressure. My body obeys her on its own, my anus opening up for her. But she lingers at the entrance. "Look at me Quin. Let me see those lovely eyes of yours."

I swallow nervously then look up at her. She cradles my head close, no longer allowing me to turn away. And then…the gaze. As her eyes meet mine she doesn't simply look at me, she looks right down into my very soul!

"Shhhh." She soothes as she feels my breathing pick up. "Good boy, good boy. Shhhh."

She wouldn't allow me to look away. She held my gaze in her own by the force of her dominant will. It was deeply unnerving. I could stare to eye to eye with another man no problem at all, my Dad had taught me that lesson well, but with a woman it was different. I don't know why, but it was. Once more showing her control and great patience she holds me tight and waits for me. Summoning all of my nerve I lay still and focus up into her gorgeous magenta eyes.

Rosa was as cute and perky a girl as you would ever see. But in her eyes I see the strong and courageous woman within. A woman who had seen things, experienced things and done things. I see a woman who has known hurt and grief yet come through it with an even stronger resolve and optimism. At a glance she appeared roughly my age, but her eyes revealed the truth. And that truth, that I was being held in the arms of an older woman, made a world of difference. Had she truly been my age I'm not sure I could have settled for her, as it was I inevitably melt to her will.

As she feels my tension ease she smiles. "There we go. Good boy. You are such a good boy."

"Ohhhhh!"

"Are you ready my boy?"

"Yes!" I plead. "I want you inside of me."

Her smile fades, her eyes widen with intense interest, and with a careful yet firm motion she enters me. Her finger presses in a short way then slows as it passes through a sensitive section.

"Ah!" I gasp.

In one smooth thrust she buries her finger to the knuckle and holds it there. "Does it hurt?"

"Mmm! Um, a little…kind of." Hurt wasn't the right word for it. It sort of pinched but mostly it just felt…different. "Not so bad."

"Relax baby. It will feel better soon, I promise."

Just hearing those words were enough to allow me to ease up my clenching anus a little. And, as promised, the more it relaxes the better if feels. Her eyes search mine, watching me intently as I have my first anal experience.

"Goodness my boy. You are so tight!" She says.

"I'm sorry!"

This makes her smile. "I didn't say I didn't like it. You have nothing to apologize for. We have some work to do before you can handle the real thing, that's all." Her finger begins to move.

"OH! Oh gods!"

"Mmm." She hums as her digit glide back through my gripping ass just an inch or so before going back in. There is a pause before she does it again. Then she goes again. With each stroke it gets a bit easier.

"Ohh! Oh wow."

"Is it feeling better?"

I nod. "Yes!"

"Good boy."

She settles into a slow steady rhythm as we gazed eye to eye. Very quickly it graduated from slightly uncomfortable to not so bad to feeling pretty damn good. Rosa's finger didn't simply move straight in and out. She curled her finger upward to rub that area with firm repetitive strokes. The spot below my belly button was already smeared with precum but now I could actually feel it trickle in little rivulets down one side as my dick leaked steadily.

"Ohhh wow…ohhhh wow!" Rosa's incredible finger just felt better and better and better. "Hnnnmmm. Oh this feels good! Ohhh!"

"Good boy. Gooooood boy." Her other hand strokes my hair.

My cock throbs and flexes with rising potency even though Rosa wasn't even touching it. The sensations she is drawing from me are definitely sexual in nature though in a completely different way than I was used to. It was a gradual building of a pleasure both familiar and novel. The growing pressure was one I was accustomed to experiencing in a certain external way but stimulated from inside of me instead. It wasn't as direct but it is no less powerful.

"Ohhhh! Oh gods my Lady. It feels so good. Sooo good." I whimper and writhe. A touch, all I needed was a touch and I knew I would explode. "Touch my dick. Please! Ohhh please!"

"Shhhh." She coos. Her finger goes faster, the rubbing harder and more focused. She had found a spot inside of me and had zeroed in on it and DAMN if it didn't feel great.

"Hnnnngh!" I am dizzy from pleasure. The rising pleasure within me hitting a blissful yet infuriating high just shy of release. It was like a strange type of torture. My cock lurched and strained, precum drooling from it in a steady dribble. "Please! Please Lady. Let me cum!"

"Shhhh." She hushes me again in the same soft tone.

"Ohhhhhh!" I let out a long high moan. This was feeling so good! I didn't know anything could feel like this. Completely new cravings seized me. I wanted…I wanted another finger. Yes, two fingers! Even three. I wanted her to thrust faster…and harder…and deeper. I wanted more! My hips move with her and push against her both with rising pleasure as well as with frustrated neediness. "Oh gods! Yes! Yes! Lady…!"

Before I could beg again for climax Rosa shifts me in her arm to bring my mouth to her breast. Without even a conscious thought my lips lock onto it.

"Mmmm." Rosa grins. "That's my boy."

"Hmmm! Mmmm! Nnnnn!" Like a babe from womb I suckle on Rosa's teat. It felt so soft in my lips, the nipple stiff and textured against my tongue. The joy it brought is me every bit as nourishing to my soul as mother's milk. "Hmmmmm!" My lilting whines become desperate.

The pressure builds. Still she wouldn't touch my aching twitching manhood. Hovering as I am at the very cusp of release I think I might go mad with pleasure. The NEED to orgasm overwhelms everything. Just an accidental brush of her arm or a graze of my tip against the blanket would be enough. Hell, a long hot breath would probably do it! But holds things in such a way that I am denied these things. There is only her finger. That glorious thrusting rubbing finger. With one slender little digit this petite slave had a strapping grown man grovelling and completely at her mercy.

"Come on baby." She encourages me. "You're so close."

It is only then I realize she is trying to bring me to release with anal stimulation alone. Was such a thing possible? Given her experience I had to assume she knew better than me, and the feelings she had already brought out in me made me a believer. As I lap and suck at her tit I let go of my preconceptions and allow myself to think beyond my dick and bask in all facets of my carnal joy. There is a rush all through my body, my ass was the focal point from which it all emanated but the effects wash through every inch of me to accentuate all of the other pleasures. Rosa's soft skin against my cheek, her warm body next to me, her small supple breast in my mouth, her teasing fingers through my hair, and even this feeling of connection as I stared into her eyes felt amplified. With no expectation I give myself over to the experience and let my body lead the way.

"Hnnngh! Hmmm!" My mouth of breast I moan and whine like my Lady liked to hear. "Hnnnmmm!"

Her excited eyes urge me onward, her thrusting finger strong and sure. She knew exactly how to touch me!

There is a distant roll of receding thunder as I feel something change. A great wave pulses through my body lifting me even higher. True thick cum begins to seep from throbbing cock as the pressure reaches the bursting point. The actual moment of climax was here yet still somehow building!

"HMMM! HMMM!"

"That's it my boy. Cum for me. Cum for your Lady."

A moment of hard thrusting later and it hits me with the force of an erupting volcano. The release comes from within in powerful pulses, my muscles contract and grip around the finger had brought me to this state. At no point had either her or I touched my dick yet jerking and spasming on its own thick ropes of cum start spewing out onto my stomach. I kick and quiver and mewl, helpless against the raw force of the rapture that follows.

"Ohhh! You did it! Good boy! Yes Quin! Good boy!"

My lips come free from her breast as my body arches back over her thigh. My hands claw at the floor and my hips thrust. From my open mouth comes incoherent groans and grunts. Her finger keeps rubbing and rubbing and rubbing as I keep cumming and cumming and cumming. The neverending orgasm engulfs not just the cock and balls but the whole area then flows to every corner of my shaking flesh.

"Ohhhh! Ohhhh Rosaaaa!"

Chapter 26: Clean Up

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I lay panting and staring up at the ceiling as subsiding waves of pleasure continue to roll through me like the receding thunder in the skies above.

Rosa caresses my face and keeps her finger inside of me for a time, though the thrusting and rubbing was done. She watches me with a look of pride and calm contentment. Eventually she does slide her finger out through my still glowing hole. Tenderly she rubs my empty balls and strokes my half soft spent manhood. All I can do is lay there moaning with overwhelming joy. I never knew one could feel this good.

Pulling me toward her she brings my lips toward her cheek. "Give me a kiss." I kiss her. "Good boy." She is careful to keep the blanket up off of my messy tummy as she peels it off of me. I go to get up but she gently pushes back. "Stay still now baby. Let your Lady take care of you."

She shifts out from under me and lays my head down onto the floor. She crawls to the other side and, after adding a bit more wood to the fire, comes to kneel at my side. She looks down at the huge load of fresh cum on my belly with a giggle.

"My goodness Quin! That was a big one."

I turn my head to look at her, my eyes irresistibly drawn down her lithe nude body to her thick cock. "Lady…"

"If I have to tell you no again…" She lets the threat hang in the air unspoken, her voice gentle yet firm.

"Yes Lady."

"Good boy."

She places both hands along my flank and leans lower. Opening her mouth enough that I can make out the tips of her fangs she extends her long red tongue down into the pool of semen. It slithers through creamy jizz like a wet eel writhing in the mud. The feel of her tongue is strange. Smooth and slick yet textured and firm with a sinuous strength a human tongue couldn't compare to. Pulling her cum smeared tongue back into her mouth she tastes me and swallows. She then purses her lips around the tip of my dick and give sit a strong suck for a few seconds, not to arouse but to nurse the any remaining emission I had left inside of me out. The tip of tapered tongue laps up the dregs. I let out a grunt at the quick suck, brief as it is the moment is intense!

"Mmm." Letting my dick go she smiles then turns her eyes to look my way. "Would you like to taste?"

She wanted me to taste my own mess!? I felt naturally repulsed yet I was far too under her sway to deny her this. In this moment I would do anything for my Lady. I nod my head.

Leaning even lower her snaky tongue crawls across the flesh of my abdomen and back into my warm seed. There it rolls and wriggles so that it is soon coated in glistening milky ejaculate. She glances my way and smirks. Lifting her tongue a few thick drops ooze from her tip before she brings it closer. Wending its way toward my mouth the tongue comes to hover just above my lips. I feel a few warm droplets drip down over my closed lips. Looking up at my lady, her horned head silhouetted by the light of the stove, I slowly open my mouth for her.

Right away her cum covered tongue fills the space I provide for it. The flavor that suddenly fills my mouth is unlike any other. A unique tang of savory sweet notable mostly for its coppery blandness. It was not what I expected, not that I had any real grasp of what I did expect. Tasting jizz wasn't something I'd thought about until very recently.

Staring into Rosa's eyes I wrap my lips around her serpentine tongue…and begin to suck.

"Mmmm." I murmur softly as my sucking soon shifts to a steady suckle. "Mmmmmm."

It takes no time at all for me to clean her of my seed, which I swallow down without a fuss, and still I continue to suckle. If this was all she would give me suck I was going to take it. I gaze up with big docile eyes and let out a puling whimper, signaling my submission to her in anyway I could. Her eyes narrow and she bears her top teeth a little more.

"Mmm. Mmmm." I moan meekly as I suck her tongue as I imagined she would enjoy another part of her perfect body sucked.

Her tongue plunges deeper, I could feel the fleshy ridges along the sides slide through my tight lips, then all at once it snaps back into her mouth.

"You…are a tease." She tells me.

I grin, with just hint of bratty impudence in it, then plead "May I have some more please?"

She returns to kneeling at my side and crosses her arms. "You may." When she sees my puzzled expression she motions me to help myself. "Go ahead."

"I meant…"

"I know what you meant you little troublemaker."

I can't help but smile. Little? I was twice her size! Yet it just fit the dynamic between us. Having made my bed I have to lie in it. I swipe a finger through my load and bring it to my mouth to suck it clean.

"Keep going."

Twice more I scoop up my own pungent cum and slurp it down under my Lady's watchful eye. I had gone from appalled at the thought of it to dutifully gobbling up my creamy mess in the span of a few short minutes. Was there nothing my Lady couldn't do?

"Good boy. That's enough." She says. Leaning down she finishes the job. Her tongue stretching over my skin and scouring it clean. She even probes the tip down into my belly button to get every little bit. She then pats my firm stomach. "All cleaned up."

There was a finality in the tone of her voice that told me we were done. As she cleans her hands and mouth I lay there watching her floating in an all consuming happiness. Outside the weather had settled into a steady rain, the pitter-patter against the roof providing a soothing background noise. My fatigue sneaks up on me and soon I am yawning and blinking heavily.

The melancholy Rosa warned me of does take hold eventually. It wasn't a sadness exactly but an emptiness. I felt like a dry sponge, as drained as my still throbbing balls. As if in our magical night together we had squeezed every ounce of happiness I had to give from my soul. It isn't so bad though because Rosa is with me through it all. Bringing me some more of the soup, giving me water, combing my hair, soothing me with her gentle words and pleasant happy humming, and most importantly just touching me and holding me.

When we finally bed down for the night Rosa spoons me from behind, her right arm over my side and across my chest and her face nuzzling into the base of my neck as she gives me a series of soft lingering kisses. With the calming sound of rain above and Rosa's warm body at my back it is no time at all before slip into a deep slumber.

It seemed just a long blink before there is a hard knocking at our door. Opening my eyes I am stunned to see light coming in around the door and the sound of rain gone. It was morning.

"Mmmmm." I hear Rosa grumble as she shifts on top of me. Sometime during the night our spooning had transitioned to me laying more face down and her sprawled over the top of me. She lets out a pouting moan. "Ohhh, not yet."

Taking her small hand I squeeze it and whisper. "We have to go."

"Mmmm!" She gripes tiredly. "Oookay Master." Her calling me that was both weird, after the night we'd just shared, yet also proper, since the sun was shining and we had to get ready to face the world once more. She rolls off of me and sits up rubbing her eyes and yawning. She looks at me, blinks her big eyes and smiles brightly. "Good morning Master!"

She was so…so…CUTE!

Sitting up to face her I can't help but marvel at Rosa's incredible transformation from calm commanding Lady to adorable slave girl. I just shake my head. "How do you do that?"

"I don't know what you mean Master." She winks. "We better get dressed before someone sees us!" She calls to the door. "Don't come in, we're naked!"

I blush and Rosa giggles.

Knowing what it might mean for our hosts if we were caught here Rosa and I quickly groom, get dressed and pack up our stuff. The things they provided for us we put into a neat grouping near the door for ease of clean up. Before we leave I pause to take one last look around the little slave shack. As long I lived I would never forget this humble lodging and what happened here. If that storm hadn't come upon just when it did we would have passed by this place with barely a glance. I let out a sigh and turn to see Rosa looking up at me smiling. I could be wrong but I imagine she is having many of the same thoughts as I am.

I open the door and let the fresh moist morning breeze blow through shake and freshen it up. The morning was beautiful! Everything glistened with raindrops and the orange sunrise lit up a clear sky above. It was more than that though. The colors looked brighter and more vibrant, the sounds of the morning bird song more cheerful and uplifting than ever, and the green earthy smells of fields like Ceres herself wishing us a fine day. I felt like I could endure anything today and still have a thankful smile on my face.

We step down into the soft wet earth. Most of the other shacks were closed up, their inhabitants still sleeping, but the family that had taken us in was awake and active. They offer us a breakfast of hot porridge, which we accept graciously and gulp down quickly. We thank them profusely once more and wish them the blessings of the gods, regretful that we hadn't more to offer. They insist they were happy to do it but that we had to move along quickly. And so we do. After our hasty breakfast Rosa and I are off again.

As we reach the edge of the raised area the buildings were built upon Rosa tugs at my hand. I look over at her and she holds her arms out toward me.

"Carry me Master?" She asks sweetly. In her direct gaze however I recognize the command for what it was.

I grin from ear to ear as my heart soars then scoop her up in my strong arms. Feeling as spirited as I am I tilt my head. "Give me a kiss?" She cocks an eyebrow then, after giving it a moment's thought, gives me a peck to my unshaven cheek. "Good gi…" I start to say.

"Don't!" She jabs me with one her horns. "Behave yourself Master."

"Ooo!" I chuckle, then say more respectfully. "Thank you my Lady."

"That's better." She relaxes into me and wraps her arms around my neck to snuggle in tight as I cradle her close to my body. Feeling absolutely recharged and rejuvenated despite our late night I carry my slave and my Lady across the sopping marshy expanse toward the road beyond.

Chapter 27: A Steady Hand

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Buoyed by our incredible night together we walk through half the day as if we had Mercury's winged sandals on our feet. The miles glide by swiftly despite the increasingly hilly terrain. Not much is said but many smiles and laughs and blushing looks are exchanged. The Appian road, as one of the most vital arteries of the peninsula, still had a flow of travel going both ways but since we had passed Cumae the numbers had gone down significantly. Farms, towns and villages were getting further apart, fields of grain made way for olive groves and vineyards, and more often than not we found ourselves passing through thick untamed forest. The shade of the trees and the easy foraging was welcome but the steep climbs and descents were taxing and only getting more so as the day stretched on.

As our distance from the major city centers increased so too did the risk of banditry or worse. Other travelers began asking of news regarding threats along the road and sharing what they knew from the other direction. We learn that there were rumors of a Strix sighting a few weeks ago right not far from the main road along a section Rosa and I would be traveling right through in the coming days. Rosa's sunny disposition immediately dimmed at that news. In fact, she was downright spooked by it. While she was getting used to her new life she was still easily frightened by things out here in the wider world. She tried to keep a brave face but her fear was palpable. She walked closer to me, startled at innocuous things, and wanted more and more to hold my hand, which I was only too happy to do. I assured her that we would take the time to find good secure, or at least hidden, campsite that evening as Strix were known to be mostly active at night. The chance of a dangerous encounter was still slim but they were growing, along the way I shift my dagger so that it would be easy to get to if needed. Rosa noticed me do it which only put her more on edge.

That night we find the partial remains of an abandoned brick cottage to bed down in. There was already a group of travelers, a young family of five, camped out inside the roofless structure but they were more than happy to share the space with us. The group of us got on fine until Rosa's heritage was brought up in conversation and then things cooled significantly. That was fine by me though, it was getting on toward bedtime at that point anyway. The building had two rooms. They had already claimed the larger so we settled into the other. It was cozy but more than big enough for our purposes. With no door separating the two rooms any ideas of more sexy playtime were out of the question. Though even if we had privacy my slave was not in a playful mood. As the sky had gotten darker Rosa's anxieties gotten worse. Rosa couldn't be my Lady, tonight she was the one who needed a steadying hand.

"Hey." I say softly. "We'll be okay."

"I know." She says, though her voice warbled with doubt. There is a noise outside and her head snaps to look up at the open roof, her eyes wide and nervous. After a moment she lets out her held breath. In what dim illumination that made it into this room from the family's fire I could see Rosa's eyes were wild with terror. She was barely holding herself together.

"Why don't you play a song? It will make you feel better."

Her head bows lower, her hands are clasped together, in a small voice she says. "Do I have to Master? Please don't make me."

"Of course you don't have to."

Through the door comes the laughter of children as their father told the Aesop classic of the Lion and the Mouse complete with silly voices.

"How can they laugh like that?" Rosa whispers, her big terrified eyes continuing to scan the clear starry sky above. "We're all alone out here. If the Strix…or something else…" She shudders. "It's not safe here. They should be quiet. They should put out their fire. How can they laugh? Make them be quiet Quin."

"Rosa."

"They are going to bring the monsters here." The panic in her voice rises. "The monsters will come! Make them be quiet. Make them put out their fire. Please Master."

"Rosa."

A hooting owl sends my slave scrambling into the corner of the room. Huddled in a ball she covers her head with her arms and starts to rock back and forth. "I don't want to be here anymore." I hear her say very quietly, not to me but herself. "I want to go home. I don't want to be here."

I look at poor Rosa. She'd been scared early on but never like this. She had been adapting so admirably to our rural living despite being a lifelong city girl. But that mention earlier in the day of a monster sighting had changed everything. She had never been able to settle after that.

Taking our blanket I shift closer to her. Reaching out I take her by the shoulders and guide her to me. "Come here."

She doesn't resist. Crawling up onto my lap she curls up and clings to me tightly. "I'm scared Master."

"I know." I say gently as I pull the blanket around us.

"It's going to find us Master." She lets out soft sob. "I don't want to die."

I wrap my arms around her and hold her. I kiss her horned head. "Nobody is going to die tonight."

"But…"

"Shhh." I stroke her long soft hair. "I won't let anybody or anything hurt you Rosa."

I feel her relax a little. "I miss the city." She confesses. "I miss the walls and the soldiers and the people. I miss the safety."

"Hmm. I feel just the opposite. Out here it's easier to tell the monsters from the people." I say. "You've seen the other travelers and the farmers along the way. It's not as dangerous out here as you think. We get on fine in the country. We just have to keep calm and look out for each other."

She sighs and snuggles in, just the top of her head peeked out from beneath the blanket. "What if it finds us?"

"I'll fight it if need be. You'll run and hide and…"

"NO!" She clings harder, her fingers digging into my sides. "No! We'll run and hide…together. Or we fight it together. I'll fight with you."

"Rosa…"

"I won't! I won't run and hide without you!" She whimpers. "Not again! Never again!" The next thing I knew she had broken down into tears. I hold her to me as she weeps in my arms. "We stay together!"

"Is everything okay in here?" The young mother of the family pokes a head around the door frame.

"We're fine." I tell her. She nods and pulls back to give us our space.

Much like Rosa had done with me just the night before I hold her and soothe her. I wasn't practiced at this sort of thing but I do my best to let her know that she wasn't alone and that I was here for her. It wasn't long before she settled enough to talk again.

"This isn't helping anything." Rosa peeps guiltily, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I need to be brave."

"It's better to get it out than hold it in."

"Says Mr. Stoic man."

I smile and kiss her head again. "I wasn't so stoic last night."

"Mmm." She hums. "I wish we were there now. Or any place with a good roof and sturdy doors. I feel so…vulnerable out here."

"Rosa, I don't mean to pry but…you said again." My voice is low and calm, again I take her treatment of me the night before as a guide. "You said you wouldn't run without me. You said never again."

"It's…" She pauses. "…just something that happened a long time ago. It's not important."

"It is important. I would like to hear about it."

"That life is gone."

"Yet you carry it with you." I whisper softly. "Please Lady. Let me help you carry the burden. I'm your boy, aren't I?"

"Quin…I…" She starts as if she were about to deflect again.

"Please my Lady. Let me in."

After a long moment she takes a deep breath and tells the tale. "I was nine years old, my little sister only six. We were a part of my father's party heading West from Heliopolis to look into an obelisk that had been uncovered in the desert. It was Danae and I's first time out of the city, the first time Papa let us come along on one of his expeditions. We were so excited."

"His? Your father was a man?"

She pats my chest. "Yes Quin. My Amazon half comes from my mother. Amazons can bear children too. We can both sire and bear children. I warned you about believing those story books." This was a huge revelation to me. I'd always been told Amazon's raided so as to kidnap women to mate with. She continues. "My demon blood comes from Papa. He was a wizard. A powerful one too. Something about his demon side made magic easier for him. Mama was his bodyguard." Her use of 'was' told me half of the tragic story already. "They fell in love. Their relationship was shunned but…wizards live by their own rules. Power affords them that freedom." She falls silent for a time. "It was dark that night, so very dark beyond the campfire. We had camped in a wooded oasis. Danae and I were playing at the edge of the light as the adults drank and told stories. There was no warning…only the screams of the dying men and the rattling hiss of the hydra that had sprung upon us. It all happened so fast. Papa got Danae and I under an unseeing spell…it was the last thing he would ever do. If we hadn't have been there…" She trembles and shrinks against me. "…he could have used that time to protect himself."

"He protected his daughters. It is what any father would do."

"In her rage Mama attacked it, cleaving one of the great serpent heads clean off of the body. It's true what they say…two heads grew where the one had been. It pulled her pieces to Quin. We saw it. It tore Mama to pieces!" Rosa breaks down sobbing once more, hard wracking sobs, her tears wetting my chest through my tunic. My heart bleeds of her. Again I hold her and stroke her and let her feel my arms around her.

"Mum…the woman is crying." One of the children next door whispers too loudly. "Why is she crying?"

"Shh child. Leave them be." The mother says. "Go to sleep now."

Hearing this Rosa sniffles and endeavors to collect herself. "Gods, I'm scaring the kids."

"They're fine." I say.

"No. They don't need to hear me like this. I don't want to worry them." I go to object but Rosa reaches up to touch my lips with the tips of two fingers. "Just hold me Quin." She kisses my cheek. "Hold me and don't let go until the morning light."

"Yes my Lady."

"Kiss me." I kiss her cheek as usual. "Good boy." Then after a short pause. "Thank you Master."

We lay down together with the blanket over us. She has me spoon her, my much larger body nearly encompassing her slight frame. She is still shaken but having let out some of her fears through story and tears, and with my strong arm around her and my big body pressed tight in behind her, she is able to settle down and find some rest.

Chapter 28: The Vale

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We rise before the family. Keeping our voices low we get ready and creep through their room and out of the building. The air is cool and damp, the world around us glowed with a sheen of dew. I rub my smooth cheek, my face still felt nice from the fresh shave, as I wait for Rosa to finish relieving herself. Her Violet head pops up from the bush she had squatted behind and she returns looking as ready as ever for the day ahead.

Curiosity gets the better of me. "Could you stand and pee if you wanted to?"

"Sure." She shrugs.

"Huh."

With a playful glint in her eye she says. "Is that a challenge?"

"Huh?"

"Think you can pee further than me do you? We'll see about that big guy."

"Pee?" I chuckle. "What?"

"Oh? Or do you think you can shoot further?" She shakes her head. "Bullying a poor innocent little Amazon girl like me, big meanie. I'll put you in your place Master."

I am grinning hard. The sun was out and Rosa had found her humor again. A good night's rest safely cocooned in my embrace had worked wonders for her. Stepping closer to me she slips her arms around my waist and hugs me.

"I'm sorry how I acted last night. I'm trying really hard to brave. Sometimes…it's difficult."

I wrap my arms around her shoulders and hug her back. "You are doing great. I'm really proud of you Rosa."

"Thank you."

Before we part I lean down to kiss her head between her horns. "Hey, your horns are growing."

"Told you it wouldn't be long. They grow quick." She reaches up and feels them. "I should get a proper file at some point."

"We have one."

"That one is for tools. Too coarse."

"The sharpening stone?"

"Too fine." She says. "I could let them grow I suppose. What do you think?"

"I'm…not sure."

"I kept them short for cuteness reasons. But long ones look soooo elegant." She says. "Papa's were…majestic. They can really creep people out though."

"Let them creep out. You should decide. I think…um…I think you'd be pretty either way." I feel my cheeks blushing but ignore it. "I think…I think you're very beautiful Rosa."

"Aww." She grins. "Thank you Quin."

I try to keep eye contact but my old bashfulness gets the better of me causing me to glance up and down between her face and the ground. "I think…you're the most…beautiful…woman…I've ever…seen."

"Oh Master." She says merrily. Taking my hand she kisses my palm and rubs her soft cheek into it. "You'll make a Narcissus out of me talking like that."

"I mean it."

"I know." Closing her eyes she whispers. "Don't fall in love with me Master. I'm just a slave girl."

"And my Lady."

Her smile grows. "Yes. And your Lady."

I wanted to say so much more but…a dumb farmer like me didn't have the words. Not like the learned men and honey tongued poets Rosa was accustomed to. What could I say that could compare? Just then, as if timed specifically to spoil this moment, my stomach lets out a loud angry growl.

"Hungry boy." Rosa pats my belly and she steps away.

"I'm starving." I confess.

"I saw a few lemon trees over there." She motions to in behind the old cottage.

"Yeah, this place used to be an orchard." Our foraging had been fruitful the day before but I was craving something with substance. Some meat and fat to fill out the fruits, berries and herbs we'd collected would be wonderful. "Let's grab a few then stop at the next stream. I'm in the mood for trout."

"Yum! Me too!"

It only takes a couple of minutes to find a tree whose boughs hung heavy with ripe fruit. These were no small bitter lemons but a plump variety with thick rinds and pleasantly juicy sour-sweet flesh. We each eat one as our breakfast before gathering more to take with us. Using Rosa's capelet we bundle about a dozen of them up and are soon back on the road.

Once we are on our way I ask. "Do you wish to talk some more? About…your family or anything."

Rosa looks Eastward toward the rising sun and takes a deep breath. "Not now. It is too nice a day for dark thoughts."

I nod. "Agreed. But I'm always here to listen."

"I know Master."

Rosa was still nervous, very much so, but she faced her fears like an adorable Hercules. If things got too bad I would slip my hand into hers and after a fortifying breath she would nod her thanks to me and persevere. Her vulnerability only made me adore and admire her more. She had a courage I could only dream of. My great fear, speaking with and getting intimate with women, I had only overcome because she took control and guided me. While I could support her with her fears it wasn't the same. Knowing what I knew now I respected what an ordeal all of this was for her and realized how each step she took through this wilderness was a small act of bravery on her part.

In the very next vale we come to a bridge that crossed a deep narrow river. The forest here is old. The thick twisted trees were probably alive when Romulus and Remus were still suckling at the she-wolf's teats. The thick canopy gives the area a dark otherworldly feel. Here and there green motes of light glided through among the foliage.

"Forest nymphs!" I whisper as we step off of the road beside the bridge. "I've never seem them before."

"You haven't?" Rosa steps closer to me, clutching her flute and lemon bundle close to her chest as if they might protect her.

"It's okay. They're as harmless as the others, just much more rare. Wow."

Rosa's eyes follows one of the motes as it lands on a fern frond not even ten feet away. "They're so pretty. They can't hurt us?"

"Not even if they wanted to as far as I know." I say. "I'm not even sure they take much notice of us. They say an hour is like a day for them. Imagine how slow we must seem to them."

"We would look to them like these old trees do to us." Slowly Rosa turns to look around. The ancient forest was much different than the drier hills and mountains we'd been traveling through. "There's magic here, isn't there?"

"I think so." I walk up and pat a nearby trunk. "Silvanus definitely cares for this place. If we searched I am sure we'd find a shrine close by."

"I've…I've never seen any place like it. I almost…feel it. The cities have nothing like this." Slowly her trepidation was turning to wonderment as she looked about the ancient woods. Along with the nymph motes were birds and bees, butterflies and bright flowers blooming the small clearings between the grand old trees. "This is incredible!"

"And this is just along the road. Imagine deeper in." I reach across and take the fruit from Rosa. "Silvanus loves woodwind music." I glance toward her flute. "If you play for him he may bless us."

She looks at her instrument then back up. "Play for a god!?"

"What better offering is there?" I say. "Besides, as long I can hear your flute I will know you are safe while I'm down there fishing." I kneel down to set our belongings down in a hidden nook out of sight from the road. Opening the pack I pull out my dagger and fishing equipment. "If I hear the music stop I'll come running. Okay?"

I expected resistance to leaving her alone while I made the short but steep down to the river but the woodland beauty seemed to have captured her, making her forget her fears for the moment. She nods and walks to the dappled edge of the nearest clearing. There she pulls her slippers from her slender feet to feet the cool soft moss on her soles. She giggles and wiggles her toes. "I'll be right here Master."

"Good. I won't be far away."

I hear the sweet notes begin of yet another song I didn't recognize. Her repertoire was impressive. Climbing down through the thick bushes I make my way to a landing of smooth stones along the bank of the river. Above me Rosa's flute chimes through leaves and branches to fill the sylvan space with a serene music, the burbling of the water only accentuates it. I move along under the arch of the bridge to a shallows just on the other side. The lord of the forest, clearly pleased by Rosa's playing, blesses me with a bountiful catch. Salmon no less! Enough to feed us for days

My net straining with the wriggling weight of my catch I make my way back under the bridge to the rocky landing. The melodic sound of my slave's lovely flute growing as I went. I was just readying myself for the climb when the sound of something heavy hitting the ground followed a loud rustle of leaves grabs my attention from just across the river. Unfortunately Rosa hears it too. The music stops dead.

"Master!" She screams. "Something is here! A monster!"

"Stay there!" I call out, but I could hear her crashing through the foliage in a desperate rush to get to me. Behind me I hear whatever it was that startled her get closer as well, nearly upon me already! Rosa was running directly toward the very thing that frightened her. "Shit." I mutter. I hadn't the time to make the climb and get away before Rosa got here. I sling my catch behind me and pull my dagger then spin to face the potential danger. In a flash Rosa is just behind me holding up her flute in her trembling hands as if it were a sword.

She is panting hard, her eyes wide with terror. "I've angered him! He didn't like my playing. My music brought it here! I'm sorry!"

"Rosa." I say, my eyes scanning the opposite bank. The rustle gets closer, leaves and low branches sway. Whatever it was it was big! "Just keep calm. Stay behind me."

"Oh gods have mercy on us!"

Through the bushes comes the head of a great stallion of purest white. His mane shone of silver. Deep dark mysterious eyes regard us as little more than a benign curiosity before he shakes his mighty head and lets out snuffing grunt. Stepping out further we see two massive wings folding up along his back. Dipping his head down low he drinks from the clear running water.

"A pegasus!" I gasp in awe.

A moment later a smaller one with a copper mane, a mare, steps out from behind to join her mate at his side. I lower my weapon and sheath it. Stallion and mare on one side, Rosa and I on the other, we stand transfixed and watch the mythical equines drink their fill. I put my arm around her shoulders and hold Rosa to my side.

"Quin! Look at them! I've never seen…they are so…I can't believe…" Her hushed voice drifts off. The moment had left her speechless.

"Silvanus heard you." I whisper. "And I don't think you angered him at all."

Chapter 29: Salvation

Chapter Text

Rosa and I stand in silence as we watch the pegasi quench their thirst. The stallion finishes first and raises his head to look at once more as he waits for the mare to finish. And then, as quickly as they had emerged, they turn and disappear back into the ancient forest.

"I can't believe that just happened." Rosa whispers. She looks up at me with a huge grin. "They were magnificent!"

"You wouldn't see that in the city."

She leans into me. "Not a chance."

We stay there for a time just taking in the green dappled atmosphere and burbling song of the river. It was a pleasant change from the harsh direct sunlight and sharp wind of the more arid mountains that lay both behind and ahead in our journey home. Nothing is said, nothing needed to be said, as we enjoy the moment together.

The peace is broken as a group of noisy travelers pass over the bridge. Looking down at us they call out a greeting and wave. We wave back and step apart. The ebbing struggles of the salmon slapping on the stones pull our attention back.

"We can't eat all that!" Rosa exclaims when she sees the haul.

"I wasn't about to throw back Silvanus' gift."

"Mmm, good point."

I start picking leaves and twigs out of Rosa's hair and clothes. In her mad scramble to get to me she had sprinted straight down the bushy slope. "You okay?"

"Are you kidding? After that I am buzzing like a bee!" She smooths out her long hair. "That was amazing."

I tell Rosa to start gathering firewood and take it to the clearing where she'd been playing her flute as I set to work cleaning the fish here at the bank. Our "breakfast" was going to take us right through until almost lunchtime at this point but I wasn't about to rush things in a place like this. Before long we have a cooking fire burning with spits of sizzling herb coated salmon above. Beside we have the lemons and other things we'd foraged laid out for our meal.

"This is way too much." Rosa giggles. "We couldn't eat all of this in three days!"

I look at her. I look at the bountiful food. Then I think back to generosity of the slaves that had given us a roof in the storm.

"You know what? You're right." I say. "We should share our blessing." I motion off toward the road. "Why don't you see if somebody else could use a fresh cooked meal while I finish this."

"That's a great idea." She gives me long look. "Too bad though. I was going to tie to that tree and have my way with you after we ate. Ah well."

"Wait! What?"

With a teasing wink and wiggle of her cute tush she skips off toward the road. Even though I am pretty sure that she was joking, now that she'd brought it to mind…GAH! Curse my good intentions!

The road is close enough I can keep an eye on Rosa's violet horned head as she waits to greet passing travelers. Two groups pass by, one from each direction, but after a brief friendly conversation with each they politely decline the offer and head on their way. The third group however takes us up on our invitation. Hearing them approach I look and am surprised both by the number as well as the make up of the group. There were eleven of them in total, ten soldiers along with a an old bearded man in simple saffron robe with iron shackles around his wrists. Behind them followed three donkeys laden with supplies.

I stand up immediately to show respect and address the guard commander. "Hail good Captain!"

To my great surprise it is not the officer but the prisoner who steps forward to address me. He motions to me to be at ease, his gravely voice is warm and rich with a thick Eastern accent. "It is I who accepted your gracious hospitality young man. They must watch me however, will this make you uncomfortable?"

I flash a wary look to Rosa who says. "Master Ignatius hails from Antioch. He is being escorted to Rome for sentencing."

The man gives Rosa a humble smile. "Please, just Ignatius. I am master of nothing."

The untroubled expression of the soldiers tell me that this was not an unusual situation for them. The captain gives me a nod then motions his men to the other side of the clearing. As one they move to give us space and take rest in the shade of the trees.

I didn't know what to make of this. Though clearly a prisoner the soldiers did not look the least bit concerned that he might try to escape. While he had a sort of dignified presence about him he was not a large man and posed no threat that I could see. If the slaves could take two rain soaked travelers in at the risk of punishment I certainly wasn't going to turn away this old man even if he was a criminal.

"Please, sit." I say. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Bless you." He says. "I am sustained by the kindness of strangers. We've been on the road for many weeks and my escort are under orders not to feed me."

While slender the man hardly looked malnourished. He must come across such kindness often. I glance toward the soldiers who were setting down helmets and shields to stretch out on the mossy ground. I see a few look longingly at the roasting salmon but none request to partake. This was getting more peculiar by the moment.

"They're just going wait for you to eat?" I ask.

"Yes." He says. "My fierce leopards have become lambs as we've traveled. Pity for a condemned old man perhaps."

"Well we're happy to share." Rosa says.

"A meal of fish." He smiles as he looks to the fire. "How could I refuse such a clear sign from above." He kneels down close to the fire. "It is what my Savior ate after His resurrection."

"You're a Christian?" Rosa says with surprise.

"Yes." He nods and holds up his shackles. "That is my crime."

I had heard of the cult of Christ but knew very little about it beyond that it was a growing sect of Judaism. A week ago I might have been taken aback at speaking with a man who renounced the official gods but my experience with Rosa had helped open my mind and accept new things.

"I see." Rosa says in a strangely flat voice. She flashes me an odd look then subtly shifts away from our guest. Picking up her flute she gives it a spin and tells me. "I'm going to see if I can get few coins out of these soldiers, if that is okay with you Master."

"Yeah sure." I nod. "Tell them we have enough food to share as well."

"If you need me Master, I'll be right over here." With that Rosa excuses herself and heads off toward the soldiers. My eyes linger on her too long before I can tear them away.

"She is a charming slave." Ignatius says as he studies me intently. "You are a unique pair the two of you."

"Yes." I reply. "It's a unique story how I got her."

He smiles. "The best kind of story."

"Right." I start moving some of the cooked fish onto the fern leaves we had set out. "So you're a Christian. I don't believe I've met one before."

"Don't be so sure. We are forced to stay hidden, especially this near the heart of the Empire, but there are more of us than you might suspect."

Looking at his manacles I say. "I've heard tales that your cult are willing to die for your beliefs."

"They are true. I am no doubt bound for the Colosseum simply because of my faith." He confirms. "Rome is where I will die."

"Huh." He seemed weirdly at peace with his coming death. "But…why? Surely it's better live on."

"The Emperor killing me will be a sin that stains his soul. If I denied the truth in my heart the sin would be mine instead."

"I don't get you Ignatius. It seems such a foolish thing."

"Have you nothing in your life you are willing to die for?"

Without meaning to my eyes drift up to look across at my slave speaking with guard commander. I quickly look down again and shake my head. "I mean, I would defend my home and my family. But to die for the gods? I don't know."

"What if your gods were willing to die for you?" He says. "What if your gods loved you so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for you?"

I laugh and shake my head. "Why would the gods love me? I'm lucky if they notice me at all."

"My God loves me." Ignatius says with absolute conviction. There wasn't a shred of doubt in his confident tone. "My God died on the cross for my sins and was then reborn so that I could truly live."

"Died for your sins? I…I don't understand."

As I place the next three fish over the fire on their own spits Ignatius tells me about marvelous things. How there isn't many gods, but One. When I object he asks me questions about how one thing seemed to connect to another and then another and another. The way he puts things it becomes difficult to discern where one thing ended and another began. I begin to see how all things are connected and when looked at from afar each thing was really a facet of a perfect unified whole. And that was God. He asks how I can worship beings who might have power but suffer the same petty flaws of mortals. Were such beings worthy of faith? He asks if I would worship the guards simply because they had weapons and training that made them stronger than me. Everything, even the many conflicting gods of Rome and Egypt and the Celts, were simply a part of a larger truth.

The way he asked questions brought my own questions out more and more. To each one he had a direct answer. At times he seemed to pluck the questions straight from my mind to answer them before they are even asked. He then moves on to address questions I hadn't even thought of, pushing my horizons out into uncharted places. It all just made so much sense the way he was saying it. He was so wise and so insightful and so passionately certain of the things he said that I could sense I was in the presence of somebody very special.

He tells me about salvation. He tells of eternal life. He tell me about heaven and about how God rewarded those who lived a good and honest life regardless of their station or earthly accomplishments. Farmers and slaves and emperors alike entered through the gates to be judged as equals. He tells me about the love God had for me and common people like me. He tells me that God wants the best for me. He tells me about Jesus Christ. A real man who performed miracles! Jesus who defied the will of the Empire and was killed for it yet whose name had lived on among his faithful despite the great persecution they faced. Would so many sacrifice themselves for something that wasn't true?

"I go to Rome to be killed for the amusement of the masses because of the vain ego of one man. Not a god, a man." He says firmly. "My true judgment will only come from God himself."

"Aren't you scared?"

"No." He looks down to his body. "The Emperor will kill this shell but my everlasting spirit he cannot touch." He looks to the heavens. "My heavenly father waits of me."

"Your…father?" I say. "Your father is in heaven?"

"Yes."

"Is my father in heaven too?"

He tilts his head and looks into my desperate eyes. "He has passed on?"

"Yes. He was a soldier. He was…slain." I normally wouldn't tell a stranger this, yet Ignatius I knew I could trust. "He went away and I never saw him again. He died in a foreign land…without even a burial! His spirit is lost from…he…"

"Wipe your tears son." He whispers. "Don't let the soldiers see you cry."

I quickly swipe the single tear that was rolling down my cheek. "I'm sorry."

"Was your father a righteous man?"

"Yes! He was a good man. Such a good man. A brave man. A good father and husband."

"And you love him?"

"I love him so much!"

"You miss him?"

"Yes! Yes, more than anything."

"But he didn't give himself to Jesus?"

"No. It wasn't taught in my home. We didn't know about any of these things." I say. "Is he lost Ignatius?"

"God judges a man by his heart, he would not let a moral man go to hell." Ignatius assures me as he places a hand on my shoulder. "Since he hadn't the chance to hear the good word in life, as you have, he will be given a chance in death. Fear not Quintus."

"He is not lost?"

"No. He is in purgatory. He will find his way to heaven. You will see your father again Quin, if you accept God's love into your life."

My heart leapt with joy! I could see my Dad again! Jesus could help me find my Dad!

The fish, all cooked, lay on the leaves cooling, along with the sliced lemons, as I sit lost in thought at all Ignatius had told me. Across the clearing Rosa played her flute as the men sang along. I watched my beautiful slave perform. She had such life in her. She brought such happiness to everyone she met. She wasn't a curse, she was a blessing! Living proof of how wrong my beliefs had been. Why had I been taught lies all of my life? If they lied about Amazons, what other falsehoods did they force into me?

"Can…can an Amazon get into heaven?"

"Of course Quin. Salvation is open to all with a true heart." Ignatius leans in and looks to Rosa as well. "In my church God will bless any proper marriage of the faithful. Even that of slave and master or Amazon and Roman."

"Marriage?" I whisper. "Rosa could marry?"

"Not by earthly laws but in the eyes of God. Many of our flock are slaves Quintus. Our church spans through the Empire and far beyond. All with a soul are welcome in God's love. God doesn't care about riches or race or status, it is a true heart that really matters."

"A true heart." I echo.

He then sighs sadly and shakes his head. "Such a shame that she's a demon."

Chapter 30: Heaven or Hell?

Chapter Text

I look at Ignatius puzzled. My Roman sensibilities could grasp having an issue with Rosa's Amazon half, but the demon part of her? While they weren't generally loved they had been a part of the Empire as long as there had been an Empire.

"A shame?" I say. "Why? What's wrong with demons?"

"Oh son, I've not yet told you about Satan. Lucifer." His eyes lock onto mine. "The serpent in God's glorious garden."

The mention of a serpent has me thinking of Rosa's long snaky tongue.

"The Greeks taught us that the angels and demons that walk among us were proto-humans, created to inhabit Olympus and Hades respectively. That they were cast too pure for free will and without free will their worship was hollow. So humans were created to inhabit the Earth, an alloy of above and below cooled in the mud of the mortal world."

"I have heard this." I say.

"The Greeks lied to us Quintus!" Ignatius leans in, a fervent fire flickering in his dark eyes. "In the time of Moses God sent angels, true angels, down from heaven to ready the world for the coming of His son. Like a farmer tilling and enriching their soil before the seeding. Do you understand Quintus?"

"Yes." I say. "They wanted us to be ready for Jesus."

"Very good!" He smiles. "You are a very bright young man. The angels came as messengers of God, giving us prophecies and signs toward our eventual salvation. They were beings of heaven, but they were not perfect for only God is perfect. A few succumbed to the temptations of wine and flesh and their offspring were the genesis of those who walk among us now that we call angels."

"But Rosa isn't an angel."

"No Quintus, Rosa is no angel. If only she were." He says grimly. "It would be so much easier."

I was enthralled by his wise words and his glowing gaze. The forest around me melts into the distance as I focus on the light in his eyes. I yearned to hear more from this great man. I wanted him to teach me the truth. "Easier?"

"With angels roaming the world the evil one, a fallen angel himself, was able to appear as one of them to the people of the time. As true angels beget mortal ones so the Devil sewed demons from his foul seed."

"Devil?"

"Evil incarnate. Through trickery and domination he leads man into sin and away from the love of God. He wants man trapped in the false goods of wealth, earthly power, and bodily delights." He says. "He is a great red scaled beast with black horns and a tongue of hellfire and a wickedly barbed tale."

The creature conjured in my imagination is more fearsome than any monster I'd ever heard of. "The Devil frightens me Ignatius!"

"As he should!" Ignatius says. "He leads good men off the path that in their heart they know to be right."

"He does?"

"Yes he does, and so does she." He points to my slave. "Satan's blood runs through her veins. His evil is in her."

"But…she…isn't evil."

"She is a deceiver." He says.

I think back to how effortlessly she had told Gaius half truths.

"Demons, like their master Satan, have a will to dominate." He says.

I think back to her binding me and how quickly she had me kissing her feet and calling her my Lady and obeying her every command.

"With the tongue of a serpent she will prey on your goodness. She will use your honor and sympathies to burrow her way into your heart."

I don't want to think these thoughts! I don't like them. I don't want to think about Rosa like this. Yet as I look into Ignatius' intense glowing gaze I cannot help but recall how she clung to me and called for me. She spoke of how she needed me. How she brought out every protective instinct inside of me. How she made me brave, but…perhaps this new courage was misplaced. Was it foolishness instead? Would it lead me into doom?

"With the cruel empty heart of a fiend she will prey on your weakness as well." He presses. "Any flaw exploited to find a way to worm into your soul."

Had she sensed my fear? My fear of being out alone for the first time? My fear of women? She held me and soothed me and told me we were going home. She assuaged every anxiety I had, almost too well. Was the home she spoke of hell?

"With Satan's help she will show you false miracles."

False miracles? Had it really been Silvanus that summoned those Pegasi?

"She will beguile you Quintus. She wants your soul. She will lead you down the road of temptation into sin."

I remember the ways she touched me that no other woman had, even though she knew we could not marry. I remember the wicked sexual pleasures she had brought out in me. I remember my unmanly mewling as she took control of me and made me cum for her.

"She will make you do and say things no virtuous man would and convince you it is holy."

The things I had already said! The things we'd already done! What would mother and father think of me?

"Or has she already captured you? Perhaps your soul is lost?"

"No." I whisper.

"Good!" He says. "That's good Quintus. Hold onto your soul. Give it to Jesus, not the Devil."

"She…she isn't…evil." I stammer as I wilt under his heavy gaze.

"She can be saved Quin. She can be exorcised and brought into God's love."

"Yes! I want to save her!"

"Of course you do son. You are a good man. Like your father before you who waits for you in heaven."

"Dad?"

"He wants you to do the right thing Quintus. Your father watches you from heaven at Jesus' side. He sees you even now."

"Dad! What…what do I have to do?"

"I will help you my son. You won't be alone."

"Help? How? How can we help her?"

"Her horns will be torn from her head never to return as they represent a crown of evil."

"Her…horns?"

"Her devil ears will be cut from her so that she can no longer hear Lucifer's forked tongue."

"Cut?"

"Her red eyes plucked so she cannot see Satan's secret signals."

"They…aren't…red." Every word is a challenge to speak.

"Her wicked tongue shall be removed so she will never be tempted to speak Lucifer's name."

"…no…" I whimper. I try to shrink from him but I cannot move.

"We will build a fire, a great bonfire, and cast her into it."

"Fire?"

"She will not burn but if the fire is hot enough it will purge Satan's blood from her through cleansing pain. She will renounce her dark master and submit to God's mercy."

"Pain?"

"Pain is only temporary. Salvation is forever." He leans closer, so close our noses nearly touch. I can actually feel heat coming from his illuminated eyes. "She can be yours! You can still marry her Quintus. You can marry the woman you love."

"Love?"

"Once purged she will be reborn! A simple chastity cage so that neither of you succumb to the sin of Sodom and you can marry your beautiful slave girl with the blessing of the Lord upon you both." Ignatius says with fearsome passion. "You can see your father again. You can have your wife. You will have eternal life. Give yourself to Christ!"

In my mind I see Rosa in the fire. Screaming. Calling out for mercy. Reaching for me. Crying in agony just as she had when those slavers branded her with my symbol. I can hear her scream! The memory of Rosa's agony cuts through it all.

"NO!!!" I cry out. As I shake my head it and pull away it is as if I was coming up for air from dark cold water. The world around me comes back into focus. I can hear Rosa's music again and the smell of burning fish comes into my nose. On my hands and knees I scramble back from the man. From his eyes a golden light shines as bright as the fire beside him. Was it magic or was it God!? "No! I won't do that to Rosa! I won't hurt her!"

Hearing her name Rosa turns to look. The music stops as she drops her flute and within seconds she is at my side. Kneeling down at my side she looks at my terrified face and caresses my cheeks. "Quin! Gods, you're so pale. What's wrong? What happened?"

With a trembling hand I point to the man in manacles.

Standing up Rosa turns to him. Holding me to her hip like a protective mother she interposes herself and hisses. "What are you telling him? What nonsense have you told him?" I cling to her leg, my head against her hip, as I struggle to collect myself. "What have you done to my boy!?

"Your boy?" Quintus stands and squares his shoulders. The guise of the harmless old man sloughs away to reveal the palpable power of his imperious charisma. "He's not yours yet…DEMON!" He spits the last word. "Tell her my son."

Across the clearing the soldiers are picking up their gear and heading our way.

"I…I won't hurt her." I gasp each word. "I won't hurt her. I won't hurt her."

"It is for her own good." Ignatius says. "You will be saving her."

"Leave!" Rosa shouts. "How dare you accept our food then do this! I didn't think that even a Christian could be so crass. Leave here. Leave us in peace. Go to Rome and feed the Emperor's lions you old fool."

The soldiers do nothing to break this up. Instead they file in behind the man in saffron robes clearly at the ready to his bidding. He might have worn the shackles but a prisoner he was not.

"They follow you." Rosa says with dawning realization. "You are their master."

"I told you before, I am master of nothing. They follow the Redeemer."

"You've charmed them. You're an enchanter."

"Ha! No. They have seen the truth…as Quin has. Tell her Quintus. Stand up to her."

Rosa strokes my hair and continues to shield me. One small slave girl standing against ten armed soldiers and Ignatius. I continue holding her leg so that I would not swoon. The longer I was out of Ignatius' gaze the more I was feeling like myself again though…what he said made so much sense. If only he didn't ask me to hurt Rosa. I wanted so bad to listen to him. I wanted all of the same things that he wanted for me. I wanted to see my Dad again. I wanted to feel God's love. I wanted…Rosa. Ignatius could give me everything!

"Why go to Rome?" Rosa continues. "Why let them take you? The Emporer will have wards to protect him, he won't fall for your charms."

"In killing me the Emperor will create thousands more just like me. I will be a martyr for my Lord. My name etched in history. The church of Christ cannot be stopped." He says. "Like these soldiers the Emperor will play his part just as God intends."

"You're mad!"

"Your time is short demon. You and your kind will be erased from memory. Demons, wizards, monsters and pagan gods, all of Satan's servants, burned from history by God's truth."

"There's an old Alexandrian expression I think fits just this moment perfectly." Rosa says back. "Fuck you asshole!" She points to the road. "Take your fucking brain dead soldiers and your fucking batshit crazy beliefs and get the fuck out of here!" She then lets out a feral snarl and bares her tiny fangs. "LEAVE MY BOY ALONE!"

At Rosa's wild snarl the soldiers go for their swords until Ignatius raises his hands to stop them.

"I've wasted enough words on you evil one. Quintus! Rise!" He commands in a booming voice. "Stand and face your demon."

Chapter 31: Down to Earth

Chapter Text

From around Rosa I peek out at Ignatius. Behind him the soldiers had formed two banks of five. They were armed and armored, each of them larger than their manacled prisoner, yet the man in saffron robes stood out from among them like a giant. The light in his eyes was gone but the fervent fires still burned hot. Seeing me looking his face softens into one of grandfatherly concern and the light flickers once again. Rosa quickly turns my head with her hand so that I wasn't looking directly at him.

In a gentle voice he says to me. "Look son. See her true face. See the hate in her heart. Look at your demon."

"Rrrrr." The low growl of a wildcat comes from her as she holds me to her thigh. "Stop talking to him! Stop poisoning him with your words. Leave him alone!"

Despite myself I obey Ignatius' suggestion to look up at my slave. Her intense magenta eyes were narrowed in anger, her brow furrowed, and her teeth bared to show her small fangs. Her head was dipped slightly almost as if she were about to charge Ignatius with her pointy horns. I'd never seen her look more fierce.

"Get up son." Ignatius says. "There is only one reason a man should be on his knees and that is to pray to the good Lord above. Stand up!"

My body readies itself to rise…before relaxing again. Rosa glances down at me as her hand tightens along the side of my neck. "Don't listen to him Quin. Don't look in his eyes." She says. "He has enchanted you. If you obey him once it only gets harder to resist him."

"You seem to know a lot about magic for a slave." He says as his own eyes narrow. "But I am no wizard, I am a messenger of truth." With impatience starting to grow in his voice he says again. "Get up Quintus. Get to your feet and face your demon! Save her and save yourself!"

Behind him the soldiers begin to chime in. "You can do it Quintus." "Stand up." "Be a man." "Don't kneel like that for a mere girl." "Get to your feet man, you look pathetic down there." "You are the master, she is the slave. Show her!" "Ignatius speaks the truth." "He can save you like he did me." The fact they wore the same uniform as my father makes the words hit harder. I could almost see him standing there among them. I could almost hear his voice in theirs. "A real man doesn't kneel to a woman."

As if he could read my heart Ignatius urges. "Stand up! Your father waits for you Quin. Your father waits for you to be the good man he knows you can be. Reject Satan. Give yourself to Jesus."

"Rosa." I whisper as I clutch her bare leg tighter. I wanted so bad to explain to her but the words were all a jumble in my head. "He wants…to help us. To save us. We should listen to him."

"I've heard about how Christians want to save people like me."

"Tell her Ignatius." I plead with him. "Tell her about…how everything is connected and…how Jesus died for our sins. Tell her those things you told me."

"Until she is exorcised she cannot hear God's truth. I will not waste my breath on her."

"She's not pure demon. Tell him Rosa. Tell him you can be saved the normal way. Tell him that we don't have to hurt you to save you."

"I am a demon." She says firmly with a noble look about her. "Proudly so."

Neither were cooperating nor giving an inch. I had to choose one or the other.

"Pride goeth before the fall." Ignatius warns. "If you will not rebuke Satan then you will perish demon."

"You will commit murder?" Rosa asks.

"We will break no laws." He says. "That is not my way. With the blessing of your master we put down an uppity slave girl. Perfectly legal."

"Why are you doing this to him?" Rosa asks. "He's a good boy, he's never harmed a soul."

"It is his soul I worry about." Ignatius replies. "Think Quin. Remember the things I told you. She lies, she tempts, she fornicates, she uses you. She wishes to rule you."

"I…I…" I mutter. Shaking my head I try hard to clear it but the haze still clung stubbornly to the corners of my mind. "I don't understand…I'm so confused."

"Come son, stand. Let us end this."

"Yes, let's end this." Rosa agrees.

Turning to face me Rosa stands between Ignatius and I. All of the fierceness melts away as she looks down at me with adoring care. She brushes a stray hair from my forehead with the tip of a slender middle finger.

"My boy."

"Help me." I moan.

"She cannot help you Quintus." Ignatius says. "She will lead you to ruin."

Neither she nor I pay him much notice. Rosa had shielded me long enough that his magic was starting to wane and seeing the care in her face brings me along a little bit further. His arguments still held some purchase in me but not like before, they weren't nearly as clear as they once were. I gaze up into my Lady's beautiful eyes where I see not the flames of fanaticism or the glow of magic but a soothing gentle devotion.

"This is such a nice place we've found. Isn't it? The old trees, the dancing nymphs…" She takes in a deep breath through her nose. "…the smell of green and sweet flowers. And I just love the moss under my feet. I've not felt a finer carpet."

"Yes." I say. "And the sound of the river."

"Mmm, that is lovely." One of her pointed ears pricks up to listen the water. "I'm so happy you brought me here."

The more I took in the world around me the further away the idea of a heavenly realm seemed to get. I watch a fat bumblebee laden with yellow pollen lazily drift by. Did heaven have bumblebees?

"I was scared at first." She continues. "But I knew you were here with me. You held my hand and lent me your courage. You let me see this wonderful glade. If not for you I would have never seen a pegasus. Thank you Quin. Thank you for bringing me here."

The dappled sunlight coming through the canopy bathed Rosa in a verdant glow. How could a woman be so beautiful? Halos and white wings might be nice, but what was wrong with horns and long tongues? I preferred them. How could someone so beautiful not belong in heaven? Seeing me gaze she scrunches her nose and blinks her big eyes, a little signal just between us that everything was going to be okay.

"I warned you son, she is trying to anchor you to this fallen world. Don't let her sway you. God's rewards are so much greater."

Ignoring him Rosa continues. "Those lemons were delicious, weren't they. Mmm, I can't wait to taste them with the salmon you caught for us."

"They're…burning." I say. The three fish on the fire were charred black and sizzling as I had stopped tending them once Ignatius had started talking. Thankfully the smoke was drifting away from us and toward the others. "They are ruined. I'm sorry, I let them burn."

"We still have plenty." Rosa says as she looks to the ones laid out with the sliced fruit, already cooked and coated with oil and herbs. "Enough for you and me. We have all we need, right here. Just like always."

"All we need?"

"Just you and me and that heavy old pack. We get by okay, don't we?"

"Yes…yes." I say. "We get by."

"At least until we get to our land. Then we'll start for real. We'll have a place all our own."

"Our place. Our land."

"I am sure Ceres is curious to see what you will plant." Unlike Ignatius' grim tenor, Rosa's voice is casual and friendly. "I am too. I'm so excited, I have so much to learn about being a farmer. It's going to be hard work, but I'm ready."

"Ceres?" I whisper. "My goddess."

"She is just a part of a greater God." Ignatius reminds me. "The one true God. Remember Quintus, remember? Ceres isn't real."

"Yes…one of the whole." I say. "All is one. I remember."

"Well I am no wise man but I think Ceres is real." Rosa says. "As real as the harvest. As real as those lemon trees at the old orchard. I think Silvanus is real too and I believe he heard my flute. He blessed us with yummy fish like she blessed us with juicy fruit. I'm pretty darn hungry, I certainly won't turn my nose up at their gifts. I don't know about all being one, I just want to become one with breakfast."

"Blasphemy!" The Christian exclaims. "You are an idiot."

"Probably." She shrugs in an exaggeratedly cute way. "I'm just a dumb little slave girl after all."

"PAH!"

I tug at Rosa and beg her one last time to understand. "But…but…Ignatius can help me find my Dad. He can help me see my Dad again."

"That's right son. Your father is watching. He is waiting for you. Don't let him down Quintus."

"And what about my Dad?" Rosa asks me with a tinge of sadness. "What about Papa? Is my Papa waiting for me too?"

"I…don't…know." As an unconverted demon there would be no hope of salvation for Rosa's father. He loved his daughter as my father loved his son. Why would God reunite my family but not hers? As I reflect on the injustice of it Ignatius' arguments begin to unravel. I say again more confidently. "I don't know."

"Me neither. I wish I did. Heaven is a nice dream though." Rosa sighs and strokes the back her fingers along my cheeks. "But this is pretty nice too. You know, as amazing as this forest is, the very best part of this place is that I get to share it with you."

Closing my eyes I push my cheek into her caress. "I feel the same." I open my eyes again. "I wish we could stay forever."

"I know why you're saying that you bad boy." Her eyes flit to the tree that she teased me about tying me up to and she giggles as I blush and chuckle too. "But we need to go home."

"Yes, home." I say. "I want to go home."

"Her home is hell son. Do not follow her. Do not let her tempt you."

She laughs, her bright laughter completely eroding the dire tone of Ignatius' warning. "Do I tempt you Master?" She winks flirtatiously. "Am I tempting?"

"You know you are." A smile starts to play at my lips.

"Good!" Leaning down close she asks she stares into my eyes. "Are you still my boy?" I hesitate a moment, my eyes dart to look behind her. "Don't look at them. This is between you and me. Just you and me. Now answer me. Are you still my boy?"

"Yes!" The answer bursts out of me, coming not from my ensorcelled mind but straight from my heart. "Of course I am, my Lady."

She rustles up my hair with a merry laugh. "Give me a kiss." She commands, so I kiss her cheek. "Good boy."

"Son…"

"Quit calling me that!" I say back. "You are not my father old man."

"Quintus!" His voice booms for an instant…before it is swallowed up by natural sounds of the old forest. He didn't nearly seem so imposing anymore.

Rosa scoffs and waves him away like an pesky gadfly. "On your way now criminal. Leave us in peace. My boy and I are hungry."

"Watch your tongue, slave!" The guard captain barks.

I could feel Ignatius' eyes on me, though I dared not look up to meet them. I hear the pitying and contemptuous mutters of the soldiers. I feel shame at their mocking insults yet I also feel a strange new pride at being able to demonstrate my commitment to Rosa. I stay kneeling beside my Lady as their hurtful words bounce off of me. In fact I bow lower and kiss the top of her bare foot. They jeer with disgust but thankfully they keep it to just that and make no aggressive move.

"You weak foolish boy. The lust of youth has enslaved you." Ignatius says in a hard tone. I could hear now he never truly cared for me, I was just another soul for the ledger. "Remember my words Quintus. It is never too late to repent."

I look up at my Lady and then back down to the ground. "As the Alexandrians would say…fuck you asshole!"

"Pfft!" Rosa titters.

"Bah! We've lost this one. Come my lambs, let us find a soul worthy of salvation." With that the soldiers take their original formation around him, as if guarding a prisoner, and the lot of them make their way back toward the road.

"Bye-bye!" Rosa waves. "Have fun playing with the kitties in the Colosseum."

Chapter 32: Moving On

Chapter Text

We don't completely relax until the soldiers are well out of sight. When at last we felt safe Rosa kneels down in front of me and brings my head to her bosom. She holds me tight and strokes my hair. "Hold onto me baby, this isn't going to be fun."

Leaning into her with my eyes shut I let out a shuddering breath and hold to her. I could feel the sticky remnants of Ignatius' magic seep from my mind and it was not pleasant, not one bit. It felt like a rusty blade being very slowly withdrawn from a fresh wound. The more my senses cleared the more I realized what had just happened to me. The feeling of holding thoughts that were not my own and bending to the invasive will of another was horrifying. I felt so small. I felt so weak. I felt soiled. I felt violated in a way I didn't know was possible.

"Nnngh." I moan as the withdrawal of the magic from my mind leaves me for good.

"I've got you." Rosa cradles me close. "I'm right here."

"Why?" I whisper. "Why?"

"I don't know baby." Rosa coos. "The man was mad."

"I…wanted…to obey him." I rub my suddenly throbbing temple. "I almost did."

"But you didn't. You resisted. You were strong."

"I…I wouldn't have hurt you." I say. "I wouldn't have let them hurt you."

"I know." She kisses my head. "I know my boy. You did so good. I'm so proud of you."

"I hate him!"

"Shhhh." She continues. "You were strong. You were so strong."

"I don't feel strong."

"Well you are. Stronger than those soldiers." She says. "You made me proud. You made your Lady very happy. My boy deserves a reward for being so brave. Your Lady is going to make her boy feel so good tonight. Would you like that Quin?"

Letting out a long breath and pushing out all of my distress with it I hug my Lady tight and nod my head. I swear Rosa could fix anything. Having somebody in my life to hold me and soothe away my anxieties was…priceless. Having someone that I could allow myself be vulnerable with was a blessing that I never even knew I needed or even wanted. It was not that long ago that I was still convinced that I would sell her on, now I wasn't sure if I could get by without her.

I let out another breath and kiss her chest. "I'm okay."

She strokes my hair one last time and loosens her embrace.

Sitting back I rub my face. "Whoo! Magic. I felt real magic. This trip has been crazy. I never had to deal with wizards back on the farm."

"Well wizards are not all like that man. A lot of them are good men and women. I've heard it said that Pompeii would have been swallowed by Vesuvius' wrath if not for a few brave wizards." She says with a scowl off in the direction Ignatius had left from. "That said, enchanters are rarely to be trusted. They are tricky. They find your weakness first before bewitching you. I've felt it myself and I know how wretched it feels. It doesn't last long though, some food and rest will do a world of good. You'll see."

Rosa pats my cheek and pulls the food closer to us. With a quick prayer of thanks to Ceres and Silvanus we begin to eat our breakfast of herbed salmon and fat juicy lemons. Sitting on the soft carpet of moss, our meal laid out between us, my slave and I feast. We tear bits of the pink flesh off with our bare fingers as we devour our fine picnic. The fish is some of the best I'd ever tasted. Rich and fatty, succulent and moist, with the oil and herbs enhancing the natural flavors. The tart yet sweet lemons an even better accompaniment than a good wine. With nobody else to share the meal with we gorge ourselves on fish and fruit. By the end of it there are two very full and very happy people lying on the moss and looking up at the green canopy above. Ignatius' wicked magic just a memory now.

"That was…delicious." Rosa sighs as she rubs her full belly. "Oh my goodness."

"I think I might burst."

"You didn't have eat all of it!" We both laugh. Reaching over she touches my shoulder. "Nice as this is…"

"…we should get going." I finish her sentence. "Home is waiting."

"Home." She echoes happily. "You're feeling good to travel?"

"Never better." I say with a smile.

We drink, wash up, fill up our waterskin, and make sure the fire is good and doused before I go to collect the pack from where I hid it and Rosa goes to collect her flute from where she dropped it. From across the clearing I hear Rosa's crestfallen voice. "Aww, they stepped on it!"

Looking over I see Rosa rise with her flute, broken into three splintered pieces, in her hands. Her sad pout touches me deeply. I turn toward the road, my fists tight and my eyes narrowed in anger. "Those sons to bitches!" Gods how I hated them.

Rosa lets out a sigh, disappointed but not upset. "It's okay Master. It feels right somehow." Taking her flute to largest tree that bordered the area she kneels down and places the fragments at its roots. "Thank you for allowing me to play for you great King. Thank you for the gift of fish. Thank you for protecting us during our stay here. And thank you for the company of your creatures. They were wonderful." She giggles as she watches the green mote of a forest nymph fly surprisingly close. "Yes, I'm talking about you too little one." Looking up at the tree she reaches out and touches the bark. "I leave my flute so that you might remember me and my music as I will remember your generosity great Silvanus." She takes a deep breath in, smelling the lush forest air, then breaths out with a nod. She rises and returns to me. "I'm going to miss this place."

"Me too." I shoulder our pack. "Sorry about your flute. Those soldier's shouldn't have done that."

"No worries Master." She winks. Reaching into a little pocket she'd recently sewn into the interior of her capelet she pulls out a handful of denarii. "Their generosity will more than pay for a replacement." She laughs. "Soldiers are an easy audience. Songs of honor and glory, a bawdy tune here and there, then a weepy one to remind them of home and hearth and the silver soon follows. As predictable as the dawn."

I shake my head. "I think there may have been two enchanters in this glade."

"I'm just a simple slave girl." She bats her eyes as she hands over her earnings to her master.

"Yeah right." I say with a roll of my eyes. I bundle up our money and tuck it into the pack. "Come on, we've still got a long way to go."

We are soon back on the road and on our way. Despite the unpleasantness with the Christian we refuse to let it spoil an otherwise perfectly good day. Once out of the valley the forests and arid hills return to what they had been, a reminder of how special that place we stopped had actually been. Despite the rough mountainous terrain the road remains smooth and unbroken, a marvel of Roman engineering. I knew we would be missing the Appian way once we turned off of it but for now the miles pass easily. We greet those we pass and take in the sights. The risk of monsters had only increased as the population thinned out even more but Rosa's steps never falter.

The memory of the glade still fresh I cannot shake the sight of Rosa standing over me, holding me protectively, seemingly willing to fight a hopeless battle to protect her boy. It touched me. I also remember something else. When I was sure there were no other travelers in earshot I bring it up.

"So back with Ignatius…"

"Yes?"

"When you were facing off with them…"

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you could growl and snarl like that!"

She looks up at me. "Too fierce? Too savage? Too scary?"

"Too sexy!" I exclaim. "Gods that was hot!"

"You are the worst!" She laughs and slaps my arm. "I'm facing down a wizard and his troop of armed soldiers and you're thinking about how sexy your Lady is? You're a bad boy Master. "

"I couldn't help it!" I say innocently. "I didn't know you could sound like that."

"Don't make me bite you. I'm quite vicious when I want to be."

"Uh huh, sure you are."

"I am!" She says. "Wasn't I even a little bit intimidating?"

"Mmm, maybe a bit." I jest. "I am sure the nymphs were terrified."

She jabs my arm with a horn. "It's not my fault I'm so little! Big meanie. I did my best."

"You were incredible." I pull her to my side and give her a squeeze. "I wouldn't change a single thing about you."

"Rawrrrr!" She lets out the most fucking adorable demonic roar fading into a rolling little growl. The inhuman snarl sends tingles up my spine and wakes my manhood from a dead start. "You earned yourself a spanking tonight bad boy."

"Spanking!? Oh gods!" I whisper as my dick rapidly swells in my pants. "Thank you!"

She chuckles and leans in to give me a fangy nip to my pec through my clothes. "Bad boy."

With a full belly and the promise of a reward from my Lady that night I press on through the long day with tireless vigor. As we travel the wilderness starts to give way to more villages and villas once again as we got closer to the next major center, the city of Beneventum. This city would be different than all the rest we had passed simply because we actually had some coin to spend this time. It also had special meaning because I knew once there we would be over halfway through our long trip. We were at last closer to our new home than to Rome. If we kept on at a brisk pace it might be possible to reach it by the evening and so we do. We skip our midday break and push right through the day. I do carry Rosa for a section to give her time to rest, which gets a few odd looks from passersby, but we are able to make good time.

When we crest a hill to peek a glimpse of the city in the distance through the Appian's break in the trees we are overjoyed. We were losing light fast but if we stayed to the road we could find our way and make it to the city in time to find a hot meal and a room of our own.

Author's Note: The regular daily updates will pause for a short time. You can check my twitter for one extra free chapter. Stay tuned, I should be posting again by the end of the week.

Chapter 33: A Special Gift

Chapter Text

The moon is fully in the sky by the time we are passing through the sprawling outskirts and into the city proper. Luckily for us we find Beneventum to be a vibrant city with an active nightlife. Benefiting from its position along the Appian way it enjoys all of the niceties of the larger centers along the coast but at a more manageable size for a bumpkin like me. After crossing a grand bridge that spanned the Sabato river we see a theatre, an imposing stronghold, an arch dedicated to the great Augustus and another still being constructed for the current Emperor Trajan, a library, many temples, and of course inns and shopping stalls galore.

Along the way Rosa said that for practical purposes she would not advertise her Amazon heritage. It pained me to hear her say this as I knew how important it was to her to be able to be herself, and I told her that would proudly stand by her side if she did want to reveal it, but to lessen our hurdles she said that while in Beneventum she would keep herself a secret. It would certainly make things easier.

The very first thing we do is find an inn that looked reputable enough that we could trust leaving our possessions unguarded for a short time. Although the proprietor does notice Rosa's brand we neither ask about nor are informed of the inn's slave policy and in return we add a nice gratuity to the cost of the room when we pay which he promptly pockets. There is a little nod of understanding between us, don't ask-don't tell.

With our belongings safely locked away we take the key and our money and head back out into the streets of Beneventum before everything closed up for the night. Our spirits high we walk the stone streets hand in hand. It is not long before we notice an odd pale white glow coming from a bustling open area just up ahead. Curious we head in that direction.

The street open up into a wide central piazza that was the beating heart of this city. In this main square there were minstrels and storytellers, acrobats and jugglers, shops and a market, and food stalls aplenty. Locals and visitors alike browsed the wares, partook of the entertainments, and gathered to talk and socialize. What made it truly special though was a crescent of thirteen free standing marble pillars that surrounded on three sides a statue of Luna upon her chariot. Each of the pillars glowed with the brilliance of a full moon illuminating the whole area in the goddess' soft radiance. Rosa and I look at each other in wonder at the sight of it.

Despite a full day of travel behind us we head into the piazza hungry for all this place had to offer. We listen to some spirited lyre music. We watch a comedy troupe and laugh until our stomachs hurt. At the prodding of Rosa we even join in on a group dance, my clumsy steps alongside her flawless grace making us stand out from the rest. Our only regret is that we'd not come across this place earlier or when we fresher. We both wished it could stretch on for many more hours. From three separate food stalls we put together an affordable but delicious meal of a spicy fennel and fava beans, a Greek delicacy called dolmas, a quarter of a roast chicken, along with a flat bread and a cup of sweet wine which we share. Finding a bench near the central statue we sit with giddy smiles and share our nighttime picnic as we watch all the people go about their nocturnal business.

"Noctiluna." Rosa reads out the inscription on the base of the monument. "The night-shiner. Have you ever seen anything like this Quin?"

"Never." I say. Looking over to my smiling slave my breath is taken from me. Bathed in soft wan light of Luna's pillars Rosa's exotic beauty shone even brighter. Staring at her I whisper. "It's wonderful."

She glances over to me and flashes me a bashful smile. She pauses a long moment. I sense she wanted to say something so I wait. Eventually she says. "I need to go do something."

"Go do something? Go where?"

"Lady's business." She says in her strong Lady voice. "Wait here for me."

"You're going alone?"

"Don't worry Master, the city is well patrolled." She was right about that. Just sitting here I could see half a dozen of the city watch. Holding out her hands she asks me. "May I have some money please Master?"

"Oh, yes. Of course." I say. What's mine was hers. Besides, she earned this coin. I give her our pouch of denarii.

"Thank you!" She peeps as leans up to give me a peck to the cheek. "Don't you dare follow me. I won't be long."

"Where are you…" I call after her but she was already gone. I watch her hurry back the way we came and down the darkened street, her white capelet fluttering out behind her as she disappears from sight. Looking up at the lit up the regal Luna in her gleaming silver horned crown I wonder how that weird old cultist had lured me away from my faith in the pantheon. The promise of salvation and the prospect of connecting with my father again were powerful draws, but in my heart of hearts I knew it was his other offering that truly brought me under the sway of his magic. The vain hope of a marriage that could not be. I let out a frustrated sigh and shake my head. Focus on tonight Quin, not on impossible dreams. Rosa warned me not to fall in love. Rosa knew better. She knew we had to enjoy this moment, right now, and not worry about a life we couldn't have. Regardless of the reasons behind my brief religious infidelity I felt guilty. I had heard among the crowd that there was temple to Ceres to the East of the city and I would make a point of stopping there to reconnect with my goddess on our way out.

I wait and I watch, Rosa never far from my thoughts. She must have seen a shop back that way. Probably going to get a new flute. Even now it angered me that those nasty soldiers broke her flute. Assholes! It was such a fine and delicate instrument, fitting for my petite slave. And yet, had we not met those military men tonight wouldn't have been possible. I guess it all worked out in the end.

I was just starting to worry about Rosa when she reemerges from the street she had disappeared down. She walked with her capelet pulled all the way around her though I could tell she carried something in her hands. The little smirk on her face told me she was excited to show me. As she gets near I go to stand but she motions me to stay seated. She walks straight up to me to stand over me.

Looking up at her I could see the excitement in her eyes. Her capelet parts and she holds her purchase out toward me. Instead of a flute though she reveals a tight coil of red rope. The rope is maybe twenty or thirty feet long and as thick as my index finger. I look up to her then back down to the rope in her hands. She pushes it toward me so I tentatively take it from her.

"What's this?" I whisper.

"It's yours." She says. "A gift."

In my hands I feel the stout rope. It was heavier than it looked. The special color alone told me this was no common working rope, but it was the feel of it that really set it apart. Strong yet incredibly pliable and supple to manipulate. Soft to the touch yet with a texture that could hold a knot tightly. The rich vermilion color was unique to my eyes, I'd never seen a red quite like it.

"You bought a rope?"

"Yes I did." She says. "We just had enough. Took almost all of our money but thankfully it was enough."

"All of it? You spent all of our money on a rope? Just…a rope?" I object meekly even as I continue to feel its lovely texture in my hand. We could have used that money for so many more practical things than this. This was an extravagance we couldn't really afford. I knew what this rope was for and I knew I would be feeling it soon. Tonight! This was so irresponsible…yet so wonderful! "It's too much."

"Oh shush." She says. "We still have enough for a bath in the morning. And once on the road we'll get by, we always do."

"Rosa…"

"I'm allowed to spoil my boy if I want to." Her voice cracks with emotion. Clearing her throat she adds. "That is a Lady's privilege."

"But…but…" I say quietly as I try and fail to hide my silly smile. Letting out a gasp I just give in and accept it. "Yes my Lady."

Rosa lays her hand over mine and looks down into my eyes. "Oh Quin, if I could I would buy you gleaming chains and fine silks in every color to highlight your beauty. You would have togas and gowns and elegant negligee to show off your incredible body. You would have a collar and cuffs worthy of your obedience. If I were a queen I would buy my boy all of the nice things he deserves. My boy would have everything his heart desires." Reaching up she cups her hand over my warm blushing cheek and she whispers. "My beautiful boy."

"You are a queen!" I bow my head lower and blink happy tears from my eyes. I am overwhelmed. Never had a gift touched me so deeply. I push my cheek into her soft hand, I nuzzle into it and kiss her palm then turn to put my cheek to it again. "I'm just a… I don't deserve..."

"Stop that. You do deserve it. You are a good boy." She says as she wipes a tear away with her thumb. "Goodness, you're going to make me start crying too!"

"I'm sorry." I laugh. "I'm just…so happy."

"Do you like the color?" She asks.

"Yes Lady." I whisper. "Oh yes."

"You should know that is a very special shade of red my boy. Only the priestesses of Venus know how to make this pigment."

"It's beautiful. I've never seen its like."

"Are you sure?" She smiles. "Look around Quin."

I quickly wipe my tears away and raise my head to start scanning the people and buildings in and around the piazza. I see some red togas, some red on the various signs, and even a red building. None had this particular hue however. Having an example of what I'm looking for I keep scanning and after a moment I catch it. A woven bracelet of exactly this color. It is worn by a free woman in her thirties standing alongside what I assumed was her husband as he bargained with one of the merchants. She stood close to him, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed slightly. On her face was a calm contented smile. Around her neck a tight fitting necklace, not so different from a collar. She stood among the crowd yet apart from it. An island of tranquility among the din of the crowd.

As if sensing she was being watched she turns her head to look at me. Upon seeing the rope in my hands her smile widens. Our eyes meet and there is a moment of connection even though we were so far apart. I clutch the rope closer to my chest and smile back at her. With a look of understanding she gives me a very subtle nod then lowers her eyes once more. A moment later her husband turns to her and she looks back at him with a joyful obedience exuding from her. He looks upon her lovingly, nothing but adoring devotion in his kind yet firm expression.

"They have given themselves to each other." Rosa whispers. "He wears the purple of being her Sir." As she says it my eyes go to his deep violet sash that he wore draped over his shoulder and down to his opposite hip. "I had nothing left to get myself such an item."

My gaze drifts back to my Lady and her flowing violet locks that faded to pink at the tips. My eyes begin to flow freely once more. I couldn't stop them. Her gift wasn't simply a tool for bondage but a symbol of her dominance over me for those who knew what to look for. Weeping joyful tears I bring the gift to my face and feel the coils against my face and lips. I hold the precious gift with all of my great strength.

"You like it?"

"Oh Lady!" I sob. "I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you."

"Thank you!"

Chapter 34: Training

Chapter Text

Seeing my reaction at my gift brings my Lady just as much as joy as what I am feeling. Rosa takes a step back and holds out her hand. "Come along my boy. It's time you got your reward."

"Yes Lady." I say. Holding my rope proudly to my chest I reach out with my other hand to take hers.

With the slave leading the master we make our way straight back to the inn. The sights and sounds and smells of the city that we had so enthusiastically noticed on the way to the piazza totally ignored on the way back. We only had eyes for each other. Once in the inn we pass straight through the common area to our private room. My fingers slightly shaking I fumble the key out and unlock the door, once inside I lock it right up again. The din of voices from the common area lowers but doesn't quite disappear as the door is closed. The sparse square room is dim but not dark, a high slit of a window let in a steep shaft of moonlight that splashed across the headboard of the stout wooden bed. Beneath the bed our pack looked undisturbed thankfully though we don't much mind to that either.

Rosa spins on her heel to face me, her eyes burning with lust. She reaches up and takes me by the hair.

"Hahh!" I gasp and twist my head lower.

With a gentle yet firm guiding hand she makes me get down on my knees. I gaze up at her towering form in awe. Grabbing my head with both hands she leans down and plants hard kiss on my mouth. Inexperienced as I am I start the kiss with my lips pursed but Rosa's serpentine tongue soon pushes them apart.

"Mmm!" I moan as I feel her tongue glide into mouth. It curls and slithers in the space I open for it, at one point fully wrapping around my own tongue to squeeze it. It's coiling length pushes out into my cheeks as it completely fills my maw. I can taste her and feel the firm protrusions that lined the sides of her tongue. "Mmmmm."

Slowly the slick sinuous tendril slides back out again. Our lips part and Rosa rises. Letting out soft breath she traces a finger down along the side of my face. "You taste good." She whispers.

"Thank you."

Stepping back she holds out her hands and I obediently give her my rope. She turns and strides to the bed, her curvaceous hips swaying hypnotically as she goes. Without even looking back she commands. "Get out of those clothes boy." She removes her capelet with a swirl and lets it spin off into the corner of the room. "Now."

"Yes Lady!"

My heart is drumming as I peel out of my tunic, breeches and sandals. Rosa meanwhile crawls up onto the bed and slinks across it seductively, her ass pointed right at me. She gathers the pillows and blankets and bundles them up at the headboard so that she may lounge there halfway between sitting and laying down. She stretches out her lithe little body and reclines against the headboard, the bottom half her face lit up in the shaft of moonlight.

I go to step closer but she raises a hand. "Did I say to move from there?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Lady." I stop.

Her eyes narrow. "I told you to get out of those clothes."

"Uh, yeah, okay." I say. I take a breath to summon my nerve then finish the job. Down comes my underwear. Standing up again my hands come naturally to my front.

"Your Lady wants to see all of you." Rosa gently chastises.

"Um, yes, sorry Lady." After a moment's hesitation I let my arms relax to my sides. I stand before her completely nude. My breath starts to quicken and my heart beats faster. Of the things we'd done never had my Lady left me so exposed. I'd either had my underwear on or I'd been under a blanket. I look at the rope in her hand longingly, being bound would have made this so much easier. Being so openly naked made me uneasy. I remind myself who it was that was looking at me and do my best to settle my nerves.

"My brave boy." She grins. "Fuck you can't know how sexy you are Quin." As if to prove her point I swear I see the bulge in her shorts lurch. My own dick twitches in response. "Rrrrrm." She lets out one of her rolling demon growls.

"May I approach?"

"Not yet."

I nod and take a deep breath. "Yes Lady."

"This position is called Attention."

"Attention?"

"Yes." She answers. "Now put your hands behind your head and spread your legs apart." I process the order then do it. I bring my hands up behind my head and interlock the fingers around the back of my skull. My feet I part wider, about two feet wide, my balls now swung free between my parted thighs. I am rewarded with a happy tone. "Very good! Good boy." I smile demurely. "This one is called Inspection." She says as she nibbles her lip with a fang and her eyes slowly scan up and down my nude body. "Fuck baby." She blinks and refocuses. "Alright, turn around. Keep your feet apart like they are." I do so. "Now…bend forward and put your hands against the wall." I glance once behind me before obeying. Putting my hands out I bend at the waist and reach for the wall to lay my palms flat against it. My butt was pointed right back at her. "A little lower." She says. "That's it, show your Lady that fine ass. This is called Wall. Oh gods…look at you!"

Her tone and her clear commands ease my tension. While I wasn't bound I was fully under her verbal control. I could feel a bit of that excitement of submissive freedom course through me. Suddenly I wasn't scared…I was actually proud of my body! Tilting my hips I present myself to her. "I am yours Lady."

"Good boy! Oh, good good boy." She coos.

There is rustling behind me but Rosa does not approach. Neither does she have me move either. I stay bent over, palms against the wall, waiting for what happens next. It goes quiet for a time before Rosa says. "Attention." It takes me a second to realize that the single word had been a command. Standing up I turn to face her with my feet closer together and my hands my my sides. "Clever boy. You're learning fast."

Rosa now had her shirt off. With time to adjust I could now see fairly well in the dim, enough to see the shape of her small tits and the darker round nipples. In her shorts her cock now strained the fabric, she was rock hard! My dick stands at attention at the sight of her.

With a flirtatious grin she runs a finger up her smooth belly and between her breasts. In a high too innocent voice she trills. "Do you want me?"

"Yes!" I gasp.

"You want to touch me and pleasure me?"

"Gods yes!"

"Too bad." She giggles. "Not tonight."

"What!?"

"Kneel." She says calmly.

"Lady…please…"

"Kneel." She says again more firmly.

"Yes my Lady." I get down onto my knees.

"Sit up nice. Hand on your knees. That's a good boy. That is the Kneel position." She says as one of her hands lightly brushes across her thick erection. My eyes are glued to it. "Now bow." She says.

"Huh?" I snap out of my distraction. "Bow?"

"Bow. Worship your Lady."

"Yes!" I bend forward, hands stretching out across the floor toward her as I bow my head low. Every command set me more at ease. Oh how wonderful it felt to be under the control of my Lady. Her orders wrapping me in a warm safe cocoon of subservience. She can't see my face but it is smiling as I bow in worship.

"Exactly that! The Bow position. Yes. You are a natural."

"Please Lady." I grovel, my head going right to the floor. "Please let me pleasure you tonight."

Ignoring my plea she says. "Remember those five positions. There will be more, but that's enough for now."

"Yes Lady. I will remember them." I say. "Lady…"

"Inspection." After a second to remember I quickly get to my feet, legs apart and hands behind head. "Good boy!" Rosa lays admiring my body. Taking up the rope she unties the knot that binds it into a coil then lets it fall loose over her body. I look on the rope with deep yearning. With her left hand she pats at the side of the mattress. "Come here my boy. Kneel here."

I move quickly around the bed to kneel at its side and look up at her. "Please! I beg you. I beg you! Let me serve you. Let me pleasure you tonight my Lady."

"Mmm." She smiles gently as she brushes a hair from my face. "Soon baby. I promise."

"Why not tonight?"

"I want you to need it first." She whispers, her right hand grips her huge hard cock through her shorts. "I want you to need my body like you need water to drink."

"I need you."

"I want you to dream of me. I want your every thought to be for me."

"I think about you." My voice is hushed. "All the time. I…I desire you…like I've never desired anyone. I will do anything to be with you."

Slipping her hand into her shorts she reaches down past her balls to where I assume her pussy must be, though I'd yet to see it. "Ohhh." She sighs and her eyes half shut at whatever she is doing to herself. "Oh Quin."

"Please!" I hiss. "You will drive me mad."

"With denial comes rewards." She says. With her free hand she curls her index finger under my chin and tenderly places her thumb against my lips. In a voice so soft I barely hear it she says. "Show me. Show how much you want me." I pause, then move to reach out for her but she stops me with a subtle shake of her head. Tracing my lips with the pad of her thumb she says again. "Show me."

I am learning that there is a mysterious unspoken communication that passes between lovers and as I look up into her gorgeous eyes her meaning dawns on me. Staying on my knees I shift closer, pressing the side of my chest right up against the bed. Very gently I wrap my left hand around Rosa's willowy wrist, my right comes to join the other. She sees that I understood and she gives me a nod.

I close my eyes. Parting my lips take my Lady's thumb and purse them around the tip. I touch the end with my tongue then give it a soft suck. "Mmm." I smile. Opening my mouth again I take more, half of her slender digit, and suck again. "Mmmm." I linger at the tip before greedily engulfing the entire thumb. My lips wrap tight around the base as I softly suckle. "Mmmmm." My entire focus is on it. I savor the feel of her exquisite digit against my tongue. Her fingertips lightly caresses the sensitive flesh under my chin.

"Let me see those beautiful eyes." She whispers.

I open them to see her gazing at me with open heartfelt adoration. Her right hand was still in her shorts and by the color coming out in her cheeks I knew she was making herself feel good down there. There are voices and clomping feet passing by our door from other patrons but neither of us look away. We were in our own world now.

Sucking to the very tip I give it a kiss then nuzzle hard into my Lady's hand. I hold her hand in mine and push against the soft palm, smelling it and kissing it passionately. If a hand is all I could have tonight then I would pour all of my desire to touch and pleasure her body into just it. I was happy to have it too, I felt I could spend an eternity worshiping just this small part of her. I nibble at the supple skin then lick it, swirling my tongue about the palm and letting the spit smear over my face as I continued to press and nuzzle. I kiss it hard, sandwiching it between my own much larger hand and my face. Against my palm I feel the subtly raised ridge of her brand.

Holding her delicate hand in both of mine I turn it over and stare down at the rose that I had drawn on the wax tablet a week ago. With a fingertip I very gently trace along the scarred skin. It was hard not to remember the pain, that terrible scream she let out as the magical paste seared her soft flesh, but she'd never once complained about it. I would even catch her from time to time looking at it with a small smile on her face. I felt unworthy of her and yet she wore my brand with pride.

I bring the back of her hand to my lips and kiss it. One long hard loving lingering kiss right in the center of the symbol that bound our lives together.

"Ohh Quin." She lets out a breathy sigh, her lithe body writhing slightly as her hips began to move. I could hear her wetness. The faint squish of fingers rubbing and thrusting.

She slides her hand and fingers down my lips then, with her middle and index fingers tight together, she pushes into me. Harder than before, more insistent. Letting go of the wrist I give her control as I suck her fingers with fervent lust. Slowly at first she slides the fingers in and out of my wet sucking lips but gradually they go faster and delve deeper.

"Mmm. Hmm. Mmmm." I coo softly as I slurp and suckle as good as I knew how. In my fevered mind I imagine this to be her penis and I pleasure it in all the ways I thought would feel good. I twist and turn my head as I start to bob forward and back in time with her thrusts. I slap and swipe my tongue along their underside when deep and flick the tips when shallow. I suck my Lady's fingers as well a mere boy like me could. And knowing that she liked to hear me, I let her hear me. My voice soft and high and puling I moan. "Hmm. Mmmm. Nmm."

"Ohhh yes. Mmmm." Rosa's body now undulated with a steady rhythm. "You're doing so good baby."

"Mmmm!" All at once her fingers part wide, forcing my mouth open. "Hahhh!"

Hardly missing a beat I push my tongue through the space between her fingers. In the blink of an eye the imaginary dick had become an imaginary pussy. She pushes her parted fingers in, running them along either side of my tongue as I hungrily lap and slurp between them. Pulling them back out she pushes them hard against my lips. Never pausing I continue to tongue along the inside space between her digits. I am soon slobbering like an overheated dog, my spit running freely down my chin and her hand. I let it run.

Rosa's chest rose and fell faster as her shallow breath quickened. "That's it. That's it my boy. You're doing so good." She gasps. I redouble my oral efforts on her fingers, as if it was me attending to her wet pussy. I could sense her body tensing as she twisted and writhed on the bed. I can't see much motion within her shorts from where I am but I hear it. A wet fleshy slurpy sound not unlike the repetitive smacking of moist lips. As much I wished I could see my entire attention remained with my Lady's perfect hand. My tongue thrusts and laps as my lips mouth against her. "Yes. Oh yes." I could sense something was near. "Ohhhh."

"Hannghh! Shllmmm!" I moan and slurp.

All at once her eyes widen, her whole body stiffens, and she goes very still. And then…release. "Ohhhhhh!" Her high lilting voice sings quietly so as not to have it ring through the inn. Her soft body spasms and bucks rhythmically, her face is a mask of ecstasy, and her eyes, though glazed with bliss, stay locked on mine. "Quinnnn!"

"My Lady!" I gasp.

Overwhelmed by her beauty I watch my Lady climax. As incredible as Luna's pillars had been in the piazza even that paled in comparison to the vision of Rosa's orgasm. I watch in awe with pure joy flooding my heart. Her delicate fingers grasps at my cheeks as she rides out her pleasure when all of a sudden it darts up to the side of my head. Grabbing me by the hard by the hair she pulls me up to plant a hard deep kiss on me. Her voice no muffled by my mouth she can at last let out the cry of passion she'd been containing. "HMMMMMM!"

Chapter 35: Bound Boy

Chapter Text

Our lips locked together Rosa takes a big breath in through her nose then slowly lets it out. As she does I feel her taut body relax. Our lips smack as she pulls me back again. What a kiss! Holding me a foot from her face she looks at me with a dreamy smile and a rosy flush to her cheeks. Her pointed demon ears lower to reflect her post-orgasm calm as she whispers. "Good boy. You did so good baby."

I smile back at her. "Did you cum my Lady?"

"Mmmm, my pussy did." She gives me a peck to the cheek and adds, as if I were responsible. "Thank you my boy."

She pulls her right hand from her shorts and I can see the sheen of her dew on her fingers. As I hoped she would she brings it close. Her aroma is intoxicating and not quite human, a sort of sweet earthy smell with is a hint of soft spice. The moment it nears my mouth is on it, greedily slurping her juices from her fingers and palm. She tastes every bit as good as she smells. Rosa casually pets and plays with my hair as she watches me suck and clean her other hand. She doesn't hurry me, allowing me more than enough time to get every nook and cranny. To finish off I wrap my lips around her index finger and start sucking it in a way that could not be mistaken. My eyes gaze into hers, silently pleading to let me suck elsewhere on her incredible body.

She chuckles lightly and pats my cheek. "I better get you tied up before you get any ideas."

With a laugh I let out an exuberant. "Yes!"

Rosa shakes her head with a giggle and waves me up to join her on the bed. She sits up cross-legged to give me space and gathers up the rope onto her lap. I go into the Kneel position on the mattress in front of her. Chest thrust forward, back slightly arched upward, hands on knees, head up and at attention. I hold the position perfectly to try to look pretty for my Lady as I await her attention. She very much approves.

"Look at you!" She says proudly as she pulls the coil of supple rope out into a line then folds it in two to double it up. "Looking so good for your Lady. You were born for this."

"Yes!" I grip my knees as I try to contain myself. Watching her handle the rope had me downright giddy but I hold my position like a good boy. "What are you going to do to me?"

"You'll see." She says. I watch the rope glide through her hands. Just the way she manipulated it told me I was in the presence of a master. As she looks at me a strange look crosses over her pretty features. "Quin…I see how much you need this. I just wanted to say that…I'm not the strongest or the sternest or the cruelest Lady." She says wistfully. "I've been rejected more times than I wish to admit for being too soft. I just…I hope I'm enough for you."

"Lady…"

"Shhh." She cuts me off. "Bow."

After a moment to give her an assuring look I bow low and put my hands in front of me. "May I kiss your feet my Lady?"

Out of the edge of my vision I watch her little toes wiggle. "You wish to?"

"Yes please."

"So polite. Very well." She puts her delicate pale feet together and slides them closer. "One for each. No more."

Only having one for each I make them good ones. I kiss her right foot, pressing my lips tight and holding there a long time. The skin here is so silky smooth. I then move to the other and do the same. It filled my heart with joy to be able to do this without shame and without having to hide it. I wanted her to see my supplication. I was proud to do it. It was true that some part of me wanted to continue kissing up her shapely legs and take her now, to ravish her like those powerful men in the legends, but obedience felt so much better. With this act of submission I felt as free as one of those nymphs drifting through the forest. I didn't have to be Quintus, farmer and land owner and responsible Roman citizen. I didn't have to worry about money or family or the future or my reputation. For right now, safely inside this little world of our own, I could simply be her boy Quin. To trust someone like this, to let this beautiful woman see me in such a state…it made me feel very very small and very very big all at the same time. I was the master and she was the slave, I was the man and she was the woman, I was big and strong and her small and soft, yet everything about this felt so right.

When I was done I very slowly pull my lips away and rest my forehead on her feet. "Thank you my Lady."

"Good boy." She says with a swipe of her fingers through my hair, I could hear her own joy in her voice. "Tell me I'm beautiful."

"Ohhh! You are the most beautiful woman in the world. No woman or goddess can compare."

"Tell me you won't leave me."

"Never! Never!"

"Tell me you need me."

"I need you!" I say without hesitation.

"Tell me you worship me."

"I worship you!"

"Tell me…" There is a pause and a shuddering breath before she whispers. "…tell me whose boy you are Quin."

"Yours! I am your boy! Only yours! Forever yours!"

"Oh Quin." She tenderly pets my head as she settles her emotions. In a calmer tone she finally says. "And such a good boy you are."

"My Lady." Again I wanted to say so much more. I wanted to promise her the sun and the moon and swear my everlasting loyalty but there just weren't the words to express what was in my heart. "Lady…I…"

"Shhhh." She says with a squeeze to my earlobe. "Now sit up. Sit on your butt but with your feet flat" I do so, sitting up and putting my feet flat on the mattress meant my knees were up. "Now, with your arms inside, touch your toes." Again I do so. I bring my arms from out to in between my legs and touch my toes. Taking my left hand she moves it inward to the space between my feet then she does the same with my right. She lines my wrists and ankles into a straight line, each about six inches apart. "Now stay just like that."

Taking the doubled over rope she loops it all the way around the outsides of my ankles, making sure that my wrists was inside the loop as well. My heart is beating quick with excitement but I do my best to stay absolutely still. With an effortlessness efficiency that spoke to her years of experience she commences to securing the left ankle.

"Comfortable?" She asks as she gives it a close inspection.

I nod.

"Good." She continues. Wrapping the rope around the main loop moving inward she then binds my left wrist. At each step she stop to check the knot, being sure it is secure but not too tight. She keeps going, her movements calm and controlled, moving onto my right wrist and then right on to finish at the right ankle. The end result is my wrists and ankles all tied together in a row, a coil of rope between each binding meant I couldn't even move them closer or further apart.

The rope felt so good. So fucking good. It gripped the skin yet was not abrasive. I could feel its quality and strength just by its denseness and weight. This was truly a special length of rope.

I look up at my Lady who smiles. "These ropes are safe to struggle in." She whispers. Getting up off of the bed to allow me room she says. "Go ahead. Try to escape. Really try. Hard as you like."

I nod and look back to hands that rest between my feet. I pull. Anchored firmly to my ankles as they were my arms can only move if my legs did as well, and even then only to a point. A sigh escapes me. "Ohhhh." I try again, stronger this time. The knots securing my wrists and ankles neither tighten nor do they loosen, they remain firmly secure. I have to stop a moment and close my eyes at the bliss of my bondage. Collecting myself I take a deep breath then truly struggle. I fight my bonds, I pull with all of my power, I twist and tug, I point my feet and make my hands as narrow as I can and attempt to wriggle them free. The ropes hold fast, never giving an iota not matter how I tried to get out. This wasn't my imagination like under that old carob tree. This wasn't twine giving me the illusion of restraint but that deep down I knew I could overpower if I wanted to. This was the real thing. I was well and truly bound! Totally helpless! At my Lady's mercy.

My cock actually ached it was so hard. The rest of me however never felt more relaxed. I feel a deep peace come over me. A tranquil connection not just with Rosa but with myself. Body and spirit brought closer than they'd ever been. All the chattering voices in my mind go quiet. It was just her and I now. My Lady and her bound boy. I slump to my side, huge smile on my face, and let out a ecstatic moan. "Ohhhmmmm."

Rosa stands back and admires her handiwork. "Happy?"

"Ohhhhhh!" I grin.

"Talk to me baby." She says. "Are you still with me Quin?"

"Yes my Lady. It feels so good." I say as I continue to tug and test the glorious ropes holding me. "So good. So good. Thank you!"

"You are very welcome." She says. "Tell me when you're ready for more."

"I'm ready." I sigh. "I'm ready for anything."

"That's my boy." She says, rubbing her hands together. "I suppose we should get the punishment out of the way before the reward."

I just grin and nod. In my current state of mind I'm not sure I could tell one from the other.

Chapter 36: Happy Bottom

Chapter Text

"Alright bad boy." She claps her hands. "Roll over. Face down, ass up."

"Yes!" I say. It isn't easy trying to move trussed up as I am, especially with a painfully hard boner, but that is half the fun. I grunt and wriggle as I figure out a way to get purchase without the use of my hands or feet and flip over. I manage it. Bound as I am the only way I could rest is with my head, shoulders, and shins flat against the mattress, arms underneath me, and my butt high in the air. Helpless and exposed all I can do is embrace it. "I'm ready for my spanking."

"Turn." She commands as she steps closer to the bed, her eyes drinking me in with naked lust. The humbling power of seeing a beautiful woman openly want me makes my heart feel so good. She found me beautiful. She found me sexy. It is hard not to feel special when someone looked at you like that. It made me worship my Amazon slave even more. "Face away."

"Yes Lady." Obeying the commands, simple as they were, brought me great pleasure. I loved the simplicity of it. She was in charge and my job was to obey, so simple and so satisfying. Again I twist and struggle as I jimmy my way to turning to my right so that now I was perpendicular to the bed and my face at the opposite edge from my Lady. My rear end was now pointed straight at her. Had I not been tied up I would have been feeling extremely self conscious, thankfully I was nice and cozy in my precious rope. "Like this my Lady?"

"Very good."

It goes quiet. I strain to hear above the distant sounds of the common room but I cannot hear a thing. I crank my neck and strain my eyes to my left but from my new angle I couldn't see a thing that was happening behind me. What was she doing back there? I wait…and wait…and wait. It is so quiet for so long I genuinely start to worry about her. I start to wriggle to try look back when…smack!

"Hoohhhh!" I cry out, more in surprise than pain, as a small soft hand gives me a stiff spank to my right buttock.

"Not so loud." She says. "And don't move."

"Yes Lady." I grin as I feel a small glow of warmth on my butt.

After just a moment I feel tender lips touch the spot where the strike had landed. "Are you okay? Was that too hard baby?" She kisses the spot again.

I have to bite my lips to hold in the laughter. It had stung a little but nowhere near enough to actually hurt. Given her petite size she'd have to hit me with everything she had for it to properly hurt a big guy like me. I say boldly. "I'm okay."

"Oh good." Her left hand rubs my butt in a circular motion. "I'm going to spank you now. If it's too hard you tell me. Understand?"

"Yes my Lady." I give her an impudent wiggle of my exposed tush. "Do your worst."

Smack! "Cheeky boy."

"Ahaaah!" I let out quieter yelp, then giggle ecstatically as I feel my other cheek warm similarly to the first. "Thank you! I deserve this. Thank you!"

That spank is followed by another sweet kiss and a gentle caress. Smack! Smack! One spank across each cheek…followed my more kisses and soft caresses. I was starting to understand what she meant about being "too soft". Her slaps to my bum were enough to feel a nice warmth and a little sting but she could hardly make anybody cry for mercy with them. Rosa's spanking was so…Rosa. This was not the rough and biting discipline of my mother or, even worse, my father from my youth. Those had been no fun at all! But this was just lovely. With Rosa even her punishments were careful and caring. I knew deep down I was in safe hands. Arching my back I present myself to her as best I can.

Smack! "Mmmm." I pull and writhe. Smack! "Ohhh! Thank you my Lady." Smack! "Mmmm! Thank you for disciplining me." Smack! "Oooo, yes!"

One after another the spanks come. It is not long before my whole backside had a pleasant heat to it and prickled slightly from the open hand strikes. It only made it more sensitive to the tender kissing and caressing that followed each blow or two. The gentle treatment in turn amplified the spank that would come next. Soft and sting both worked to accentuate the other in a way I'd never experienced. She goes again and again and again. What she lacks in power she makes up for with precision and patience. I learn that even a light spanking can start to add up if done well enough for long enough. As it progresses it turns from nice to exquisitely excruciating.

Smack! "Ohhhh!" Smack! "Ohhhhh gods!" My moans weren't so cocky now. Smack! "Ooooo!" Smack! Through gritted teeth I groan. "Thank you my Lady!"

The pleasant heat had turned into a crackling fire as my ass burned with a numb prickling sting. She runs her fingers oh so lightly across the reddened skin which sends bright sparkles of sensation through the flesh.

Smack! "Haahhhh!" I pull against my bonds, genuinely squirming now as my body rebelled against the sting that had so gradually gone from nothing to nearly unbearable, but the ropes do their job and keep me in place. By the gods it is magnificent! Smack! "Ohhh yessssss!"

"You're doing so good." I feel Rosa's warm hands rub along my back. "Two more baby. These will be harder. Are you ready?"

"Mmm hmm." I whimper softly as I nod.

"Oh my sweet boy. Are you sure?"

"Yes Lady. Please. Give me what I deserve."

"You are so brave." She says adoringly. Crawling up beside me she brings something with her. I feel my leather tunic belt drag over my back. Was she about to whip me with my belt!? I quickly learn she wasn't. Folding it over she puts it near my mouth and whispers. "Bite down on this. We can't be too loud in here."

"Yes my Lady." I obediently open my mouth wide. She puts the leather between my teeth and I bite down hard.

After a kiss to my neck she slinks back to where she had been. My ass aglow I tilt it up and ready myself for two final spanks. I feel something touch my butt…long, sinuous, and wet. It was Rosa's demon tongue! That realization had just hit me when…Crack! Like a blunt fleshy bull whip Rosa's long tongue lashes across both cheeks.

"HNNGHHH!!!" My teeth sink into the thick leather.

An explosion of pleasure and pain streaks across my buttocks as Rosa gives me a literal tongue lashing like only a demon could followed instantly by another lick snapping back the other direction. Crack!

"NNNNGHHHH!!!" I buck and thrash briefly as the sting goes far beyond all that came before. It wasn't actually that hard but it connected so perfectly across my already tenderized tingling tush that it felt like the cruel kiss of a slave driver's scourge just for an instant. The intensity quickly abates but echoes of the two lashes continue to pulse through me. I let out a long pitiful whine. "Hnnnnngh!"

Her hands take mine as she kisses my screaming butt cheeks. "Good boy! You did so good! Are you okay baby? Talk to me."

I open my mouth and let the belt the drop to the floor. Suddenly panting heavily I gasp out. "Thank youuuuu!" I never knew suffering could be this wonderful but the buzz that filled me with such joy could not be denied. Letting out a breath I relax and swim in these incredible feelings.

"My boy." She whispers as she smooches and nuzzles the tongue lashes. "My sweet sweet boy." After a bit of attentive TLC Rosa stands up and pets her hand across the small of my back. "Your punishment is over." She says, excitement in her voice. "Now I get to play."

Chapter 37: Rosa's Playtime

Chapter Text

Folded over and bound as I am I just wait for whatever came next and enjoy the heat of my well spanked ass.

Rosa walks up to me from behind and I feel her touch the base of my balls. As her two hands come down to rest on my back I realize that it had to be her penis touching my sack.

"Take me!" I whisper.

"Oh my boy." Her fingers claw lightly along my glowing ass. "You're not ready for me yet."

"I'm ready! Please!" I beg.

"Shhhh." She moves closer. "It's my time now."

Lifting a shoulder to peek down the space between my legs. It was dark but I could make out shapes. The head of her thick cock slides over my balls then slowly up my shaft. I flex my dick hard to which she does as well. The girthy shaft pushes up into mine. Gliding forward her Amazon penis completely eclipses mine from below when I feel her soft pubes touch my sack. Just the penis alone ran all the way from the base of my nuts to beyond my tip and her girth close to double my own. My dick was to hers what the rest of her petite body was to my strapping manly physique.

"Gods." I gasp in a hushed voice. "You're so big!"

"Shhhh." She pinches my butt. "No! Tell me it's cute."

"It's…cute."

"Tell me it's elegant. Tell me it's lovely."

"It is! It is elegant, it is so lovely."

Her hands rub up and down my back. "I don't like big. Big sounds so…crude. That's fine for a man but I'm a Lady and I want to be treated as such. I want to be called nice things."

"Yes my Lady." I smile as I continue to marvel at her dick that so dwarfed my own. "It is so pretty."

"Good boy." Reaching down between my legs Rosa wraps her small hand around both shafts as best she can and starts to stroke them both together.

"Ohhh. Ohhh that feels good."

"Mmmm." She hums softly. "Yes it does." Slowly, tenderly, she holds our dicks together and strokes them. I could barely see anything in the darkness where this was happening but I certainly could feel it.

"Ohhhh wow."

Far too soon she releases them and pulls away. She pats my butt. "Flip over beautiful."

I shift a little to the left then roll back to the right to lay on my back, my bound legs and arms above me. Legs bent like they are I must look like a dressed chicken ready for the oven. Back lit from the high slit of a window Rosa's hair almost glows in the darkness, her small pointed horns two dark nubs in the violet glow. What a difference a week makes. I remember her cowering and small and nude huddled on the slave platform. I see her now strong and confident and naked, her fully erect cock a throbbing symbol of her transformation.

Attentive as always Rosa checks over the rope work. "Are they still feeling okay? Do you feel tingles or numbness?"

"I'm fine."

She giggles then softly kisses the sole of my right foot. "I've got you. You are all mine now." She kisses the opposite ankle and gives me little nip and giggles some more. Leaning in she pushes her small breasts against my hands, as I go to grab them she pulls away and giggles more. "He he he." All at once she leaps onto the bed next to me. On her hands and knees she she lands to my left, a huge playful smile on her face. She kisses my knee, she kisses my shoulder, she giggles happily and nuzzles into my cheek for yet another kiss. I turn to kiss her back but she scrambles back off the bed to stand near my head. I look up at her…only to be clubbed in the face by thick cock. My lips reach for it but as fast as it is there it is gone again. "He he he!" She is back in bed kneeling on my right side now. She peppers the sides of my leg with quick little pecks and one nipping bite. "He he he!"

I let out a little laugh of my own. When she said play with me, she meant it. There was such a lively purity to her giggles. Almost an innocence, though that didn't quite describe it as the erotic fire in her eyes had not dimmed a bit. With genuine frisky glee she played with me like a new toy.

Opening her mouth wide she gets down low and chomps down on the side of my arm and holds there. She didn't bite, simply held the flesh in her teeth, though her little fangs did poke into me. Mouth full of arm she bats her big magenta eyes and stares at me. Holy fuck was she cute!

I can't help but ask through a chuckle. "What are you doing?"

She lets my arm go. "I'm eating you up you're so sweet. NOM!" She bites down again for another mouthful and starts to suckle my arm. "Nmmm."

My laughter gets harder. THIS was my Lady? The dominant woman I had pledged myself to? The mistress who had gotten my ass burning from her punishment? She was a goofball!

Hearing my laughter she slides a hand across my chest…and begins tickling my armpit! "OH! OH NO!" I laugh and struggle. "HA HA HA HA!" Letting go her chomp she extends her long powerful tongue and tickles the ribs on her side. "NO! AHHH HA HA HA HA!"

"He he he!" She giggles then gets her other hand involved as well, tickling me in three places as I strain against my bonds in hilarious agony.

"OHHH NO! HA HA HA HA! Mercy! Mercy!" I gasp for breath. "MERCY!"

She stops the tickling but continues to touch me. Her hands grasping and groping at my pecs. "You're being too loud." She warns. "Don't make me gag you."

"I'll be good."

"We'll see about that." Her eyes pan down to my chest. "Fuck you got nice titties." She says with a lick to her lips. Leaning over me she opens her mouth wide. "NOM!" She clamps her lips, as big as they would go, over my right pec. "Mmmmm." She suckles on me as her right hand continues to grope the other side. "Nom! Nom! Nom!" She sort of suck bites down to my upper abs then back up the center of my chest, ending up sucking on my neck. "Eat you up." She whispers as she smooches and nibbles around my neck and under my chin, her soft breasts rubbing against my shoulder as she does so. She grabs my head and comes up to stare into my eyes, her gaze alight with excitement, then plants a hard kiss to my lips. "He he he!" More kisses follow, so many kisses, all over my face and even in my hair. She nibbles my ears and nuzzles in behind them for more sweet smooches. "Mine, mine, mine, all mine."

With me powerless to stop her she continues kissing and nipping and nomming here and there across my body with unabashed joy, punctuated by excruciatingly wonderful bouts of tickling. She pounces and rolls and scampers about me like a kitten playing with a ball of twine. Sometimes she just stops to snuggle and nuzzle and smell me, but not for long before she returns to her giggling kisses. She was being so silly, so wonderfully silly. Twice my age and yet she had not lost that youthful gaiety of spirit, I prayed she never would.

She is very thorough, making sure to smooch and chomp every bit of me except for one very notable exception. My entire crotch region she never once touches.

She eventually comes to stand over my head once more. Hands on her hips she steps forward to rest her big heavy balls over my eyes. "I think that's all of you." She says with a 'job well done' sort of tone to her voice.

My eyes closed I smile as I feel the warmth of her soft sack over the bridge of my nose. "You missed a spot."

"Did I?"

"Yes my Lady." She settles down a little lower. The dampness of her pussy pubes touches my forehead, it was the first I had felt it. Since she told me Amazons could bear children I knew she had a vagina, she had even played with it to orgasm earlier, but I hadn't seen it yet. Back at the slave market I wasn't looking that hard and when she stood it is hidden behind her balls and dick. I imagined it lay between her anus and scrotum, feeling it's moist heat on my forehead confirms it. Her aroma was like the gentle spiciness I had tasted on her fingers. No perfume in the world could smell better.

"I'm pretty sure I ate you all up." She says.

"No Ma'am."

"Hmm." She wiggles her hips, her fuzzy nuts swiping across my closed eyes. "I got your head and neck and shoulders."

"Yes my Lady." I reach with my lips to try to kiss her anywhere I could reach.

Stepping back she batters me three time with her huge rock hard cock. "Down boy."

"Yes my Lady."

Her balls come back to rest over my face. "I gobbled up your arms and legs."

"Yes."

"And nibbled up all of your belly."

"Yes my Lady."

"And I certainly made a meal of them fine boy titties."

"Yes." I laugh. "You did."

"Well then…what did I miss?"

"My…my…penis."

"Your what?"

"Penis."

"You mean your big hard cock?"

"Um…yes Ma'am." I smile bashfully. "My cock. You didn't get my cock."

She thinks a moment. "You know what my boy, you're right! I forgot all about it. Well that needs to be addressed."

"And…and…"

"Mmm?"

"And my…balls."

"Oh yes, you're right." She says. "How forgetful I am. Anything else?"

I squirm a little, thoughts of what she had done to me with just a single finger back in the slave shack top of my mind. "My…butt."

"You're sweet little virgin ass? Ohhh! How could I ever forget that?"

I let out a giggle and wriggle happily.

She sighs in mock exhaustion. "A Lady's work is never done."

"Your boy appreciates all you do for him."

"Awww." She steps back and leans down to kiss me. Standing back tall she takes in a breath. "Well, better get to it." She strides around the foot of the bed, I watch her the whole way admiring her cute peach of a bottom. She comes around to stand over me, her cock sliding up beside mine. She looks ready to start when she pauses. An impish look to her face she glances over to the bottom of my left foot and then across to my right.

"Oh no." I start to struggle.

"Oh yes." She grins devilishly as she holds up both hands with all of her fingers wiggling.

"Oh no!" I struggle harder, my ropes giving me no escape. "Oh please no!"

A moment later she is ruthlessly tickling the soles of my feet as I writhe and laugh and cry for sweet mercy.

Chapter 38: Play Continues

Chapter Text

I do my best to keep quiet during the tickle attack. My feet twist as my body wriggles as Rosa tickles my soles with a smile on her face. When I can't take it anymore I cry for mercy and I receive it. I am left panting with tears in my eyes.

Still chuckling I say. "My Lady, respectfully, you are a ridiculous woman."

She raises her brows in mock offense. "Me? I'll have you know boy that I am woman of elegance and refinement." She walks in small circle with immaculate poise and posture, her bobbing big hard boner looking quite out of place in the graceful motion. Turning back to me she gives a bow of her head and a curtsy. "See."

"I wasn't complaining." I say. "I like ridiculous."

From her curtsy she goes even lower, coming to kneel at the side of the bed. I have to peer down between my arms to see her now as she hovered near my butt.

"Is this ridiculous too?" She asks…just before opening her mouth wide to engulf my entire sack and balls.

"OH!"

"Mmmm." She hums as she locks her lips around my tender testes. She begins to gently suckle my sack, her strong nimble tongue fondling the nuts.

"Ohhh wow! Ohhh wow!"

Rosa giggles and lets them gingerly fall from her lips. "You like that?" She smooches them.

"Yeah!"

Gently she repetitively rakes her fingers along the sides of my sack as she kisses and nuzzles them, only stopping to pull a dark curly hair from her mouth. "I'm going to have to trim this up." She titters. "It's a thicket down here."

"Yes my Lady." I whisper as I lay staring at the ceiling enjoying the incredible sensations. "Whatever you wish."

All at once she gobbles my nutsack once more but with much more force. "Mmrrrmm!"

"OHH!" I flinch.

"Mmmmm." Like an octopus tentacle her tongue curls all the way around the base of my scrotum and begins to slowly constrict, squeezing my balls further into her mouth.

"Nnnngh." The tongue tightens riiiiight to the point of discomfort then holds firm. She had me by the balls, literally. My breath is fast and shallow, my fingers grip at her horns but otherwise I stay still as I can. After a moment to let me adapt…she slowly squeezes harder! "HAAAHH!" Then quickly returns to the previous tightness which felt downright merciful now. "Oh gods."

"Mmmm." She suckles my balls in her warm wet mouth as her tongue continues to test my limits with occasional squeezes. The wonderful feelings are intense to say the least, almost unbearably so. The family jewels were the most sensitive part of my body and Rosa knew just how to handle them. When she lets them go I am left quivering. "Am I still ridiculous?" She winks.

"You are incredible." I sigh. I am adrift in a haze of pure bliss. The bondage alone feeling soooo fucking good to say nothing of all of these amazing sensations Rosa was bringing out in me, each made the other better.

"Thank you my boy." She says as she gives the ropes and my wrists and ankles another once over. "I'm going to untie you now."

"OHHHH!" I groan and try to pull away from her. "Please no! Please my Lady!"

She chuckles. "We're just changing position. Settle down baby." She kisses my foot. "Close your eyes. Focus on the good feelings. Know that your Lady has you, even if you can't feel the rope."

I close my eyes and smile. "Thank you."

I am in a little world all my own as Rosa unties me. As the knots are released and bonds loosened she rubs that joint and extremity to bring full feeling back into it. When the final loop is removed I am momentarily lost, naked and exposed to all of the ills of the world once more. I yearn for the security of bondage again but I remember what my Lady had told me. She was still here. I was still hers. She would look after everything.

With whispered commands and a guiding touch she directs me to lay flat on the bed. Once there she runs her hand all up and down my body, pausing a few times to give me kiss. "By Venus you have a hot body my boy. Ohhh fuck you look so good. I am such a lucky Lady." She lays on top of me, her soft breasts and hard cock pressing down into me, and I welcome her weight. On instinct my legs wrap around her like a wife around her husband's. Gently she pushes them back down. "Not tonight. You're not ready my boy. You can't handle me yet. I don't want to hurt you."

"Let me pleasure you." I whisper. "Use any part of me. My mouth, my hands, my cock, my ass…anything. PLEASE!"

"You need it don't you?"

"Yes!"

"You need it so bad you can't bear it?"

"Yes!"

"You want my pleasure even above your own, don't you?"

"Yes! Oh yes!"

She kisses my cheek. "You are almost there, but not tonight."

"OHHHH!"

"Stop whining."

"I'm sorry."

"Good boy." She says. "Open your eyes now." I open them to see her with her chin in her hands looking down at me. "I just wanted to see those lovely eyes." My face is lit up by the splash of moonlight coming into the room giving Rosa a clear view of my face and eyes. She gazes and, using the pad of a single finger, she traces my facial features with a feather soft touch. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?"

"I'm not beautiful."

"Oh Quin, you are. You are. If you could only see what I see." She says softly as her eyes gaze over me. "You are going to make some woman very happy one day. Your children will be as beautiful as you are." A wistful smile on her face. "And your loyal slave will be there to help care for them. We'll have a family Quin, a real family. Imagine it."

"Some woman?" I bristle. "What woman? I don't want any…"

"Shhhh." She touches my mouth. "Your Lady will be there with you every step of the way. You'll always be my boy. Always." She caresses my face as she studies my reaction to her words. "You're angry."

"Yes."

"You're hurt."

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry." She kisses me sweetly. "I shouldn't have brought that up. Forgive me my boy, you overwhelm me sometimes. You make me so…so…happy. I've never felt this way before. So much more than…" Her voice fades off as she caresses my face. Finally she says. "I didn't mean to spoil tonight."

"Rosa…"

"Shhhh." She nuzzles her nose against my cheek. "I promise we can talk about that tomorrow, okay? Can we please keep playing tonight?"

I let out breath and then nod. I was not in the right head space to talk about anything right now and I definitely didn't want to stop.

"Good boy." She smiles as she begins slowly rocking her hips, causing her big hard dick to slide alongside mine sandwiched hard between our tummies. "Mmm, you're so hard."

"You too." I sigh. Ohhh, this felt nice. The skin of her dick and stomach was so soft and silky smooth. "Rrrrrrr." She lets out on her sexy demonic rolling growls and licks my chin. She keeps slowly thrusting.

"Ohhh, this feels really nice."

"Mmm, it sure does baby." She says. "You're cock feels so good against mine. They were made for each other."

"Hohhhh."

"Don't cum unless you have permission." She says firmly. "Understood?"

"Yes my Lady."

"You don't have permission."

"Yes my Lady." I sigh. "I won't cum without permission." Just like that night we cuddled naked together, her saying I didn't have permission tips something off in my libidinous soul making it all the more likely that I would bust my nut. "Ohhhhh."

She keeps on grinding against me as she watches me closely. "Your blush is adorable."

"Thank you my Lady."

Grind, grind, grind. Cock along cock, sliding between our tight bellies. "Touch my body." She whispers.

"Wh-where?"

"Anywhere but my cock or pussy."

Reaching down I fill my hands with her soft plump ass. "Ooo, good choice."

Grind, grind, grind. She keeps at it. I feel her fine butt flex and relax in my hands as she continues the slowly but steady thrust against me.

"Feel nice touching a woman, doesn't it?"

"Yes, oh yes."

"You have nice hands. Big, strong, rough hands. Women like hands like yours." She gropes my pecs. "Women like bodies like yours."

Grind, grind, grind. Her shaft slides up and down along mine, it's length and girth humbling to feel.

"Hoooo." I let out a hot breath.

"Are you close?" She smirks. "You seem a bit flustered my boy."

"I'm…okay." I huff. I was close but my masculine pride was in denial. Rosa didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed yet.

"Okay?" She grins. "Okay then."

Rub, rub, rub, rub. Cock on cock, belly to belly.

"Hnnnngh."

Grind, grind, grind.

"May…may I have permission to…"

"Nope." She pinches my nose. "No you may not."

"Mmmmm." I mewl.

"You are close, aren't you?" She teases, her smirk becomes a confident smile. "You don't have permission to cum. You better tell me if you're close."

"Ohhhh, yesss!" I gasp in surrender. "I'm close! Stop!"

She giggles and kisses me hard. "You are the most precious thing ever!" Her hips come to rest but she remains on top of me, our dicks tight together but not moving. With an adoring look on her face she watches me struggle to push back my nut. When she was sure I had collected myself again she says. "Hands above your head." I do as she says. Without moving from where she lay on top of me she reaches along the edge of the bed and grabs the rope. "Wrist over wrist." She commands and I obey. "Good boy." She binds my wrists in simple knotted cuffs which left plenty of rope left. The cuffs she affixes to the stout wooden headboard above my head. When I feel myself bound again I let out a sigh of joy. She smiles. "You are such a slut for bondage."

"I'm your slut." I say back. "I'll do anything for you."

"Awww. You say the sweetest things." She pushes up off of me and slides down to kneel between my legs, keeping her dick against mine as she settles in. I spread my legs wider. "Wider." She says, so I do. "All the way up." I bring my knees up as high as I can. She takes my right leg and pushes it up further so that my thigh came right up along my flank. She holds it there and brings one of the ends of the rope out to the knee and binds it. Taking the other length of rope she does the same with my other leg. With the final lengths she brings them from my knees to tie them together under my back, meaning I couldn't close my legs even if I wanted to. In the end I am on my back with my wrists cuffed above my head affixed to the headboard and my legs wide and high with my knees also attached to the headboard via a length of the strong rope. I was bound and riding high once more.

"Ohhhhh, thank you my Lady!" I flex and listen to the wooden bed creak. It wasn't quite as rock solid as the previous bonds, there was far more wiggle room, but I wouldn't be escaping.

"All tied up and ready to go." Rosa pronounces. "Now, where were we?"

Chapter 39: Suckubus

Chapter Text

Leaning down she kisses down one inner thigh, across my taint, then right up the other inner thigh. She grabs my balls in a surprisingly firm grip causing me jolt, the headboard creaks as it holds me in place. Her other hand comes to grip the base of my cock, tight!

"Nnngh!"

Rosa licks her lips. "God you have a fucking incredible cock baby. It's perfect." She tilts it to the left and leans down to run the point of her nose up along the shaft as she sniffs. "Perfect." She runs her nose up the other side. "There's nothing I can't do with a cock like this. Your Lady is so happy." Pulling down the foreskin further brushes my knob with the tip of her nose. She had a funny little grin on her face. "Back in Alexandria the other girls had nickname for me. Do you want to know what it was?"

I nod.

"Sword-swigger." She giggles. "Do you know why they called me that?"

My eyes widen as mouth comes to hover over my tip. I shake my head no.

She tilts my dick to stand it straight up like a flag pole. Opening her mouth wide she lowers so that my tip was within the cavity of her mouth but not actually touching anything. Never breaking eye contact she continues to lower and I soon lose sight of the top part of my dick yet still no part of her mouth touched it. It isn't until she is most of the way down when I feel my knob push up against the ring of her throat. She pauses there, despite her mouth being open as wide as possible she still manages a naughty grin.

"What are you…?" That's when I feel it. "Ohh!"

With an insane control that had to have been learned her throat begins to constrict and loosen in steady rhythmic pulses. The squeezes were quite tight and ran down to up in a sort of suckling sensation. Everything was still, everything was quiet, yet at the back of Rosa's open mouth the head of my cock was receiving a very nice wet rub. It was incredible! Was this normal? Could human women do this? I hadn't the experience to know yet this seemed…unique.

"Oh…oh wow."

"Gllnnngh!" Rosa burbles, her bright eyes alight watching me enjoy her talent.

Then the ring opens up wide. Letting go of my dick with her hand Rosa proceeds to glide effortlessly down to take my cock right to the root! The end of my dick slides into her throat and I can feel more of the ring like muscles around my knob.

"OH Gods!" I tremble.

Her eyes strain to look up at me. She doesn't simply go to the base. She presses into me hard, her nose pushed in among my pubes. With a little rummaging shake she pushes down into me as hard as she can, mouth still wide. Once completely engulfed she bats her big eyes twice…then blows my fucking mind.

Those throat muscles slowly constrict around me, sealing around the top quarter or so of my length. She squeezes…and squeezes…and SQUEEZES! Holy shit it was tight!

"Ah!"

Her eyes twinkle with joy. Gradually she lets the pressure ease but only partially. Keeping my dick firmly gripped the series of muscles then tighten not all at once but in a rippling series starting from the bottom then running up to the very tip.

"OH!"

"Hngh, hngh, hngh." She giggles with her throat full.

Once past my tip the sensation run back down again to where it began. As I lay there gasping and trying my best to lay still the rippling gripping begins pulsating up then down then up then down, over and over. Using only her throat Rosa was stroking my manhood. From the outside it appeared that we were both here unmoving but inside Rosa's mouth my cock was being milked better than any hand could.

"Oh! By the gods! How….ohhhh!" It felt good…it felt sooooo good! I didn't know anything could feel this good.

Her control is incredible. She changes the up and down stroking feeling into waves flowing down only from the top for a time and then switching it up so they shot upward from the bottom. She then grips area just below my knob, holding it super tight, as she concentrates the rubbing on just my tip. Along the bottom of her mouth and running down into her throat her long tongue begins to slither forward and back adding yet another mind bending sensation to the rest.

I hold out for a bit but it was all way too much. "Ohhhh! Lady…Lady! Do I have permission to cum?"

"Nngh nngh." She says no, amusement dancing in her eyes as she watches me struggle. The milking motion returns, not as fast this time but slow and powerful.

"Hmmm!" I clench my fists, I tighten my abs, I grit my teeth, and I squirm like a little grub caught in a robin's beak. "Ohhh my Lady." I plead as I feel the pressure build. "Please…please may I cum?"

"Nngh nngh." She denies me again.

"Hahhh!" I clamp my eyes tight so that I could concentrate everything I had to pushing back the rising energy in my loins as Rosa's milking throat shows me no mercy. "Lady, please, please, please let me cum. Please! I'm begging! Please let me cum!" My body begins to quiver as the moment I would no longer be able to hold back rapidly approaches. I fight it, I fight it with every ounce of my power in a passionate need to obey my Lady, but I was about lose this fight. I couldn't disappoint her! I just couldn't! My whole body is one taught knot of muscle as I strain to contain my release, the headboard groans but holds as I heave against my ropes. "HNNNGHHH!!!"

Coming right to the point of no return Rosa continues, then all at once the constriction releases and she slips right up off of me. My eyes flare open as my wet cock slaps down onto my stomach twitching and throbbing hard, my balls aching for climax. Panting and grunting I glare down at my bucking penis and will it to submit.

"You can do it." Rosa urges me as she too watches my rock hard manhood jerk. "Fight it. Hold it back. Control it."

I don't know how but…eventually the pressure abates and my twitching dick gradually comes to rest.

"Good boy!" Rosa is ecstatic. "Ohhhh, such a good boy. I'm so proud of you Quin."

Still panting I look at her and smile.

She winks and says casually. "And that is why they nicknamed me the Sword-swigger."

All my taut muscles relax and I let my head flop back to rest. "Ohhh wow."

She gets closer again. "As the Christians say…no peace for the wicked."

"Oh no!"

"Oh yes!"

She points my dick skyward and opens her mouth wide again to hover over it as she had before. I grab the headboard and ready myself. I was barely recovered and not sure I could withstand another round, but I was determined to face it bravely. She had another surprise up her sleeve. Instead of coming down onto me this time I see the tip of her tapered tongue peek out through her fanged teeth like a curious eel. It comes to touch the very tip of my dick. It laps the little dewdrop of precum then verrrry slowly begins to slither down and around my pole.

It was a strange sensation, totally different than the throat. Her tongue had a knobbly texture to it that I could feel as it creeps across my skin. The fleshy protrusions along the sides of her tongue bringing an added element of variation. As it extends it curls around and around my hard on to form a coil encasing it from tip to base. And she doesn't stop there! It continues to glide around me bringing a wet firm twisting as it slithers. I feel the tip start to work down along the side of my sack and eventually curl around my balls. The whole time Rosa is peering into me with naughty intent, her sharp demon horns matching perfectly with the erotically evil expression on her face. Deep down I knew what she had done to me with her throat was not human, but this display of her demonic nature was plain to see with the naked eye.

"Ohhhhh." I sigh as I feel that pressure down below quickly starting to build again. "You are beautiful! You are so beautiful!"

"Nnnngh." She hums happily.

With my cock and balls both completely entwined like prey held by a constrictor snake she pauses…allowing her slippery drool to ooze down her tongue and drip from her lips…before in one mighty flex she tightens everything at once.

"HAHH!" I buck. It lasts but a second before relaxing again. I stare at my lady breathing hard. "HAHHH!" Again she squeezes and before the shock of it is even over she eases up and goes straight into thrusting her tongue. The coils slide up and down my cock as the end bit fondle and tickle my balls. "Oh gods…oh fuck!" I say frantically. "Can I cum please?"

"Nnngh nngh." She says no.

From the coils going straight up and down it switches to the length gliding along, spiraling down along my dick then slithering back again. The twisting, the texture, the feeling is incredible! Something altogether new from even what her throat could do. This was a tour de force of oral sex!

"Lady, please, let me cum, let me cum, let me cum! PLEASE!" She shakes her head no. I am right back where I was before. Flexing and straining against my own climax. If anything this time was even more difficult. "Ohhhh!" I moan in exquisite agony.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, or better, the end of her tongue releases my nuts to slither south. My eyes are saucer wide as I feel her wet tapered tip tap my anus.

"MY LADY!"

Without a second to spare her tongue loosens and zips back into her mouth as quick as a toad's. The swirling lick on the way up takes me to the brink.

"HMMMMM!!!" I flex every muscle and, face screwed up in herculean concentration, I push back against the energy gripping my balls. Any other time I would have been blasting cum up my stomach but with my Lady watching somehow I find a reserve of strength to continue to resist. Again Rosa and I watch my cock bounce and flex…then gradually come to rest. The moment passed I melt, only the ropes keeping me from flopping down completely.

"Oh gods!" I gasp. "Oh my Lady!"

"Look at you." Rosa says with genuine awe. "So strong! So powerful! You are a god! I am so proud of you Quin."

"Hnnngh!" I whimper softly. I certainly didn't feel like a powerful god as I lay there trembling. Whatever I had done she was the one who deserved the credit. "Ohhhhhh."

Bringing her hands to her chest she wriggles and titters and, in that crazy way she had, transforms from powerful Lady to adorable cutie pie in the blink of an eye. "This is so fun! Having my own boy…no, not just a boy. Having you Quin is so much better than I imagined."

"Yes…fun." I mewl, overwhelmed by it all. Even now I worried I might bust my nut if I didn't stay focused.

"Take a breather." She says with pat to my ass. "You earned it."

"Thank youuuuu."

Slinking off the side of the bed she leaves me to recover for a few moments. My balls still glowed with pent up energy and my dick was stiff enough to drive nails. A weird sort of fiery vitality flowed through my limbs, as if the explosive force of the orgasms I was denied had diffused back into me again. Each had been a climax of sorts, not really but kind of, yet unlike an actual climax where I would feel spent I now felt more vigorous and full of life than ever. They were more blissful triumphs than moments of orgasmic release, but just as powerful. I couldn't understand it but in the process my already all-consuming need to please my Lady had somehow intensified and deepened. By controlling my orgasm through sheer adoring obedience it was as if a little bit of my will had become shared with my Lady, as if she had claimed a tiny piece of my soul for her own.

"I feel funny." I whisper.

"Oh?" She says as she crawls back up onto the bed with our bottle of olive oil in her hand. "Good funny or bad funny?"

"Good." I stare at the ceiling as I bring my focus inward, trying to make sense of everything. It was a hopeless task. Words come without thought. "I'm yours."

"Aww, I know my boy."

"No…no…I'm yours." I say again, not even understanding it myself. "I'm yours. It's not…I don't know the words. I'm yours."

Her smiling face softens as she runs a hand up my stomach. "Are you scared?"

"No. No, it's…nice. It's…comforting." I let out a great breath. "Hahhh."

Kissing my foot and rubbing her soft cheek against it she says. "My boy."

Chapter 40: Sweet Torture

Chapter Text

I pull my ropes taut and look up at her ready and waiting for what came next. She comes right up close to kneel over me. In a most unladylike way she slaps her big schlong down on top of mine. As if dressing a salad she pull the stopper from the bottle and drizzles the golden oil down over our dicks. I liked how the moonlight made the stream of oil glisten. She pours more than enough out, coating both our members in the slick warm oil. She stoppers it again and sets the bottle beside my shoulder. Reaching down with both hands she lubes us both up, her in her right hand and me in her left. At one point she has to borrow her left hand to coat her thick cock properly, it was a two handed job for her.

Resting her cock she kneels there looking down at the pair of them with such a sweet and gentle smile on her pretty face. Raising my head I look down my body to see the two penises gleaming in the reflected radiance of the moonlight. They pointed straight at me really giving me a clear look at the utterly humbling difference in girth. Hers was so much thicker, the knob fatter, even the hole at the tip twice my size. It was a member I might have expected on a minotaur not a cute little demon girl. Remembering that slight discomfort I felt when she had only put a single one of her slender fingers into my butt I could understand her concern with hurting me with such a mammoth member. When the time was right, she would take me.

Slowly rocking her hips she begins to slide her cock alongside mine. "Aren't they a lovely pair?"

I nod.

"They belong together, don't you think?"

I nod again. The way she looked at my body made me feel so damn good. I didn't understand what she saw in me but I sure felt blessed that she did.

"During your training I want your Lady's cock to be the only one you think of." She says with a soft authority. Reaching down she takes one dick in each hand and rub together along the side. "The only one you even think about pleasuring."

"Of course my Lady. I want no other." I say. "My training? When?"

She grins. "It's already begun."

I smile too. "Thank you."

"You will earn your collar and make your Lady so proud." She whispers. "I believe in you Quin. In this and in everything."

Bound in my comfy ropes, swimming in my submissive haze, with my beautiful Lady over me and saying such things, this had to be paradise. "I'll hope I can be the man you want me to be."

She shakes her head. "I want you to be the man you were meant to be." She then winks. "No permission has been given."

I giggle and nod my head. "Understood Ma'am."

"Call for mercy when you can bear no more."

"Yes my Lady."

"Good boy."

She shifts and with both hands holds our cocks one on top of the other, hers topping mine of course. Her left hand cups a bit lower and further back so that her fingers went around my dick and her thumb around hers while her right hand was mostly filled just with hers. And then she begins to stroke the two slippery shafts as one.

"Mmmm!" My eyes roll back and I pull against my bonds as Rosa's hands work their magic. Her grip is tight and her strokes long and even. The slick sloppy sound of her palms and finger squeezing across the well oiled dicks is the only sound inside of the room. With her left hand behind the right she could go right past me to her own tip with the one hand as the other slid onto my knob to hold it tight against her shaft. I clamp my eyes tighter and resist the urge rapidly growing down below. We had barely started, I had to hold out longer. Stroke, stroke, stroke. The feeling hits me and it hits me FAST. "HAH!" I gasp. "Mercy!"

Kneeling higher she lets my cock go to twitch on its own as she continues to lightly stroker her own as she waits for me. I groan and writhe, dick throbbing, as I hold back my climax as I had before. I worried I disappointed her but on her face was a soft benevolent expression of care. She adored seeing me like this and I adored being seen by her.

I swallow and catch my breath. "Sorry."

"No. No apologies." She whispers as she lowers and deftly folds me back into her stroking hands.

She adds some short slow thrusts into the motion this time, her long shaft gliding over mine and her big heavy balls briefly tapping my own on each thrust. Stroke, stroke, stroke.

"Mercyyyy!" I whimper through clenched teeth.

Again the same. Leaving me to fight my battle she looms over me rubbing her great Amazonian schlong.

"Hohhh fuuuuck." I am trembling at the ever rising power of each orgasm that threatened to erupt. My whole body hummed with the trapped energy of an arousal that would not be given release. The fact she continued jerking off as I had to call mercy just made it all the hotter. Damned if I understood why. She was bigger, more experienced, more skilled, with abilities beyond a human's, and with a stamina that far surpassed my own. By sexual standards she was easily twice the man that I was, but she was no man and that made all the difference. Being bested by a beautiful woman felt so right. As natural and undeniable as the tides. In comparison to her I was pathetic and inadequate, but properly inadequate. The way a humble boy ought to be in relation to his Lady. I couldn't make sense of it but I knew deep down this was the way things were meant to be, at least for me.

Again, the moment she saw I had settled, she returns to…stroke, stroke stroke.

"Hnnngh! Mercy! Hahhhhh!" She lets me go a stroke too late. "GNNNGHHH!!!" My body heaves and my hips buck and my mind blanks to a white burst and…and… "AAAAHHHH!!!" …somehow I hold it back. It is the most excruciating moment of my life as my body goes through the motions of release but with iron resolve I am somehow able to hold juuuuuust short of climax. Even as it begins to recede all my Lady would have to do is order me to cum and it would cum, no touch necessary. "Ohhhhhhh."

"That was close one, huh?" She quips with a giggle.

"Ohhhhhhh." My high warbling voice whines. "My Lady." I plead. "May I please…"

"No."

"Ohhhhh!"

Again she goes and again I am quickly left a groaning, quivering jelly of a man.

"By Venus you are too much." Rosa whispers as she watches me struggle. She waits for a time, her left hand gently caressing my tight aching balls then on down to my still warm tender butt. "Quin." She says as her eyes pan over my body. "We are moving too fast, you don't even have a collar yet, but…I want something from you. I want it very badly."

"Anything." I huff as I come down from containing my latest climax.

"Don't agree so quickly." She says softly. "What I want is something precious to a man."

"What? What is it?"

She nibbles her lip with a fang. "I want your orgasms."

"You want me to cum?" I ask. "Or…you want my…semen?"

"No. No, no." She shakes her head. "I want them. I want to own them. I don't want you cumming unless I say so. Ever."

"Ever?"

"No jerking off to conclusion. No accidents." She says, her eyes burning with some inner light. "Even if you are with another you must deny yourself release unless I tell you it's okay."

"There is no other."

"Shhh. Your orgasms would belong to me. Mine to give or deny. Mine." Her fingers take grip of my manhood once more and the stroking starts again. "Don't answer tonight. This is a very big decision for a boy and his Lady. Just know that I want it and really think about it."

"I…I…will." I groan as her hands stroke, stroke, stroke. "Ohhhhh…ohhhhhmmmm…MMM…MERCYYY!!!"

The torture continues on and on and on, far beyond the point I thought I could ever withstand. Sometimes she barely strokes me once before I must beg off again. My orgasms were in the same bondage as my strong muscular body, potent and powerful but bound by my Lady. The erotic suffering is…delicious. I wanted to cum so bad, denial after denial is sweet terrible agony, but my need to obey was stronger. How many times? I lose count. At a certain point, minutes or hours later I couldn't say, it didn't seem to matter anymore. Perhaps I would never cum. Perhaps I would ride this edge of bliss forever. That was okay. It was nice here too. So safe, so blissful, so free! I might just stay here forever.

Morpheus was close. I could feel myself drifting off into that waking dream space I had experienced in the slave hut. Knowing what it was and what it felt like allowed me the awareness to warn my Lady before the power of speech was taken from me.

"Ladyyyy." I say with a soft lilting voice that seemed to follow several seconds after I thought I said it.

"I see you." She whispers as she stops her stroking altogether. "I see you baby."

I gaze up her, seeing only her. The room, the moonlight, the whole world nothing but a fuzzy fog. Even the pinch and pressure of my ropes fade away, though I could still feel their comforting embrace swaddling me. But her I saw with perfect clarity shining out from the gloom. Her soft pouting breasts, her nubby horns, her pouting pink lips, her flowing violet hair with the pretty pink tips. An angel of a demon.

"I'm floating." My voice is slurred and distant to my ear. Everything was moving so slow. "Floating."

"Yes you are baby." She says. Crawling up she comes to straddle and sit on my chest, not easy given my ropes but she is small and nimble enough to manage it. She looks down at me. "I won't let you float away Quin."

"Mmmm." I coo. "It's quiet here. I like it here."

"Yes my boy." Her voice is ethereal, a calm current on a sea of tranquility. "I like it here too."

"I'm glowing."

"Yes my boy." She brushes a hair from my sweaty forehead. "I see your light. I see you shine."

"Mmmm. Your ears…they're so nice."

She tilts her pointy ears up and down, even alternating the ups and down on either side.

"Mmmmm." I smile, though I hadn't really stopped smiling. I blink a long slow blink. "He he he." My bleary eyes focus on the tower of hard flesh sprouting up from between her legs. I purse my lips. My Lady dips it lower so that I can give it a smooch on the tip. I giggle and lick my lips. "Num num bumby bum."

"My goodness, you are flying."

"Flyiiiing." I sigh. "My Lady riding me. I am your Pegasus. Ride meeee."

She stretches her lithe body and closes her eyes. "I can feel the wind my powerful stallion. Take me away!"

"Heeeee." I had enough sense to know I was out of my mind, yet had not the wherewithal to resist it. Not that I wanted to, this was wonderful. I mumble and sing a little and wriggle in my bonds and swim around in the bliss. The high is incredible, even better than the first time when it took me unaware. "Sexy."

"Me?" Rosa asks.

"Me." I say. "Sexy."

Rosa titters. "Yes you are."

"Playtime. Sexy." I say in a begging tone. "Playyy."

"You don't want to stop my boy?"

I shake my head. "I never want to stop."

She chuckles. "I thought you might say that." Caressing my cheek she says. "One more thing then, because you are such a good boy, but I'll be gentle."

"Thank youuuu."

She leans down over me and offers me her cheek. "Give me a kiss." I kiss her in that special way we had and wait with giddiness for the words that would follow. "Good boy."

In my soaring dizzy wonderful euphoria my words come out on their own. "I love you Rosa."

Rosa freezes, her body going taut and her face hardening just for an instant, before she brings two fingers to my lips. "Shhhh. No more talk now."

I grin drunkenly. "Yes my Lady."

Sitting tall atop my chest she stares down at her boy in his trance. For the first time tonight she looked confused, concerned, unsure of how to proceed. "Quin…don't…"

"It's okay Lady. It's okay." I say between my happy nonsensical babbling. "I'll be a good boy. I'll be a good good boy. I'll be a good good slutty boy for you. Please…don't stop."

"Shhh."

"Yes my Lady."

Chapter 41: Finger Fun

Chapter Text

Rosa lets out a melancholic sigh and shakes her head before I see her gentle smile returns. "You don't even…" She starts to say in a very low voice before stopping herself. She pats my chest. "My boy."

I return a big dopey grin. I am feeling purely good, from the tips of my toes to the tips of my fingers. My whole body just glowed with positive feelings. Everything was right in the world. I simply couldn't be more happy. My Lady had ended the exquisite torture of my orgasm denial before I fell too deeply into Morpheus' trance and lost myself to it. By stopping short it allowed me to float in an in-between space and enjoy the high while remaining here with my Lady. My soul is just as joyful as well as it it sang in the utter bliss of my submission. The tiny fragment of my regular lucid mind that remained took note of Rosa's momentary sadness but I am far too caught up in my own transcendence to recognize it. In my current state Rosa sat mounted upon me as a gleaming goddess of feminine perfection.

It doesn't take long for Rosa to get back into the swing of things. She feels my pecs, groping them and tracing their shape with her hands. She really liked my wide muscular chest I could tell. She rubs her gorgeous cock across my face and I giggle with childlike glee as I snatch kisses of it as it passes by my lips. She shifts her legs back through my parted legs and leans down close to tickle my nose and lips with one of her cute pointed ears. I adored how it moved and turned and flicked like a cat or a bunny. I catch the slender tip between my lips at one point and suckle it with care. As with her hand before if this was all she would give me to give pleasure to I would take it happily.

"Mmmm." My Lady smiles as she allows me a moment with her ear, but quickly she gives it flick and it escapes my lips.

"Awww." I pout and receive a sweet smooch to my jutting bottom lip which immediately makes me giggle once more.

"I can't wait until I have you eating pussy." She whispers.

"Ohhh!" I thrash about a bit in my ropes. You're teasing me!"

She titters and nips my chin with a sharp bite. "If anything feels wrong, anything at all, you tell me."

"Yes my Lady."

"You don't have to, but from here on you have my permission to cum."

I smile wider. "Thank you my Lady."

She kisses me on the lips as she starts to crawl back off of me, her heavy penis dragging along down my torso, and continues kissing every bit of me along the way. The kisses get extra wet and sucking as she reaches my stiff dick but she doesn't slow down. Smooching down my shaft she then treats my balls to a few suckling kisses…and still she goes!

Only then does she slow down. With that devilish fire back in her intense gaze she lowers herself to lay flat on her stomach on the bottom part of the bed, her mouth and nose disappearing from my sight below my manhood with just those bright magenta eyes peeking over. Her face was just an inch or two from my exposed asshole. Until very recently this would have seemed filthy and wrong. Thanks to Rosa's guidance I knew better now.

I remain in my pleasant haze but all silliness drains from me to be replaced by erotic desire. I let my head fall back and stare at the ceiling as I await my Lady's touch.

Very tenderly a fingertip runs down the sensitive area the ran between my balls and anus. An involuntary shudder runs through me. "Ohhhh." As the finger went lower, getting ever so close to my rear entrance, I instinctively tilt my hips up to invite entry.

Rosa laughs softly. "So eager."

"Yessss."

"Mmm." Her nose nuzzles in just below my sack and her lips press into my taint.

"Ohhh." Closing my eyes I focus all of my mindfulness down toward my bum.

She kisses to the left, then to the right. Further up, then a bit lower. She lavishes that small area between my legs as tenderly and amorously as she had the rest of my body. Each of her kisses are tiny bursts of electric excitement. Then comes her tongue. Ohhh that wonderful demon tongue. It slides and slithers and laps up and across my perineum with a firm constant touch. As her tongue wriggles against me I feel a steady stream of warm slick saliva slowly ooze down and over my clenched sphincter.

"Hohhhhh."

The tongue comes away. I hear the sucking noise of a finger leaving Rosa's lips followed soon after by the jolt of that same finger making contact with my tender anus.

"Ohhhh yessss!" If I could have spread any wider for her I would have.

My hole's immediate reaction is to squeeze tighter. I take a calming breath and concentrate on relaxing. Rosa's slender spit covered fingertip traces in a tight circle as she waits for me to settle then, earlier than I expected, penetrates me to slide the digit inside of me.

"OH!" As my sphincter clamps around her like a vice.

"Mmm, relax baby." She whispers. Her finger is still as she waits for my body to catch up. As she feels me open up she pushes the finger the rest of the way in. "Soooo tight."

"Ohhhhh!"

"Atta boy."

Slowly, gently, she thrust her middle finger in and out of my ass as she return to kissing and licking just above. "Mmmm." She hums lustily as her fingers starts going faster. Knowing I could handle her finger she isn't quite as patient and soft as the first time and I had zero complaints. The spittle running down over my entrance keeps it all nice and lubed.

"Harder. Please."

"Rrrrrlllmm!" Her wildcat growl lifts my short hairs.

Her hand moves faster. Smooth gliding strokes soon become strong steady jabs. The knuckles of the rest of her hand punch against my ass as her middle finger thrusts in and out faster and faster.

"Ohhhhh gods!" My feet point and toes curl tight. "It feeeels gooood!"

"Yes, good boy. Sing for your Lady."

"Ohhhhhh!"

"I can't wait to fuck you baby. You're looking so damn good down here."

She spits on me as she slows back down again. And then, from one thrust to the next, one finger becomes two.

"Haaahhhh!" My hands clench around the rope and my body bucks hard. The added thickness pinched a bit but not much, not as much as taking the single finger the first time.

"That's it baby, yes! Open up for me. Yes my boy! Ohhhh, you feel so good."

Smooth and easy the two fingers glide in and out of me. With each careful stroke it aches a bit less and feels a bit better. It felt…nice. Really nice. I could just…feel more. And more was better. The extra girth gave me something to really clench against. It felt fuller, the added width forced my hole to stretch a tiny bit to adapt and let me feel even more the length and friction of her fingers sliding in and out of my gripping sphincter. It was only two slender fingers compared to one but the difference was significant.

"Hahhh! Yesss!" I mewl in an high docile tone. "Fuck meeee!"

The thrusting becomes faster, harder, and as deep as she could go. The slick wet music of Rosa fingering my ass reaches my ears. Letting my body guide the way I start to rock my pelvis in time with her. My asshole radiates carnal joy. Good as it is this was so much more powerful than the physical sensation. It is raunchy and exciting and most importantly…it is Rosa.

"Haaaohhhh gods! Ohh gods!" I moan. "It's so goooood!"

"That's it baby. Push against me. Fuck my fingers. Show me how much you want it."

Even faster, even harder, and still as deep as she could go her fingers slam into me hard enough I could hear her hand clapping against me. Inside of me her two digit rammed over and over and over again into that incredible little spot I learned about the first time she fingered me. Moving as best I could I jut back into her thrusts for added force. Faster she goes, faster!

I feel the pressure rise, not simply in my balls but growing through my entire nether region. She had given me the option to cum, I could give in to my powerful physical need to climax anytime I wished, yet she had not commanded me to do so. I try to resist just show her what a good boy I could be. But a funny thing happens on the way to denial. I cum. I cum but I do not ejaculate. The feeling that engulfs me is unmistakably orgasmic yet entirely new. It blossoms out from Rosa's thrusting fingers and not my balls.

"Hunngnnh! Hnnnngh! HUHHHH!" I moan breathily as waves of sensual pleasure pulse through my bucking body. I stare down my chest to watch my dick bounce and waggle with nothing but the precum that had already been dribbling from it coming from the tip. "HAAHHH!"

"That's it baby! YES!" She cheers and keeps her hand going at the same rate and power. "You are magnificent!"

"Hoohhmmmm!"

"Who is your Lady?"

"You are! Ohhhh!"

"Who does this ass belong to?"

"Youuuu!"

"Who is my boy?"

"I am!" I squeal and jerk wildly. "I'm your slutty boyyyy!"

"Yes you are!"

"OHHHHH!" The climax goes on and on, far longer than usual. I am still riding out the tail end when my Lady's fingers are suddenly removed and she lays a spank across my butt. My whole being lurches as one at the sudden emptiness. "Nooooooo."

"Ready for more?" She asks.

I nod frantically. "Yes, yes, yes, OH YES."

"That's my boy." She says proudly. Grabbing me under my butt she lifts. "Come on, up you go big guy."

Moving with her direction I lift as she pushes. The next thing I know I am resting on just my head, neck and shoulders. My chin is forced into my chest, my legs coming up to touch the headboard, with the rest of my body above me. Rosa moves in against my back to help hold me up. Her arms slide around my stomach to hold me tight. I see two horns appear followed by the top half of her face as she stares down into me. A moment later I feel the tapered tip of her demon tongue touch my entrance.

My eyes widen. "Ohhh my Lady!"

Chapter 42: Demon Tongue

Chapter Text

The tip of her tapered tongue twists and writhes against my hole, holding back just enough to deny penetration. Warm copious drool pools at my butt to trickle down the crack on one side and along both sides of my sack on the other. When I feel the first drop hit my face I thought it her saliva. Then I see the second drop glisten in the glow of Luna as gathers then drips from the tip of my cock to hit my cheek just beside the nose. I couldn't see Rosa's mouth but the way her cheeks rise and her eyes move I could tell that made her smile. I then see that it had been no accident either, she had very carefully positioned me so that my cock hovered above my face pointing right at it.

It is such a strange and mysterious thing. A sort of magic really. Acts I would find humiliating anywhere else made me feel so proud when done under her caring dominant gaze. She made me feel so powerful and beautiful and safe to express myself. And in my current blissed out submissive state it only made it better. I bat my eyes demurely in silent thanks for my Lady's thoughtfulness.

As the next shimmering drop falls I open my mouth wide to try to catch it. "Ahhhmmm." It hits my top lip and I quickly lick it up. "Mmmm."

Rosa approved, I could see it. Had her tongue not been extended she would have called me a good boy.

She taps and teases around my anus with her strong nimble tongue. She laps at my hole with tantalizing prods. "Nnngh." I let out a pleading whine as I make a futile attempt to push up at her to initiate entry. The tongue spins left and right then flicks it with a light tap. "Hnngh. Please my Lady. I want to feel you." She continues to tease to the point where my sphincter began to wink open at her touch, desperate to feel something inside it again. "Ohhhh please my Lady." I beg as drips of my precum continues to spatter down over my face. "Please. Put it inside of me. Please my…ooooOOHHHH!!!"

In the middle of my pathetic pleas Rosa finds mercy for me and her tongue begins its journey. It's pointed tip and slick wetness makes the entry incredibly easy, easier than even her single finger, but quickly it begins to widen.

"Oh gods!" I gasp.

She replies with a soft deep rolling growl. "Rrrrlllmmm."

Slowwwwwly the tongue pushes deeper getting fatter as it went. While nowhere near the girth of her cock, though pretty close to mine, her tongue was much thicker than the two fingers I had just taken and more substantial all the way around. The natural lube of her spit let it glide so smoothly despite how tightly my ass stretched around it. "OHH OHH OOOH!"

The odd drip of precum becomes a long gleaming stream oozing steadily from my cock down onto my face as her tongue penetrates deeper. Rosa pushes closer, her big dick hard against my back, as she strains to keep me still. I do my best to hold the difficult position but in my bound state there was only so much I could do and I was a lot of weight for my petite Lady to handle, together we manage it for now.

How deep she goes I have no clue. Four inches? Six? I had no frame of reference. A lot deeper than her fingers, that's for sure. My eyes roll back and I let out a primal moan of sheer lewd pleasure. "HNNGGH!" It felt sooooo fucking good! The fingers had been great, but this was satisfying on an entirely different level. The way it filled me, the way it stretched me, the way it touched places inside of me that nobody ever had before. My body shakes, my voice gasping weakling. "Yessss…deeper…deeper…ohhhhhh gods yessss." My Lady blesses me with another inch. "OHHHHH!"

"Nnnngh." Rosa moans her approval. With no warning she grabs the shaft of my cock tight, damn near making it cum right then, and squeezes a fresh streamer of precum down into my greedy lips. I eagerly catch it all, licking what I missed from my lips.

She shifts and resets herself with a little a little grunt, trying hard to keep me in place. My own muscles were shaking with straining fatigue. We couldn't hold this much longer. Perhaps because of this Rosa ramps up the intensity.

Her tongue glides out through my gripping anus just to the point where it begins to taper…then thrusts in again to fill me up so fucking good.

"OHHHH!" My high lilting voice trills before lowering to a hush. "Fuck me my Lady…yesssss! Yes, yes, yes!"

Back out, the unreal sensation of the length sliding through my tight hole making me see stars, then she fills me up again with a strong push in.

"Hohhhhhh…gods almighty!"

Gradually the long slow thrusts speed up just a bit. Steady, deep, powerful her tongue plunges into me. Each stroke its own world of gratifying pleasure. I never could have guessed how good it felt to have somebody inside of me. To have HER inside of me. Touching me, filling me, owning me in ways only a boy like me could appreciate.

The feeling is indescribable. The firm sinuous muscle. The ass stretching girth. That wonderful knobbly texture. And those fleshy ribbed protuberances that ran along the sides…HOLY FUCK! When they rubbed across that special spot inside…bliss. "OHHHHH!"

My voice is small and puling as I whimper. "I'm…gonna…cum. I…can't…help it. Gonna cummmm."

With one last reward my Lady treats me by having her tongue slither and squirm inside of me like a worm writhing in the mud, with the added touch of having a bit curl and thicken like a ball against the good spot. Having something sliding along through my rectum and bowels was one thing, but then feeling it move independently inside of me!? There are no words.

My orgasm is less of the usual build up to a cresting burst of rapture than an irresistible ecstatic surrender, a letting go. Having held back so long my dick just starts spewing thick wads of hot cum to rain down on my face in heavy viscous globs. It spatters down on my chin and lips and nose and eyes and cheeks and even in my hair, painting my face a creamy jizzy white. What does land into my open mouth I gulp down without any reluctance. In my high it tasted so good. Rosa's soft hand massages down my cock in firm repetitive strokes to milk my throbbing balls dry. So overwhelmed that I am I don't even cry out. I simply tremble and gurgle and let out little bleating grunts as I gaze up at the goddess who called me her boy.

My Lady keeps her tongue inside of me and continues to milk me until she was sure my nut was completely spent. Then I feel her snakey tongue slither from my very happy hole and her hand pull back from my drained manhood. Working together I am brought back down to lay on my back once more. Kneeling over me, my softening dick nestled against her still hard heavy cock, she very lightly runs her fine fingers down my chest and abdomen. My ass still purred with warm pleasant feelings, I could almost feel her inside of me still. I gaze at her in awe.

Reaching over the side of the bed she brings up the waterskin to drink and rinse her mouth. She brings it to my lips and carefully allows me a nursing drink as well. She stoppers it and sets it aside. She touches me and caresses me before her hands come to feel around my bonds. She would be untying me, I could sense it.

"We're done playing tonight." She says softly. "Is my boy happy?"

"Yessss!" I whisper. "Oh yes. Thank you." Thank you…the words felt so ridiculously inadequate for what I felt. But how does one express a gratitude this deep? "Thank you my Lady."

"You're welcome." She leans down and kisses empty balls. Rising up again her fingers begin working at the knots on my left leg.

I lay there in the swirling euphoria of my submissive high mixing with my post-climax afterglow. My warm pungent facial oozed down my cheeks. My twitching well fucked asshole still gaped a little. My shining Lady attending to me. There would be no going back after this. I had supped of ambrosia and it fed my starving soul like nothing else before.

Chapter 43: Aftercare, Cuddles, and Back on the Road

Chapter Text

Rosa pauses with the ropes to look at me and smile. "Happy boy." She ruffles her hand through my sweaty hair then returns to the knot.

"Yes." I giggle. "So happy."

"That's good." She says. "Now just rest. Enjoy the feeling."

"Okay." I say. Before I obey though I simply had to ask. "Are you happy my Lady?"

"Of course I am."

"Good." I beam. Wanting so desperately to express to her how much this all meant to me I say again the only words that even came close to telling her how I really felt. "I love y…" She fixes me with an angry flash of her eyes. I actually whimper at the intense glare from my dominant and I shrink down into the bed clamping my mouth shut. "I'm sorry."

"Don't!" She warns me.

"Yes my Lady."

Her expression softens and she pets my leg. "Be still now. Close your eyes. Just enjoy this moment."

"Yes my Lady." I whisper and obey.

I lay still as she unties me. As each limb is released I feel strained joints and knotted muscles relax to bring another rush of pleasure into the blissful swirl I was already floating in. While I missed the comfort and security of my bondage the physical relief freedom brought was much needed. My flesh was not as resilient as my submissive spirit. Soon I am relaxed and laying flat in the center of the bed, but Rosa wasn't done yet. First she cleans me using the cloth and wash basin that was provided with the room. She washed the jizz from my face and the other bodily secretions drying about my body, finishing with my butt. Still she was not done. With her soft warm hands she massages me, not deeply but pleasantly. She finds and soothes every tense muscle and tendon that had been stressed by the bondage with her healing hands. As she arranges the pillow and covers me in a blanket she finishes with a very quiet prayer, the only bit of which I hear is "…and watch over him and protect him…".

When done I am a very happy puddle of quivering flesh, feeling a relaxation the likes of which I never imagined before.

"Are you asleep?" Rosa whispers.

"No." I smile. "Almost though." My voice is my own again. Somewhere along the way my trance had lifted, though I still felt incredible.

Rosa's soft little body slides in under the covers with me to take me into a cradling embrace and cuddles up tight. "You did so good baby. So good."

Against my side I could feel her thick dick had softened about halfway. Once more I had gotten off but she hadn't, not in that way. "I wish you'd let me take care of that."

"Shhh." She runs her fingers through my hair. "Shhhhh." Softly she hums a song I had not yet heard, a whimsical but wistful little tune.

She pets my hair and holds me close and hums her song…and the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes to the dawn's amber light streaming in through the window. I take a long breath in through my nose and let it slowly escape through my mouth. I felt…amazing. Stiff, achy, and tired, but energized body and soul. The stiffness a bit of walking would quickly sort out but I knew this buzz could last right through the day based on our experience after the slave shack. I take a moment to wonder how that slave family was doing. Hopefully the master hadn't discovered their breaking of the rules for a couple of poor strangers.

I grin as I feel the arm across my chest and the sharp horn jabbed against my shoulder. Turning my head I see Rosa at my side, her soft features at peace in her slumber. The events of the night before had a dreamlike quality to them yet, unlike dreams, had a firm root in my memory. Oh what a night. The wonderfully gratifying soreness that I was feeling in my ass brought extra vibrancy to the lewd memories. As amazing at it was however one off note stood out from the song. I stare at my beautiful bedmate as I see in my mind's eye that brief flash of anger from the night before.

I didn't know what I had done wrong but I strongly suspected. My grandpa always told me that in couples that men took the lead in sex and business, women in family and matters of the heart. He warned me never to use the L word unless the woman said it first. He said it was the hallmark of a weak man. While I cherished the submission and vulnerability Rosa allowed me I did not consider myself weak…though perhaps I was just fooling myself.

I'd known her a week but I did love Rosa. It wasn't at all like the feeling I had toward my family or my goddess. It was the type of love Ovid wrote about, the type of love that spurred the war of the Greeks and Trojans, the type of love that could bring a man to his knees or lift him to the heavens. I knew I loved her, it burned inside of me, but I also knew I was a foolish farmboy ignorant of the secrets of a woman's heart. She warned me not to fall in love with her. She told me that we did not need love for what we had. She told me that I would have a wife that was not her. Had she told me these things because she knew that she could never love me in that special way? Was a boy a person to be treasured but not loved? Did she need a man equal to herself to truly give her heart to? I certainly did not feel worthy of her. If I could not have her love…I would have to settle for whatever she would give me. I let out a sigh as I hope I hadn't soured what we had.

I close my eyes and recenter myself. The road, the trip, our new home. Like the slave hut this city and what we did here would live forever in my memory, but we had to keep moving. I open my eyes again eager to feel the Appian beneath my feet once more. Reaching over I very lightly brush a lock of Rosa's feathery soft violet hair from her face.

"Mmmmm." She moans as she blinks her eyes open. The moment she sees me she takes my breath away with a smile. "Good morning Master." She whispers.

"Good morning Rosa."

She takes a long breath. "Time to go?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

We get up and tidy the room as best we could. We pack up, Rosa coiling and tying my rope in a very particular way before making room for it and packing it away. I fetch a fresh wash basin. We clean up and I am shaved and before long we are dressed and ready to go. We pause at the door to look back at the room.

"What a night." Rosa says.

"Yes." I agree. "I almost feel a debt toward those Christian soldiers for making all of this possible."

"Ha ha ha!" Rosa laughs, a loud merry laugh. "Ohhhh, I don't think they'd like knowing what their coin purchased."

"Makes it all the better." I chuckle.

We share a laugh before Rosa looks up at me. She straightens my tunic as she says. "Your Lady is tired. I'm just your slave girl today, okay? I need you to be my Master for a bit."

Slowly a grin spreads on my face. "Of course." I turn and open the door for her. "After you my slave." She pinches my nipple through my tunic then skips on through the door.

On the way out of the inn we are momentarily delayed by the owner.

"We had complaints."

"Oh?" I say.

"Moaning and the like. Late into the night."

"Oh. Uhhh, yeah." I mumble. "Sorry about that."

"Funny thing though, they said they couldn't tell man from woman."

My cheeks burn with an embarrassed blush as I recall my high soft submissive cries of passion.

"It was me." Rosa cuts in with a bashful servile look down to the floor. "Master is a lot of man to handle. He makes me sing most lewdly, I can't control it. My apologies Sir."

The guy just grins and shakes his head. "Keep it down next time as a courtesy to your neighbors."

"Yes Sir." Both Rosa and I say at once followed by a giggle.

After a brief stop at a shrine to Feronia to make a donation and offering on behalf of the kind strangers who helped us during the storm we were flat broke once again.

Looking into our empty purse I quip. "Since I met you we've rarely had two coins to rub together."

"Thankfully we've had other things to rub together." She jests. As I groan at her bad joke she pats my arm. "We'll get by."

There was just one more stop I had to make in Beneventum. Heading East, on the outskirts of the city, I spot the temple to my goddess Ceres. It had been FAR too long since I connected with her. After the experience with Ignatius it felt doubly important that I do so. I stop in front of the steps and look up the tall stone pillars to see the sickle and sheaf symbol at the building's crest. Feelings from home wash over me in a flood.

Rosa, standing to my left, touches my arm. "Take all the time you need."

I nod. Taking my land ownership papers with me I leave the pack with Rosa near the corner then climb the three wide steps to enter into the holy temple. I have to talk my way in as I literally hadn't a copper piece to offer but seeing my genuine need the priestesses let me in. I walk slowly through the columned hall, my head bowed in reverence, and approach the great wooden figure of Ceres on her throne. High on the walls were depictions of the various stages of a crop, from seeding to harvest and processing, each image associated with one of her helper gods. In an alcove on her own her daughter Prosperina stands holding a torch. The area was empty this time of day, most of her worshipers would be hard at work this time of the morning, and I was grateful both for the privacy as well as the lack of witnesses to see my paltry offering. Kneeling on the cool marble floor before her I take a single lemon seed from the old plantation and place it upon the altar.

"My goddess." I pray, staring down at the lone seed. "Meager as it is I offer this gift with a pure heart. May it be planted and its bounty feed the people of this fine city." My gaze rises to look upon her feet. "Forgive me for I was tempted to stray from you by a wicked man telling wicked lies. My friend Rosa helped me find my path back to you. She is…special." I pause and wipe my palms against my legs then place my legal documents at my knees. "Please…please…bless this land. Bless this new home I start. I will work hard. I will use all I know. I will bring you offerings worthy of your greatness. Please, I need this to work out. I need this." I then go on to ask her to watch over my family and help them prosper. As I stare at the documents I notice they are thicker than before. I then notice the familiar parchment sticking out the end, Rosa's ownership paper. Rosa must have rolled all these together to make room for the rope. I swallow nervously, afraid to tell Ceres too much about that aspect of my life for fear of punishment. "And bless my slave. She has much to learn of our country ways but…she is clever and able. She is…she is a good woman." I scoop the papers up before I say too much. I bow deeply then rise to my feet and leave the temple with an extra spring to my stride.

Rosa smiles as she sees me approach. "Feel better?"

"Much!" I say as I tuck the papers away then close and pick up the pack. My eyes stray down the long road. "Home."

"Home." Rosa nods as she comes up beside me with a determination that matched my own in her eyes.

And off we go, on the road again.

We aren't far along when we pass the hunched shuffling form of an old woman in a worn gray shawl pulling a creaking old handcart behind her. It was odd to see one so old pulling her own cart. I comment on it once we were out of earshot, saying that she must be close to home.

"Oh, no, she's got a long journey ahead of her." Rosa says. "Longer than ours even."

"She does?"

"She's on a pilgrimage. I spoke to her while you were praying. She's a follower of Ceres too, she'd just come out of the temple." Rosa replies. "She's nice. Real nice. She didn't even mind that I was an Amazon."

"She didn't?" I look back over my shoulder to see the weathered old woman waddling along at a snails pace. "A pilgrimage…for Ceres?"

"Yeah. She said she had a vision that she was to visit each temple and shrine to her goddess along the Appian Way." Rosa says. "You've gotta respect her devotion. At that age I'm not sure I could…"

"It takes many strands to make a rope." I mutter as my steps begin to slow.

Rosa stops what she was saying to tug at my hand. "Come on slow poke. We'll never get there at this rate."

"Many strands make a rope." I say again, my steps slowing more.

"Huh?"

"It is something that Ceres teaches." I stop and turn to look back along the road. "We're stronger together than apart."

"Well…obviously." Rose tilts her head.

I look out over the vast fields of grain that spread out from this side of the city then back to the old woman with her cart.

"You're going to help her." Rosa says as she reads my intention.

"Just until the next temple." I say.

"It's not our problem."

"It is now."

"It will slow us down." She says.

"It will speed her up." I reply. With purpose in my steps I walk back West toward the old woman. "Come along my slave."

A cheerful voice says just behind me. "Yes Master."

Chapter 44: A New Friend

Chapter Text

The elder sees us approach and slows to see what our business with her is. She was well into her eighties if she was a day. Hunched as she is she stood even lower than Rosa though in her youth she would have been much taller. Her tanned leathery and her knobby calloused hands spoke to a lifetime of honest country living. Her movements, while labored and stiff, still had a dogged vigor to them. Long curly pure white hair drapes down over her back and shoulders from out under a wide brim hat. Her clothes were of good quality but common and worn thin in places. Her weathered wrinkled face looked like a map of a river and its winding tributaries, it had a sternness about it but a kindness as well. Her right eye was a lovely sky blue, her left the same but clouded. The creaking wooden cart she pulled was simple and sturdy, much like the woman herself, and about half full. The contents are covered with a sheet of sewn goat skin.

"Hail." I say as she and I come to a stop in front of each other.

She looks up to squint at me with her good eye. "Hail young Quintus."

I pause, momentarily confused at her knowing my name.

"Hello again Drusilla." Rosa says as she comes to stand beside me.

"Hello Rosa my dear." She says with a guarded grin. "What's all this?"

"Rosa tells me you are continuing along the Appian to the next temple." I say as I pull the pack from my shoulder. "That is right along the way for us. If you aren't opposed to it perhaps we might travel a time together. I could pull your cart for a time. It would be no trouble Ma'am."

"My Master has the fortitude of a horse and the strength to match." I feel her very subtly touch my hand. "He carries me on the regular without it even slowing him down."

"He carries his slave?" Drusilla says.

"My Master is a kind master." Rosa titters. "If a bit odd."

She looks to Rosa and then back to me, a bit suspicious. "I cannot pay you."

"I would be insulted if you did." I chuckle.

"We have been shown kindness on our trip." Rosa adds. "We want to pay it forward. A rope is made of little fibers."

"Strands." I correct my slave. "Many strands."

Her cautious expressions softens, knowing I was among her faith going a long way to initiate a trust. She takes a long look at me, a long look at Rosa, and then one more sizing up of me again. She lets out a breath, her shoulders slump, and sets her burden down. "Bless you. Ceres bless you young man."

"And to you." I smile warmly. Heaving my pack up onto her cart I say. "Jump on in Ma'am, we'll make good time and you can take a rest."

"It's not too much?"

"Ha! Back home I used to haul the big mule wagon around, I won't even notice you on there." I boast. "Strong back, weak mind. That's what Grandpa always said."

Rosa gives me brief scowl. "Well he was half right."

"Well I won't turn my nose up at a ride. These old bones are aching."

I help her into the cart. As she finds a solid perch atop the load I grab the smooth well worn wood at the ends of the two long handles and slowly lift. With a firm grip I lean my weight into it and start down the road. It felt good and right to feel a load to pull against again. Rosa falls in to walk along side of the cart. I had barely gotten five steps before the two began talking, seeming to continue whatever conversation they'd had back near the temple. I settle into a nice pace, the wheels clacking and the cart creaking behind me, and let the women talk. If Drusilla had any reservations about Rosa being either demon or Amazon she doesn't show it. Likely she was simply grateful to have someone to chat with. We are a few minutes on when the conversation naturally turns to us.

"Excuse my sayin so, but an exotic slave and a commoner?" Drusilla says. "You're a funny pair."

"You don't know the half of it." Rosa quips.

"Oh, I bet I do." The woman chuckles. "My husband and I had slaves once. I know what happens when nobody's looking."

"Drusilla! My Master is an honorable man."

"As was my husband." The mirth in the old lady's voice evinced not a hint of judgment, only amusement. "Though he never went messin with no Amazon."

"You are bad." Rosa says, her tone betraying a bit of humor in her own tone. "My Master is a proper Roman."

"Ohhh, I am sure he is. I can see he is a fine upstanding specimen of Roman manhood. Mmmm."

"Ha ha ha!"

"I am right here!" I protest. "Could you two hens keep it down back there."

They share a laugh and Rosa makes a few clucking sounds before they fall back into conversation. Despite my gripe they are soon back to talking about me again.

"I am guessin by your beauty that young Quintus here is unmarried."

"Not yet." Rosa says. "We're going to start a new life."

"Mmm, figured so. No farm wife I know would approve of a slave like you my dear, no offense."

"None taken." Rosa says. "It isn't what you think though. Master…saved me. I would have been disposed of had he not been there."

"Disposed of? Pfff! What a stupid thing that would have been. Perfectly fine young lady like you."

"Thank you." Rosa says. "I wish everyone thought like you."

"I didn't always." She says. "Ten years ago I wouldn't have even spoke with ya. It's a funny thing my dear. I've outlived my husband, my brothers and sister, and eventually every close friend I ever had." There is pause before she says softly. "The people I loved, the people I lived for, the people that gave my life purpose. It's only after I lost every other reason to keep going that my goddess showed me what's really important."

I look back over my shoulder to see the pair looking at each other, the old lady sitting facing my slave and Rosa walking along with her hand holding the edge of the cart. "What did she show you Drusilla?" Rosa whispers

The woman's crooked fingers rubs Rosa's brand. "The beauty of a flower." She looks up to face the sun. "A bright warm day." She looks to me and smiles. "The kindness of a young man." She looks back to Rosa. "A slave made friend. Blessings abound, all around us at every moment. We just have to have the eyes to see them."

"I like that." Rosa says.

"I would trade that wisdom to have them back again, to have it all to live over, but that isn't the way of things." She sighs, a little smile on her face. "But it is solace to my tired soul. Treasure your youth, hold onto this time for as long as you can. Once it is gone…it's gone forever."

Rosa takes her hand to give it a supportive squeeze. "Your children?"

Drusilla shakes her head sadly. "It wasn't meant to be for us."

"I'm sorry."

"My goddess had her reasons. It's okay." She assures Rosa. "Everything is okay." She takes a deep breath and looks around to the fields and hills then back to Rosa. "Look at me, bringing us down on such a fine day. And old folks wonder why the young'uns never want to talk to us. Ha! I was given my parcel of time and it was a good one. A very good one." She pats Rosa's hand. "Made all the better by meeting you my dear." She then adds wryly. "And your stout ox too."

"Ox!" I exclaim.

"Shush ox." Rosa giggles. "The hens are cackling."

"Moooo!" I balk.

The three of us enjoy a mood lifting laugh. The pair continue to talk. Drusilla had a wonderful openness and curiosity about her, not unlike a child's. She asks Rosa about being a demon and being an Amazon. Rosa shares some of her challenges, a sugar coated version anyway, and in return asks Drusilla about her life. Life grew in the old woman's voice as she told us about her life as the wife of an olive farmer. She had so many stories. Funny, sad, serious, and even a bit of history as she told us of how their land bordered that of Cassius Chaerea's family, the famous soldier who assassinated Emperor Caligula. She spoke of the good times and bad she and her husband went through, though even latter was told with a joyful zest. Given the perspective of age and the separation of time it seemed the challenges brought just as much happiness as the triumphs, if not more so. It really was a life well lived.

My mind drifts forward to the years to come. Would I be an old man someday telling the youth of my days? Would Rosa? Would we be telling our tale together? Would it be as well lived as this woman's? Would we look back at our ups and downs as joyfully as she was? Where would this fateful journey rank among those memories? These thoughts make me feel good inside.

The miles glide by easily on the smooth road. With Drusilla riding and the fact that I could only travel at a pace Rosa was comfortable with on a normal day it turns out helping the old woman wasn't costing a thing beyond a bit of extra effort on my end, which I did not mind a bit. We stop for a long lunch under the narrow shade of a cypress. Drusilla is only too happy to share a bit of bread, nuts and oil with us.

After lunch it was Rosa's turn to speak. She spoke not of the past, she rarely did, but of what she saw as a bright future…and it tears my soul to shreds.

She told of finding our land and getting established. She spoke of being a slave to a successful farm. She spoke of slave quarters and her just being one of what would be many more as my farm grew. She explained how I would find myself a good wife, a woman appropriate for a farming man like me. A good and proper woman with the skills of a farmer's spouse and connections to the local community. She spoke about me finding an extended family through my wife. She said how much she looked forward to caring for and helping in raising my children. She said she would love them like her own. She spoke about MY future, the fate she saw for me, with her as just a small part of it.

"Will you find a partner?" The woman asks. "A good slave man to love?" Rosa answers with a gesture, which I do not see. "Such a shame you Amazon's cannot bear children of your own." Drusilla says, ignorant of the truth as I had been until just recently. "It is the highest of blessings."

Just as the old woman had said to her earlier Rosa replies softly. "It's okay. Everything is okay. I am at peace with my slavery. I am so proud to be Master's property. I am happy with what I have." There is a pause before she whispers. "But…I would never wish to bring a baby into a life without freedom."

The words are a spear straight through my fucking heart.

Chapter 45: A Parting Gift

Chapter Text

I love her. She is my Lady. Yet she is also my slave. I knew that of course but hearing that reality summed up so clearly in Rosa's own words drives the point deep. There is no sadness in Rosa's voice, if anything there was a genuine excitement, but it didn't change how I felt about it. My beautiful Lady deserved to be the center of her own life not an adjunct to mine. And yet…what could be done? As a slave Rosa could not marry, own property, run a business, or really do anything that was outside of her role as my slave. Every right and privilege she had was an extension of her being my property.

I keep my grip tight and my pace steady. We were heading more Southward now and the land rolled with hills and valleys. I continue to listen as I mull what I had heard over.

"Well I cannot argue with that." Drusilla says in a matter-of-fact tone. "I wouldn't have wanted that for a child either. Take heart my dear, you will touch the lives of others in so many ways. You don't need your own children to make your mark."

"I know." Rosa says. "You are proof of that."

They chat pleasantly for many more minutes when the old woman calls to me.

"Quintus." Drusilla says.

"Yes Ma'am?"

"My eyes aren't what they once were. What is that up there? On that rise? Is that what I think it is?"

Looking back at her I see her squinting past me. "Yes, I can see the outskirts of Aeclanum."

"Ah." She says with a hint of disappointment. They would have a temple here, this is where our paths would diverge.

Rosa picks up on it too. "Well…I suppose we could continue…"

"No, no, no." Drusilla assures Rosa with a pat to her hand. "You two have your own journey ahead. Although…perhaps one more rest break before we get to town?"

"Absolutely. Hang on." I say as I pull the cart off of the level road toward a splotch of shade provided by a small lone tree near the edge of a vineyard field. I hold the cart level as Rosa aids Drusilla off of it then set it down. The old woman then pulls a short stool from the cart and sets it up in the center of the shade. She sits and rests as Rosa finds our waterskin to pass it around for a much needed drink.

"You okay?" She whispers to me as she daubs some sweat from my brow. "You've been going hard all day."

"Never better." I say.

"You aren't pure human either, I swear." She chuckles.

"Young Quintus is a worker." Drusilla says. "A mover and a doer. The lifeblood of the Empire. You look after your Master Rosa, he's got important work ahead of him. The most important work."

"I will." Rosa smiles.

"He'll need fuel to feed that work." She says bluntly. "How's your cookin?"

"Oh, uh, I mean…good."

"Good?"

"Quite good. But…"

"But?"

"Well…" Rosa glances my way sheepishly. "I'm used to preparing finger foods. Food for parties. Appetizers and dainties and the like."

"Dainties!?" Drusilla has a good old belly laugh at that. I can't help but laugh too. "Your man's going to need more than that to sustain him. Come here girl. Come and learn."

I lay down on the grass a few feet away from them. Not far off the traffic along the road flows by but the three of us have this little space to ourselves. Rosa sits at the feet of the older woman as Drusilla gives her a crash course in the basics of country cuisine. My slave devours every bit of knowledge, asking questions and making clarifications along the way. This woman's knowledge would be a lasting blessing and give Rosa a head start on her life to come. I already knew I would be thankful for it. I close my eyes and relax, not quite napping but just floating near the surface of sleep as the pair of them talk.

"It's not so hard once you get practice." Drusilla says at last. "You'll get better with time and find your own style."

"Well what you taught me will certainly help." Rosa says. "Say, Drusilla…once you are done your pilgrimage, once you've made it all the way to Brundisium, what's the plan? You sold your land and you'll be a long way from home. What is your next adventure?"

"I think my adventuring days are over my dear."

"Oh pish." Rosa giggles. "I was thinking…if it's okay with Master, maybe you could come visit us. Maybe a long visit. The farm is in Lucania, along the Aciris river. It would be a much shorter trip then going all the way home again."

"You are more than welcome." I say without opening my eyes. While caring for an elder would only add to our challenges Drusilla would bring with her an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience. Rosa and I were alone, Drusilla was alone, and we all got along. It seemed a good fit. Perhaps Ceres put her in our path for just this purpose.

There is long silence before the woman speaks again, her voice low. "You two…you make an old woman's heart feel good." There is a sigh. Before Rosa can reply she continues. "The thing is…this journey, my journey, ends at Brundisium. If I make it that far."

"Drusilla?"

I open my eyes to look over at them. Rosa now knelt at the old woman's side, Drusilla's squinting eyes looked out onto the lovely rolling landscape.

"I am having these spells you see, like my mother did in her dying months. My grandmother too." She takes a deep breath. "This task given to me by my goddess will be my final one."

"Oh, Drusilla."

"Shhh." Drusilla hugs Rosa. "It's okay. It is the way of things. As I said, I have had a good long life. A life better than most."

Taking the old lady's knobby hands in hers Rosa squeezes them tight. Her eyes glimmer with tears but there is a tender smile on her face. "Yes, yes you did. I heard it in the stories you told, I saw it in the kindness in your eyes, I felt it in the way our lives touched. I'll never forget you Drusilla and I'll remember those lessons you gave me. I promise."

Drusilla nods, a calm joy in her weary face. "And I know you will have that future you dream of my dear. You stay close to that Master of yours young Rosa, you stay close and you look after him. He's gonna need you and he'll do right by you in return. I can see it in him." She looks over to me. "Isn't that right Quintus?"

"Uh…yeah. I'll do my best."

Drusilla nods in that way older folk did when they really had faith in you.

Rosa gives me a warm look then looks at Drusilla a moment before getting to her feet. Rosa moves around to behind our travel companion. Laying her hands on the woman's hunched shoulders she asks. "When was the last time you got a massage?"

"Massage!?" Drusilla laughs. "Oh my dear, I don't think I've ever really…ohh…ohhhhh!"

Without even waiting for the go ahead my slave begins, kneading her thumbs up either side of the spine below the neck as her fingers grip the shoulders. "You just sit there and relax." She says in a tone that would hear no argument. "Let me make you feel good."

"Ohhh my dear girl! Ohhhhh!" In Drusilla's long life she'd never felt anything like Rosa. "Ohh my goodness!"

I grin and close my eyes again as Rosa's skillful hands work their magic. It was probably the best half hour Drusilla had experienced in a decade.

When it is over the old woman had a sort of hazy smile, one I knew well from Rosa's affections. Just the way she sat was more natural and less stiff. She stands and rolls her shoulders and tilts her back in amazement. "I feel twenty years younger! You are a miracle worker my dear."

"Thank you." Rosa says. "Glad you enjoyed it."

She picks up her stool, a resolute look upon her face. "Feeling like this I'll get a mile or two more, easy."

Sitting up I rub my face, feeling well refreshed from the rest. "We still have some way to go before town."

"Nah, I've slowed you two down long enough. I want to know you're up ahead of me getting on to that new farm of yours." She puts the stool into the cart as Rosa and I walk up behind her. "It gives me strength knowing you two have such a bright future waiting for you." She reaches in under the covering and rummages around a bit before pulling out a small woven basket. In this she searches and finds a cloth pouch, and from out of this she pulls something. "I want you to have this Rosa. A little keepsake for our time on the road." The old lady turns to face us.

In her hand is a fine silver bracelet. The hoop is made of two silver wires spiraled around each other to form a nearly complete ring. Connecting the two ends is a round clasp depicting the two faces of Janus. Two tiny matching garnets are set into the eyes of the god of a red so deep it bordered on violet. It is beautiful in a common way. Simple and elegant, not like the flashy extravagances of the wealthy.

"It has been in my family for generations. The gods only know where we got it." She says as she looks down at it, turning it so that it shines in the sun. "I wanted to pass it down to my daughter but…well, you know." She says wistfully. "Or even a niece. Wouldn't you know it though, my siblings had all boys." She chuckles. "What are the chances?" She holds the item reverently. This was something very special to her. Her most prized possession. "Janus, god of new beginnings. Two faces. One looking to the past." She holds it closer to herself. "One looking to the future." She holds it out toward Rosa. "Seems right that you should have this."

"No!" Rosa shakes her head.

"I ask you pass it on to one of your Master's daughters if he is so fortunate." She says. "But it is yours now."

"No, I can't accept this."

"Oh yes you can young missy!" Drusilla says firmly as she thrusts it into Rosa's hand. "And you will!"

Rosa gazes down at the bracelet at a loss for words. "This…I…I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you." I whisper.

"Thank you!" Rosa looks back up. "Thank you Drusilla!" They hug once more. "It is lovely. I will treasure it." She slips it on right over her hand, the hoop being a bit too big for her slender wrist.

Drusilla beams happily and nods with the knowledge that she'd made the right decision. "Now don't you go selling it in the next town."

"Drusilla!" Rosa laughs. "I would never." She brings it close to admire it. "It is so…" Her voice catches, her eyes narrow. Tilting her head she turns it as she inspects it more closely. "This is magical!"

"Is it? No it isn't." Drusilla squints. "I don't think…it never…" She leans in further. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah…yeah…there, between the coils you can just make out lettering." Rosa slides a finger along groove between the spiraling wires where you could just barely make out the edges of inscribed writing. "This has magic in it."

"Oh that. Yeah, we thought it might be Greek." Drusilla says. "Mom always figured it was a prayer to Janus."

"That's not Greek, it's spell script. My father was a wizard. I can't read it but I recognize it."

"Well…" It was Drusilla's turn to be speechless. "…all this time? Magic? HA! Who could have guessed? Ha ha ha!"

Rosa pulls it off again. "I can't accept this. This is too valuable."

Chuckling away and shaking her head in disbelief Drusilla turns from Rosa and moves to take up the handles muttering as she goes. "Magic! All this time. My goodness. Ohhh. He he he." I give her a hand getting set and she gives me an appreciative nod in return. I take our pack from the cart and stand in front of her.

"Drusilla." Rosa says as she moves around to my side with the item held out to return it, to no reply. "Drusilla!"

Ignoring Rosa's objections Drusilla looks up to me. "The goddess' blessings to you and your land young Quintus."

"And to you Ma'am. May she walk with you every step. Like Rosa said, we won't forget you." I say. "And if the gods decide you have a bit more road ahead…well, you know how to find us."

She nods happily then looks to my slave. "Farewell Rosa."

Rosa objections quiet, her hand slowly lowers and grips the gift tightly. She hugs Drusilla one last time and whispers. "Good bye my friend."

As the hug parts the woman takes a deep breath, her mismatched eyes staring down the road ahead. "Well, get going! I'm having a hard enough time not crying to see you two pass by me again."

Rosa and I step back and share one more moment of human connection with this treasure of a woman. I give a nod then turn and stride on down the road, after just a brief pause Rosa hurries to join me at my side. Behind us we hear the creaking and clack of Drusilla's cart as she too continues on her own inexorable journey.

Chapter 46: Rude Awakening

Chapter Text

We stop in Aeclanum only long enough to refresh ourselves and fill our waterskin at one of the public wells before we are on our way. There were still a few more hours of good daylight to take advantage of. As we pass near to the the cluster of shrines and temples near the town center we were both thinking about the old woman who would be soon rolling up here to give prayer.

I catch Rosa reaching into her pocket just to touch the bracelet, it was hidden away there so pickpockets couldn't see it. "She was nice." Rosa says.

"I hope she makes it."

"Yeah, me too."

As we head Southeast and the rolling plains of the valley gradually get more hilly and forested again I bring up something I hadn't decided on yet to get Rosa's input.

"Late tomorrow or maybe early the next day we should be coming up to the next major town. Just before then we will have two options for moving forward."

"Oh?" Rosa says, a bit surprised and more than a little excited. "This is new. Options are good."

"Yeah." I say with concern. "My initial plan was to turn South, off of the Appian, and make straight for my land. It's still a long journey though far shorter. But it will be more rugged, the roads won't be nearly this good. Being on foot that won't slow us down too much but it's more wild. The terrain more challenging. And…it's more dangerous."

"I see." Rosa says, unconsciously shifting closer to me. "The other option?"

"We keep to the Appian right to the heel of Italy then follow the major coastal road to Heraclea. It will be much longer but civilized, easier to travel and safer. Safer from wild creatures at least." I take Rosa's hand and hold it. "My original plan was the shorter path but that was when I thought I'd be traveling alone."

Rosa shifts closer, taking her hand from mine and putting her arm around my waist. I put an arm around her shoulders and hold her close. A wilder path meant a greater chance of monsters. I understood what that meant for her.

"It's okay Rosa. We can take the longer way."

"No." She says softly. "No Quin. I…I want the shorter way." She leans her head into me. "This journey has been amazing but…I'm tiring. This is a hard life being on the road. I want a bed, I want walls, I want a roof, I want a place of our own." She hugs me tight. "I wanna go home."

I smile proudly at my little slave's bravery and kiss the top of her head. "Me too Rosa, me too."

The vagrant life was wearing on me just as heavily. We were getting by, but just getting by is no way to really live. More than anything I wanted to be standing on my own land and working toward something real and lasting. To have hut to call our own. To make a home.

We walk well past sundown. Rosa gives it her all before she had to tug at my sleeve to be carried. She crawls onto my back and I push myself on. Even I had my limits though. The shortage of sleep from the night before and the long hours hauling Drusilla's cart were catching up with me. I stare at the stones of the road marching, one foot in front of the other, with nothing else but the next step in my tired mind. Sensing my flagging strength Rosa whispers. "That's long enough my boy. Let's rest."

"Yes my Lady."

Exhausted we don't even bother finding a proper camping spot. Against the edge of a stone wall that protected a villa and its yard, not a stones throw from road, we flop down and fall into each other's arms. The night is warm so we don't even bother with the blanket. Cuddling close we fall into a deep sleep in mere minutes.

NOISE! Noise, noise, noise. All around. From a dead sleep we are awoken by the barking of dogs and the shouting of men. Before I can even make sense of what was happening I am being jabbed hard in the ribs with the handle of a shovel.

"Ah! Fuck." Acting on instinct I shield Rosa and blink my eyes open to see three men and two big dogs around us in a semi-circle.

"Get up!" The eldest man bellows over the barking din of his deafening dogs. "Get your ass up and move the fuck on. You and your pet demon, GET!"

Still gathering my bearings I clear my throat and mutter the first thing I could think of to at least buy us a minute to wake up. "I…I was hoping for some work. For coin or even a bit of breakfast. Do you…uff!" Another jab to my side cuts me off.

"I don't need nothin from you but to see your backside moving on down the road." He says, clearly exasperated. "I am so fucking sick of you lazy drifters coming through here expecting a fucking handout. There is no work for you here. There is nothing for you here. Move on!"

Harassed to our feet Rosa and I quickly gather up our belongings. "Please Sir, we're moving like you asked." Rosa pleads, her voice being swallowed up by everything else going on. "Ow!" She yelps as a rock hits her in the back.

I see red. Stepping out in front of her I shout. "Fuck! WE'RE MOVING!" This only causes the dogs to bark louder. Everything was so loud and happening so quickly. As one of the men slaps me and pushes me along I see another reaching for Rosa to harry her as well. "Don't you fucking touch her!"

When he lays his hands on Rosa…something just snaps. CRACK! My body acts on its own, two steps ahead of my still waking mind, as I drop the man with a single well placed punch to the jaw. I duck the head of the shovel as it whizzes by my head.

"Quin!" Rosa shrieks in terror at the near miss. "Gods, don't hurt us! Please!"

My arm snaps out, my hand grips the man around the throat and his eyes bulge in shock, my other hand reaches down to grab his belt and in one mighty heave I launch the full grown man right over the wall. A moment later comes a heavy meaty thud of his body hitting packed earth followed by loud groan.

Thankfully the dogs were all bark and no bite. Flanking their owner they growl and yelp and make a terrible noise but don't actually attack us. The last man charges me. Careful to keep Rosa behind me I spin with him, using his own momentum to help throw him into the stone wall. There is a wet crunch as two gouts of blood shoot from the nostrils of his very broken nose to stain the white-gray wall. He crumples to the ground in a heap, dazed and covering up in a vain attempt to parry any blows that might be incoming. There would be none.

"Shit!" I hiss. "Oh shit…shit!" I look to Rosa. "We have to get out of here, now!"

"Wh…why did you…?" Rosa looks at me with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Come on!" Putting my arm around her I hurry her toward the road and in mere moments we are on the Appian. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." I mutter. "We have move Rosa, fast as we can."

"I…I don't understand." She says as her pace speeds to match my own.

"The moment they are up they are going to find some buddies and come looking for us. Fuck!"

"But…but they threw a rock at me. They hit you. It was self defense"

"That's not going to matter Rosa. We're the strangers here. Country folk stick together. Word will get out and…gods help us. Come on."

"We…we'll find a watchman…some soldiers…"

"Assuming we can even find one it will be our word against theirs. No, trust me Rosa, we have to move quick. We have to stay ahead of the news." I look behind to see the villa disappear behind a cluster of trees. "If we hear horses at a gallop we have to hide."

Understanding the grave danger we were in Rosa nods and quickens her stride a bit more. She rubs the sleep from her eyes. "Oh no!" She scrambles for her pocket then lets out a sigh of relief as she feels the bracelet still in there.

No shave, no drink, no meal. We walk hard right on until midday, trying to keep a pace that was hasty but not suspicious. I pray, if we are caught, that all we get is a beating. It was the most likely scenario, roughed up and maybe robbed, but not the only one. While my family hadn't taken part in them I heard plenty of first hand accounts of vigilante posses of locals dishing out old fashioned justice to outsiders. Rape, gang rape, torture and even murder were all too real possibilities. I wanted to keep going but Rosa was slowing up.

"Do you need me to carry you?"

"No." She pants. "No…I need…to stop. I can't do this…all…day."

I look behind us. No sign of pursuit. It had been hours now and all we had seen are the normal travelers of the Appian. Surely they would have given up pursuit by now. I couldn't be sure we were safe but she was right, we couldn't keep this pace up for a full day. She couldn't anyway.

"Okay." I say. Scanning around I soon spot a broken down old hay wagon abandoned in a dry gully. It sat at an angle facing away from the road as one of its wheels had broken clean off. "There." I motion toward it.

High stepping through the tall grass and thorns we make our way to the wagon. I take one last long look down the road then sit down behind our cover. Rosa lays out her capelet to flatten an area then sits cross-legged beside me. "Do we have any water left?"

"A bit." I pull the waterskin out and pass it to her. She drink about half then motions me to finish it. I put up my hand. "You take it."

Her face hardens. "Drink." It was my Lady's voice.

I submit. "Yes my Lady." I drain it to the last drop, despite my earlier refusal I need it bad. "Hopefully there's a stream or a well soon." Rosa nods her agreement. I could tell she wasn't just weary, she seemed tense in a way I hadn't seen before. I shift closer. "Hey, you okay? That was a hell of a wakeup call."

"Yeah, you could say that. I'm…I'm fine." She looks up at me, seeming to study me again for the first time. "I've never seen that side of you before. It was…scary."

"Yeah." I say glumly. "I…I know how to handle myself. I don't like it, but I'm good at it. When I saw them touch you…" My voice fades as I stare down at my strong hard worker's hands then let out a quiet sigh. "I hate hurting people. I hate it Rosa. It's not who I am." My shoulders slump. "Although…maybe it is. Do you think those men are okay?"

"I am sure their pride is hurt worse than their bodies." She says in a smooth calming tone. "They'll live, perhaps a bit wiser for it."

"I didn't mean to scare you. I never want to scare you Rosa. But…I…I can't your boy all the time. I'm sorry."

Rosa rests her soft delicate hands over mine. They then slide up my arms as she rises to kneel. Taking my head in her arms she holds me to her chest. I let a great sigh as my tense body and worried mind relaxes as one in Rosa's soul restoring embrace. I lean into her and just allow myself to be held by her.

She kisses my head as she pets my disheveled hair and whispers. "You did good baby. You did good."

Chapter 47: Permission to Beg

Chapter Text

When she lets me go I am feeling MUCH better about everything. "Thank you Rosa."

"Anytime." She says with a kiss. "My hero."

"Ha! I'm no hero."

"You defended your Lady. You bested three men. Three! Quin…that's seriously impressive." She ruffles my hair. "That's hero stuff there. I'm going to write a poem about it."

"You are not."

"Oh yes I am." She says. "I might change a few details to really build it up. The dogs can be Cerberus…hmm. Yeah, a real mythical epic."

I roll my eyes.

"Now I know what kind of dangerous beast I've got on my leash. Goodness! I didn't know what I was dealing with. It is kind of…exhilarating!"

I chuckle. "How do you always find a way to make me smile?"

"Because I'm a silly girl." She winks. "The silliest."

I let out a breath, every ounce of fear had drained from me thanks to Rosa allowing me to think more clearly. "We should be safe now. There's no way they'd waste half a day of work just to chase down a couple of drifters."

"I am glad to hear that. I am very glad to hear that." There was something about the way she said that. I look up to her curiously. She had that impish look in her eyes again. "Now…what was this about you not being my boy all of the time?"

"Well…I've got to be a man too."

"Absolutely you do! What has that got to do with my question though?" She stands up. I go to rise with her but she pushes me back down again. Stepping across my legs she stands facing me with one foot to either side of me. I gawp at her sizable bulge that hovered just inches from my face then look up at her towering above me. "Are you going to answer me boy?"

Was this happening? Here? Now? We were tired, sweaty, haggard. We weren't that far from the road. Any traveler could now see Rosa's head poking up over the wagon, though the rest would be hidden. Now, really? By the look in her eye she didn't appear to be joking around.

"Yes!" A huge grin spreads across my face. "Yes my Lady. I don't know the answer though."

She sighs sadly as she sways her hips to waggle her package teasingly close. "Too bad you've got to be only a man. I sure could use my boy right now." Reaching down she grabs her balls. "Have you seen him?"

I nearly snap my neck nodding so hard. "I'm right here my Lady. Your boy is right here."

"Oh? I thought you were only a man now. I got the impression that maybe you were too big and tough to suck a girl's cock."

"I'm not! I'm your boy too."

She grins proudly. "That's right Quin, you are. Being mine means being a good boy AND a better man. One does not negate the other. They aren't separate, they're the same thing. Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

"Whose boy are you?"

"Yours!"

"Let me hear your pretty voice."

"Yes." I say again in a higher softer tone. "Yes my Lady, I'm yours."

"Good boy." She nods. I sit there smiling like a fool when after a few moments she cocks an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Well?"

"Beg!"

"OH! Right." My eyes slowly pan down her sexy body to settle on the bulge in front of me. "Please. Please my Lady, I want it so bad."

"It?"

"Your…your cock." I say, unable to hide my giddiness. "I want your cock. I want to taste it. Please."

Very subtly I move my hands behind my back to tuck them in under my belt. My Lady saw what I was doing though. With an understanding smile she slowly shakes her head no.

"No, no bondage. No safety net this time. I want you free boy." She says. "Touch me."

"Yes my Lady." I bring my hands back around to lightly grip at smooth soft creamy thighs. She felt so good! "Pleeeease. Please my Lady. I want it so bad."

"Want it?"

"Need it!" I correct myself. "I need you! I need to feel your cock in my mouth." I lean forward but she leans too, keeping her crotch just out of touch. "Please! I am begging you my Lady."

Reaching down she runs her thumbs around my lips. Immediately my lips wrap around the end to start sucking. "Whose mouth is this?"

"Yours! This my Lady's mouth. Mmmmm." I suck her thumb deeper and harder. "It's my Lady's mouth to use and to…to…fuck. Fuck…my…mouth. Use me. Please my Lady. Pleeeease." I whine desperately. "I need you!"

"Don't ever say you aren't my boy again." She says sternly. "Not unless you mean it."

"Yes! Yes! I am your boy. I am always your boy. Always! Mmmmm!" My eyes widen as I see the tip of her swelling cock peek from the bottom of her shorts. Eyes locked on the fat pink knob I suck her digit with all of the passion I hoped to show her penis. "Mmmm."

"Beg! Beg!" She urges.

"Please! I beg you! Plleeease! Your boy needs it so bad! I don't deserve a cock so beautiful but please! Let me serve you!"

"No words."

"Hnnnngh! Nmmmm!" I mewl and whine submissively. I ached to pleasure her in a way I hadn't even felt toward myself before, this was beyond horny. I didn't even care about my own body, only about hers. I must pleasure her! "Oooommm!"

She rewards me by pressing her bulge into my face. I can feel the thick shaft and big balls through the cloth. I reach for it with my lips…but she pulls away after just a tease.

"Ohhhhhh!" I pule pathetically. "I'll be good for you. I'll be such a good slutty boy for you. I'll suck your cock so good. PLEEEASE!"

"You keep using that word. Slutty."

"I'm sorry!"

She runs a hand through my hair. "Don't be. I like it."

She mashes her junk into me again. I smell her musky sweat through the shorts. Not wasting a second I latch onto the first thing my lips touch, one of her balls, and start to suckle. I nuzzle deep, engulfing myself in her cock and balls. I feel she shaft grow against my nose…and then it was gone again!

"Ohhhhh! Mercyyyy!"

I gaze up at her, my pleading eyes beseeching her for mercy. She looks down on me with a look of such dominant grace that pierced straight to my very core. Though her long hair was a mess and she was sweaty from our long exertion and she was dirty from sleeping on ground…to my eyes she was perfection itself. Her mouth is partly open. She licks one of her fangs with her tapered tongue. So beautiful! Her horns and pointed ears only adding to her demonic glory. As she gazes back into me I could see she was getting just as much out of this as I was, her powerful sexual spirit feeding off of my desperate need and total submission.

"Hahhh!" I let out a gasp of ecstasy just from how she looked at me.

"What if I say no?" She whispers.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! I"ll go mad. Please my Lady. Please have pity on your needy slutty boy. I beg, I beg!" I NEEDED her. I NEEDED to please her. I NEEDED her to use me, to use my body, to bring her joy. She told me once that I had to need her like air or water or sunshine. Only now do I truly respect the depth of those words. In this fevered moment I would do anything for her. After over a week of constant temptation….I NEEDED HER! "PLEAASE!"

"You really do need it." She says. "At last."

"Yes!"

She gently pets my hair. "You've been such a good boy for me. The best boy."

"Yes! Yes! I'm your good boy. Only yours."

"And a good boy deserves his cummies, yes?"

"YES! Oh gods yes!"

"You want your Lady's load?"

"OHHHHH GODS! Please!"

"Understand, this isn't a reward for violence."

"I know!" I am nearly crazy with desire. "Please!"

"This is because you are such good beautiful special boy." She says as she starts to untie the drawstring of her shorts. "Thank your Lady."

"Thank you!" My heart leaps with joy. "Thank you!"

"Good boy." She smiles. "Now…open those lovely lips nice and wide."

Chapter 48: More than a Mouthful

Chapter Text

Needless to say I do as I am told. I sit up pretty for my Lady and open my mouth as wide as I can.

As exciting as this was it is also scary. Without my ropes, or even the semblance of bondage, fear gripped my heart as surely as lust had gripped my loins. It is a bit like that uneasy feeling looking down from a very high place. Yes the lack secure privacy was a factor, though Rosa would be able to see anybody approaching well before they got close enough to see anything around the old wagon or through the tall grass, but it really was the freedom that made it difficult. I was so much more at ease snug in my rope. But my Lady needed me to be brave now. For her I would be brave.

Rosa pulls the front of her shorts lower to expose the heaving serpent anxious for release. My eyes widen as I see the thick veiny root of her cock in the clear light of day. All at once she flops the heavy log from her shorts to slap down right over my face. God how I loved it. To feel it's heft laying right across my face from chin to forehead brings such joy. It was a magnificent reminder the she was the Lady and I her humble boy. A big cock, a woman's big beautiful cock, that was mine alone to please. I'm such a lucky boy.

"Haahhh!" I sigh happily.

She wasn't hard yet but well on the way. The skin of her cock is warm and tacky with sweat. Her musk is pungent yet pleasing to my senses. I close my eyes and take a long deep draw of breath through my nose. Oh what a lovely aroma, an aroma totally unique to her. She rolls her cock a bit left then a bit right then wipes it all the way across to finish with another big clubbing slap down the center.

"Rosaaa." I smile as I open my eyes again to gaze up in awe.

She giggles. "My happy boy." Letting go of her dick it slowly slumps off to the side. She places her hands along the box of the wagon and looks down at me. "It's all yours Quin. Make your Lady feel good."

"Yes my Lady." Wasting no time I press my lips into it, kissing it with genuine love. I part my lips and turn my head to latch onto it along the center of the shaft. "Mmmmm." To at long last have my mouth on her…ohhhh, it is everything I wanted. She tasted salty, she tasted good. "Mmmmm." I slide my lips down and off of her shaft. The moment she is swinging free I have my mouth as wide as a baby birds as I frantically rummage through the air to find her tip. "Ahhh…mmmmmm!" I fill my mouth with her whole knob and immediately begin to suckle, it responds with a mighty swell of power. "Mmmm!"

"Ohhhh. That feels nice baby." She says softly. I gaze up at her with wide eyes as she looks back down with tender adoration. Her right hand comes down to oh so gently play with my hair. "That's a good boy."

Greedy for more I suck harder and push deeper. I wrap my lips tight and slowly pull back. GODS! To feel her harden inside of my mouth only spurred me on. Humming and mewling like the needy boy I am I suck harder and try for more. She was so much to take! I can't even get half way before her tip is touching my throat and threating to gag me. My jaw strained by how wide I had to hold it but I dared not scrape her with a tooth. Slowly, steadily, I gradually start moving forward and back. "MMMM!"

"That's my boy. Yessss." She sighs. "Suck my cock baby. Ohhh yes." Her fingers comb through my hair in time with my bobbing head.

"Mmmm! Nmmm!" I suck harder. I wanted more! I wanted all of her. But she was so much to take. Letting out a snort of frustration I force myself forward… "GGLLLGH!" I pull back an instant before I wretch. I cough and sputter, saliva dripping from my open lips.

"Not so fast my boy." She says with a soft smile and a caress along my stubbly cheek. "Baby steps."

"Yes my Lady." I latch back onto her cock and return to my work. Finding a depth and a pace I could manage I settle into a nice rhythm.

I cannot describe how good and right and satisfying it feels to give pleasure to my Lady. In life I was born to work and farm. But in my love life…I was born to do just this. To pleasure a dominant Amazon woman. The sensation of, in a flash, finding and fulfilling one's true purpose is a powerful one. In contrast to the haze of my submissive trance everything now was in razor sharp focus. The way her cock swelled and flexed in my mouth. The ever so subtle blush across her cheeks. The tiny tilts and twitches of here ears. The way her pupils almost imperceptibly would widen and contract. The sudden puffs of breath. The way her elegant features would occasionally contort with flashes of sexual delight. I saw it all. I was in tune with my Lady.

"Touch me. Don't be shy my boy. Touch your Lady's body." She whispers. This whole time my hands had been gripped onto her thighs, not moving an inch. Even now I was trying to escape into fantasy wherein I was chained to her and held helpless. "It's okay Quin. I want you to touch me."

"Mmm." I hum my obedience, my mouth full of her dick.

I slide my big hands down her shapely legs. So smooth, so supple. Back up they go and, after a moment's pause, I push my fingers right up into her shorts. I fill each of my hands with her soft yet firm buttocks. Such a lovely rounded shape. I give them a gentle squeeze and she lets out a quiet moan of approval.

"Ohhmm, good boy." The hand she has in my hair takes a light grip and her hips slowly rock in time with my rhythm.

She is rock hard now. Her fat knob as big as a ripe apricot. My jaw ached but I refused to pay it any mind. I suck and slather her cock as best as an inexperienced boy like me could. I imagine what would feel good to me and I do it to her. My tongue laps and licks at her tip when I can. My lips stay nice and tight to provide a constant suction. My head bobs steadily.

Just then I hear a man's distant voice call out from the direction of the road. "You okay out there."

Keeping her right hand held to my hair Rosa waves with the other and says in a loud friend voice. "I'm good, thank you."

"Are you alone?" A woman's voice says.

"Nah. My Master is around here somewhere looking for something to eat. That man is always hungry. I swear he's only happy when he's stuffing his face."

As I snort with a naughty laugh she gives her hips a little buck to stuff her Master's face a little bit more. "GLRP!"

"Okay then. Take care traveler."

"And to you all." Rosa calls back. "Gods watch over you."

I am still chuckling as I continue to give head. I'm down here sucking her dick like a hungry whore and she's up there having casual conversations with passers by. It was too funny not to laugh.

She giggles and looks down, her free hand back on the edge of the wagon. "Having fun down there?"

"Hllrrmmmm!" I gurgle happily.

My right hand I bring around to the front to slide up her under her tunic. I rub over her lean yet squishy tummy to quickly find one of her breasts. I fondle and rub her tit as she pushes it harder into my hand. "Atta boy. That's nice."

I suck…and suck…and suck. She loved every second of it but seemed no closer to actually cumming. Damn did Rosa have endurance! I'm not to proud to admit that I wouldn't have lasted half this long. I loved that she had stamina. I loved that I had to work for it. A boy ought to earn his Lady's load and, by Cupid, I was going to do it.

"That's it baby. You're doing so good. You're making your Lady feel soooo good." The hand in my hair grips tighter as her body thrusts. I go still and keep my maw wide and lips tight so that she might fuck my mouth at her own pace. I stare up at her, bewitched by her overwhelming beauty, as she makes love with my mouth. "Yeah. Gods baby, you have such a nice mouth. Nice and warm and wet. Ohhhh."

"Hmmmmm." I coo in absolute bliss. My jaw is screaming and I was fighting my gag reflex on each deep thrust, but it is bliss nonetheless.

She pulls out as I pant and drool worse than those dogs from this morning. I grab her thick rod and stroke it, my copious spit providing more than lube to let my hand glide over her hard veiny Amazon cock. Baring her fangs she lets out rolling crackling snarl. "You are going to swallow." It wasn't a question.

"Yes my Lady." I gasp as my eyes widen.

"Talk to me baby. Let me hear you."

"Mmmm." I suck the knob and bring my other hand to play with her heavy balls through her shorts. "Your cock is so beautiful." I slap it's wet length over my lips and chin. "It is so elegant." I lick up its front and flick at its tip. "I am such a lucky boy."

"Rrrrrrr." Another growl rolls up from inside of her, low and dangerous and sexy as fuck!

"I'm your good boy." My hand stroking fast and hard I bat my eyes and gaze up with big innocent eyes as I say in my sweetest voice. "Give me your load my Lady. Please. Please? Your slutty boy is ready for your hot load. Pleeeease?""

She bites her bottom lip and lets out a hard hiss. "Fuuuuck baby. You look sooooo good down there."

"Mmmmm." I mewl erotically. "I want your cum! Gimme your cum."

Back through my parted lips her cock plunges. I close my eyes tight and focus everything I had on getting my Lady off. I suck and slobber and give her a loud, sloppy blowjob. I let out little slutty hums and pules as I suck her for all I was worth. She thrusts and bucks, her cock a blur as it slide in and out of my lips.

She is on the cusp. I see it in her intense fiery gaze. I hear it in her snapping growls and sharp hisses. I feel it in her steel hard flexing cock and tensing balls. I sense it in the way her lithe luscious body goes taut. "RRRRRRRRR!" The noises she makes are only half human, the other half that of some feral snarling hellcat. She grips tight to the wagon and lurches over me, and then in a high beautiful sing-song voice she lets out a long warbling note. "Oooohhhh!"

I feel the throb and a second later my throat is FILLED with a hot thick blast of lady cum. I swallow it down quickly but not before another ample wad of jizz follows the first. And then another and another and another.

"Glp, glp, glp, glp!" I do my damnedest to swallow my Lady's salty creamy load but it just came too much and too fast. "Hahhh!" I am forced to pull back for a coughing breath of air and a sticky rope of semen paints down my gasping face from the bridge of my nose right down over my lips to my chin. I quickly suck back onto her and commence to suckle her throbbing spitting dick right to the end.

"Ohhhh Quinnnn!" She sighs in the most lovely voice.

"Hmmmm!" Hearing my Lady cum for me is a high that made my own orgasms pale in comparison. "Glrp! Glrp! Glrp!"

As she comes down from her climax I see her slender body relax and a look of contentment come over her. "Oh Quin! Oh baby. Oh my beautiful sexy boy. Oh, I needed that."

I gently suckle her final dregs and slip off of her tip. "Mmmm. Thank youuuu."

It was so much cum! Cum oozes down my cheek and chin and neck. Cum drips in long stretching drops from my panting lips. Cum coats my mouth and oozes down my throat. And it feels like a meal's worth of cum now filled my belly. On my hands and knees I kiss and nuzzle and worship my Lady's cock like a good boy should.

Chapter 49: The Road Less Travelled

Chapter Text

My Lady pets my head and gives me praise as I lavish worship on her dick and clean every bit of it with my lapping tongue and sucking lips. The aroma and flavor of her cum, different than that of my own in interesting ways, surrounds and permeates me. She lets me do my thing before eventually squeezing out the very last little drop onto my waiting tongue then tucking herself away again.

I swallow and look up at her. "Did…did I do good?"

"Yes Quin." She says with a smile. "You did very good."

Pride swells in my heart.

She kneels in front of me. Taking my head in her hands she leans down and slurps the mess from my face with her long tongue and follows it with a deep kiss. Afterward I fall into her. She catches me and holds me to her bosom as I laugh. I just laugh. Not because anything was funny but simply because I was so happy. And after the shock of waking up under assault and the hours of heart pounding fear of the long morning's retreat this joyful release hit twice as hard.

Rosa chuckles. "You are just too damn precious." Leaning down she offers her cheek. "Kiss me." I kiss her. "Good boy." She pats my shoulder. "Come on big fella, back on the road."

"Already?" I gripe, though more for affect than genuine complaining.

"Come on." She stands up and gathers up her capelet. "With a start like that we can at least make it to that turn off you talked about." She walks out into the grass, holding out her hands and feeling the tips brushing along her fingers. "Perhaps even a bit further."

I grin. It was heartening to see Rosa as anxious as I was to get to our new home. I cannot help but think back to that scared girl who didn't want to leave Rome that first evening. Gods…she was so beautiful. My smile slowly fades as I knew the one thing I wanted to say to her more than anything I couldn't, not without spoiling this wonderful mood. My eyes only on her I whisper softly into the breeze. "I love you."

Rosa turns back to call to me with a cute beckoning smile. "Come along Master."

I let out a sigh and hoist the pack. "I'm coming."

The rest of that day is far more enjoyable. We keep up a good pace but nearly so grueling as that of the morning. In our time on the road Rosa was gaining more fortitude for hiking with each passing day. Both of us had changed a lot in these nine days. We soon find some water, as much as I enjoyed my Lady's flavor in my mouth it was nice to be able to wash it down, and even luck out with some food. One of the villages along the way was having some sort of festival to honor a local king from before the Empire. Steaming bowls of a tart but hearty offal stew with a half of a flatbread were offered to all passing through, Rosa and I were only too happy accept. I knew nothing of this ancient king but…hooray for him! We consider stopping and enjoying the festivities…but the road beckoned. With each step closer to our destination the urgency to get there grew.

As the sun is setting we see the walls of a city in the distance and, just as the map I had looked over back at Rome had shown, we come across the intersection where our choice for moving forward must be made for real. To our left the smooth stones of the Appian continues on Southeast toward the city and beyond. To our right the small road leading South through farmland and wooded hills in the distance.

Stepping off we pause to look at the queen of the long roads. We watch the travelers pass by and just admire the wide straight road, this monument of Roman construction that crossed the entire width of the Italian peninsula. It wasn't lost on either of us that except for an hour or so at the very beginning of our journey that our whole time together had been anchored by this great road. I look back the way we came, this ribbon of concrete and stone that cut through the land all the way back to Rome, reflecting on the many life changing memories I'd had along it.

"This may be the last time we see it." I say. "I doubt we'll have need to come this far North again."

Rosa loops her arm into mine. "Who knows what the future will bring." She hugs in close. "And besides…it's just a road in the end. It's the company that really matters."

"Yeah." I nod. The Appian had served it's purpose. My eyes drift South to the far green hills. "Are you sure about this?"

Rosa takes a long breath as she builds her courage. Then, with and emphatic nod, she says boldly. "Yes Master. This is the way."

Arm in arm we leave the Via Appia behind and strike out into the next leg of our journey home.

Chapter 50: Rosa Opens Up

Chapter Text

Except for the quality of the road and the lighter traffic that evening passes much like any other. We make good time through miles of farms and vineyards before we come across a path leading off into a dense thicket of lush green trees and foliage with a massive old cypress tree right in the middle. I go to walk by it but Rosa places a hand on my arm.

"Mmm?"

She peers down the narrow path. "Here. Can we rest here Master?"

Looking off to the West I see the sun about to dip under the horizon. We would be loosing light soon and being off of the easily traversed Appian meant night travel would be that much harder. The thicket, while sizable, was surrounded by cultivated land on all sides. There was a very slim chance of any predator or bandit group making their home here. And being away from any farm or villa meant no rude awakenings from the locals.

"Perfect."

To my surprise Rosa leads the way. Walking cautiously, alert to danger, but seemingly drawn forward by a keen curiosity. I follow close behind scooping up old dry twigs and branches along the way for a fire. The trail ends up being a path to nowhere. In the center of the thicket it just ends in a small clearing at the base of the might evergreen. It towered over us like a steep green mountain, it's trunk so thick that Rosa and I together wouldn't be even close to getting our arms around it. We look up at the behemoth.

"Wow." I say.

Rosa giggles. "Hello old timer." She says. "Hope you don't mind us sleeping by your feet tonight."

I smile and shake my head. Setting down the pack I pile what wood I had and head out for more. There was plenty to find around the edge of the clearing.

"I saw some rabbit pellets back along the trail. I'm gonna put out a few snares before we lose our light completely."

"Good idea!" Rosa says, then continues to address the old tree. "I'm sorry old lord. I don't have my flute to play for you today. Perhaps my voice will do?"

"You think this is another sacred grove?"

"Yeah." She says brightly, looking up through the boughs of the towering tree. "I think so. I think he's close. It…feels the same, doesn't it?"

"Uh, I guess." I shrug. "Could be for another god."

"No, I don't think so. This is Silvanus' tree." She says with an odd surety as she runs her fingers over the rough gray bark of the trunk. "I'll feel better knowing he's watching over us."

"Well…good." Odd as it was for a lifelong city girl, Rosa seemed to have found something in Silvanus and I wanted to encourage it. Anything that made her feel more at home in the country was a good thing. "Maybe take a cone. We can plant a seed from it when we get home, like I'm doing with those lemon seeds."

"That's a wonderful idea!" She says. "I'm going to sing for him and pray for safe passage through the wild lands."

"Good plan." I look at my slave then quip. "Hey…and tell him we're hungry too. We could use another bounty of food. A nice fat hare would do nicely."

Taking my words to heart she replies. "Okay Master, I'll try."

"I wasn't actually serious." I say, but Rosa was already singing gaily and dancing around the tree. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt."

Working quickly I am able to get two snares set and get the fire going before our surroundings descend into pitch dark. Under the boughs of the huge tree and surrounded by woods the light of the moon and stars had no chance of reaching us. Rosa and I sit side by side, me watching the hypnotic flickering flame and Rosa fiddling with the bracelet Drusilla had given her.

"How long until we get a rabbit?" She asks. "I'm hungry."

"If we even get one, which is unlikely, not until morning. They'll be sleeping right now."

"Mmm."

We were both tired yet not quite ready for sleep. The night was warm, the breeze soft, and the pleasant aromas of evergreen and campfire surrounds us. It is nice to be able to enjoy some quiet time, an opportunity to let our guard down to think, unwind and introspect. No walking or fishing or teasing or sex, just peaceful comfortable together time. I am not sure if it was her getting more used to camping wild or the presence of the big cypress but Rosa is more at ease than I would have expected. Or perhaps she was simply lost in thought. I slip my arm around her and she shifts in even closer, pressing right up against my side. In her fingers she continues to turn and spin the gift she had received, the silver glimmering in the yellow firelight, looking at it without really looking at it.

"Are you thinking about Drusilla?" I ask.

"No." She whispers and rests her head against me. Assuming she didn't wish to share her thoughts I don't follow up, but after a time she continues. "No. I'm…thinking about Danae."

Danae, her sister. In all of our time together she had only once brought up her sister's name, and that was in the context of telling me about her parents' deaths. It was a topic she simply never brought up, until now.

"Did she have a bracelet like that?"

"No." She laughs sadly. "She would have hated this. Too common, she would have said. She wore nothing less than gold." She looks up. "She would have hated all of this. The travel. The hardship. The walking. She would have insisted on a chariot at least. Of course…she never would have put herself in that slave market. She was too smart, too proud, too strong to give up like I did." I give her a supportive squeeze. She sighs and looks back down to the ring of silver. "A prideful woman who enjoyed her comforts and luxuries. She would have hated this."

"She was wealthy?"

"No, but her patrons were. They loved to lavish her with gifts to compete for her attention and she enjoyed receiving them. She was a Meretrix as well." Rosa falls quiet though I knew she had more to say. I hold her close and let her speak on her own time. The next thing I hear is a sob, a sob of raw soul searing anguish. "I miss her so much Quin."

I pull my Lady in to cradle her as she had done for me so many times. The pain in her weeping voice told me that Danae was not still back in Alexandria. Rosa's sister, like her parents before her, had crossed over the Styx.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as I stroke her long hair and soothe her and hold her tight. "I am so sorry."

"I miss her so much." She grips the bracelet with all of her strength. "It hurts Quin. It…it's been over a year…it never stops…hurting."

"I know. I know Rosa."

"I…I never told you why I left Alexandria." Rosa gasps.

"No."

"Danae…my beautiful…baby…sister…" The blubbering words come between heavy heaving sobs. "…she was pregnant Quin!"

"Shhh." I try to calm her.

"He…he…didn't…want…the…child…he…he…he…killed…" Her voice is lost once more to bitter tears. I hold my hurting slave girl as a pain that had been held inside for so long comes flooding out. "I couldn't…protect her…I couldn't… He took her from meeee!"

Clinging to me she cries for many long heart rending minutes. I do the only thing I can. I hold her close and let her know that she isn't alone. Her burden shared I could now help her carry this pain. When eventually she could speak again I wipe her tears with my tunic.

She continues, her voice hushed and shuddering but with an almost eerie calm to it now. "She was all I had Quin. My only family. My only true friend. She was everything to me. Everything. She and I, we had been through it all together. Our isolated childhood. The death of our parents. The trek through the dessert. Being trained as meretrix by the courtesans who found us and took us to the city. Singing together, playing together, entertaining our patrons together. We'd been through it all. Ianthe and Danae, the succubus sisters, the vixens of Venus, we were quite a pair. We were…sisters."

"I don't blame you for leaving." I kiss her head. "That man did a great evil Rosa. A great evil. The gods will see him punished for what he did."

She says in a cold halting voice. "I…murdered…him. I killed…him." She gazes into the fire, the flickering flame dancing in her haunted eyes. "It wasn't quick. He…" She swallows hard. "…he suffered. He suffered." A shiver runs through her. "I…hated what I became that night. I still have nightmares of what I did to that man. But…I couldn't…" She closes her eyes and takes a long deep breath. "I was running from the law Quin. That is why I left Alexandria. I…should have told you sooner. I'm sorry." Another deep breath. "I understand if I cannot be your Lady anymore. A Lady should always be honest with her boy. I let you down Quin."

I sit stunned by what I had just heard. I didn't know what to think. Rosa had blood on her hands. She was a fugitive. A violent criminal. I never could have guessed my adorable gentle Lady was capable of the crime she just described. And yet…would I have done any differently? If somebody took one my loved ones from me I cannot even guess what I would do in my rage. I could not judge her for what she'd done. The only thing I knew for sure is that my feelings for Rosa had not changed one bit.

"Ianthe." I say softly. "That is your real name."

She nods. "Yes. But…please, I am Rosa now. Just Rosa. Master Quintus' slave girl Rosa. That is all I want to be."

"Of course." I say. "You did not let me down Rosa. Not even a little. I cannot imagine how difficult this has been."

"You are the first I've shared this with. I've…never trusted anyone like this before, outside of my sister."

"Thank you."

Looking back down to the bracelet she lets out a soft laugh. "She would have hated this. She would have said it doesn't befit a woman as elegant as me."

"Hmm. I kinda like it."

Rosa laughs a bit more. "Me too. Danae was always the fussy one." She goes quiet for a time before asking. "This won't change things between us?"

"Not a chance." I say without hesitation. "I am your boy for as long you'll have me."

She snuggles in closer. "I don't deserve you."

I wrap my arms around her. "Respectfully my Lady…I disagree."

Chapter 51: A Bit of Magic

Chapter Text

After a moment of vulnerability like that we were feeling closer than ever. I couldn't imagine what a relief it must be for Rosa to at last give some measure of release to her pent up grief. This pain would have been festering and building inside of her. Only now, now that she could talk about it and share it, could she truly begin to heal.

For a time Rosa talks about her sister, happy to be able to speak about her again after so long, and tell me about the woman she was. The stories aren't of dramatic moments or important milestones. They are simple everyday recollections. Funny little instances and anecdotes that really brought life to the memory of this special person I had never met. I learn of a genteel woman that exuded grace and class above her station. A demanding woman with uncompromising standards who would have been right at home among the aristocracy in Rome. A woman of dry wit, iron will, and a keen intelligence, but with the fiery temper of her Amazon warrior mother. According to Rosa, Danae took much more after their mother and Rosa their father. Like her sister I learn that Danae was a skilled dancer and musician, the pair very often performing together. Most of all though, I hear about the loving bond the sister's shared. It permeated every word of every story. Danae sounded like quite a woman.

Along the way I also learn that Danae was a Lady as well, though of a very different sort from Rosa. Whips, canes, humiliation, degradation, cuckoldry, choking and torture were among her tools of the trade. In the dungeon of the courtesan house she could break a hardened soldier and have him wailing like a babe one day…then see him groveling at her feet begging for more the next. I got the impression that Ianthe and Danae represented complete opposite ends of the Lady spectrum. While Danae's style sounded…intriguing, I was very happy Rosa was the type that she was.

Outside of an occasional comment or question I mostly sit quietly and listen and let Rosa talk openly in a way she hadn't been able to in a very long time.

Rosa eventually concludes with a sad. "She would have been so disappointed in me. Giving myself up as I did."

"Rosa…"

"No." She stops me. "She would have. I know she would have. But…I'm not her." She nods. "In my situation she would have stayed and fought. She would have tried to lean on her contacts to protect her. Her pride would not allow her to flee. She would have been taken eventually. She would have found her way to the slave block just as surely as I did, only after rape and torture and public disgrace. I think…I think I made the better choice." She looks up at me and the sadness ebbs. "I know I did…Master."

"May I kiss you my Lady?"

Her face softens to not quite a smile. She turns her head. "Yes, give me a kiss." I kiss her cheek. "Good boy."

Rosa relaxes and sits back straight again. I let her go and add another log to our fire. We sit silently for a time as the fire pops and crackles.

Still studying the bracelet she changes the topic. "I wonder what it does."

"Does?"

"Well, it's definitely magical." She turns it over to look along the inside. "There's a good chance it can only be used by a wizard though. Most are reluctant to share their power to those without the gift." She runs her thumb along the interior of the bracelet. "But…I don't know. There's no obvious way to awaken it. Drusilla's kin has had it for decades and they never tripped on what it did. We may never know it's enchantment."

"Well, what would your father have done?"

"Papa would have said: Put that down Ianthe!" We both laugh. "It can be dangerous to meddle with magic you don't understand."

"You think it's dangerous?"

"I don't think so." She says. "It's not a weapon. It's too delicate to be worn into battle. It doesn't feel dangerous. But it's possible." Her attentions settle in on the backside of the clasp. "It is activated here." She turns it to look at the Janus symbol, the tip of her finger tracing the shape and rubbing across the deep red eyes. "The garnets are important. I recall Papa always looking for the proper gemstones for this enchantment or that. Most magic items have some sort of gem incorporated in them."

I watch as Rosa continues to try to figure the thing out. I offer the only wisdom I had. "Back home we had a hedgewitch that lived in the village. No true wizard mind you, but she had her tricks. She once told Mom that all magic is a bringing together."

"A bringing together?"

"I dunno." I chuckle. "I had this fever once and Mom went and got some herbs from the woman. She was told that as she made the tea she should concentrate on the herbs and the water. That she should think about the hot water drawing out the healing essence from inside the herbs. She said to keep her worry for her son close to heart but to only think about the herbs and water combining to form tea." I shrug. "I dunno. All I know is that it tasted awful but that very night the fever broke."

"A bringing together." Rosa repeats as she places her thumbs over the eyes of the symbol. "Papa too mentioned something about magic being a connection." She rubs her thumbs over it as her eyes narrow in concentration. "I…I don't feel any connection with this."

"Keep trying." I whisper. "I believe in you."

My words prove counter productive. Touched by my statement Rosa looks up at me with a smile. "Aw, Quin."

"Concentrate!" I laugh.

"Oh, right." She giggles. Refocusing on the bracelet Rosa takes a deep breath. "Connection…connection…the herbs and the water combining into tea…connection." She keeps at it, blindly reaching out for something that neither of us understood. "It's just not there. It's dead. Inert. I feel nothing…except..." Her eyes drift from item in her hand to the trunk of the old tree. She gasps. "Connection!"

For just a split instant, so quick I couldn't even be sure that I saw it, I see the faint glimmer of a verdant glow light up inside of my Lady's magenta eyes. Different, but not entirely dissimilar, to the harsh golden gleam I once saw in the eyes of a Christian martyr. Magic! Real magic!

"Rosa!" I say in a hushed voice.

Rosa blinks and shakes her head. She looks back at me stunned…and then down at her hands. Where there had been a single twin helix silver bracelet she now held two bracelets each formed of a single silver spiral. Somehow the wires had parted, something that should have been impossible. As she moves her thumbs we see that the clasp had split into two as well, each bracelet now having one face of the Janus symbol.

She looks up at me again. "How?"

"You're asking me?" I grin. "You did it! You did magic! I saw it flash in your eyes."

"I did?" Rosa looks back to the tree awestruck then back down to the bracelet. "I did." She laughs, more from being overwhelmed than amused. "I did!"

I give her a squeeze. "Like father, like daughter."

Rosa's brows furrow in confusion. "What the…?"

I look back down the bracelets and at first I don't notice anything. But as she turns the one in her right hand I see inside of the hoop of the bracelet not the palm of Rosa's hand but fire lit branches above us. I look up then right back down again. It was definitely those branches. A bracelet in each hand Rosa shifts them until…Rosa's face is staring up at me through the silver ring!

I see through it Rosa's eyes make contact with mine. Flipping them both over to look through the other side we see nothing but the ground, as one would expect. She flips them back again. We look at each other through the window within the bracelets, then over at each other directly, then back down at the bracelets again. You could peer through one side right through to the other as if they were still one bracelet regardless of the fact that they weren't connected anymore.

"Wow!" I say. "That is…wow!"

"Incredible!"

Bringing it closer to her face to see better Rosa holds the left one still then moves the right one around like some crazy extension of her eye. She points it out toward the bushes and starts panning around as through the left one we saw everything the other was facing. Just then we notice one of the letters of the magical writing, which we could now make out easily since the two wires were apart, glow slightly then fade to dark. It was the one closest to the clasp on the left.

"It's draining." She whispers. "It has a limited duration. It revives its power when together and expends the magic when apart."

"How do you know that?"

"I…don't know." She says. Moving the right one down she points it toward the fire, the glow of the flames coming through to illuminate her face. She takes in a sharp breath. "I can feel the heat!" She moves it even closer and we are both surprised as a wispy column of smoke starts to drift up through the ring. It takes us both a second to realize the significance. It appeared that connections between the rings wasn't simply one of sight!

Rosa brings the rings back to where they started, with one facing each of us. "Quin…take a twig…"

I was already on it. Picking up a slender stick I bring it toward the right one then slowly poke it through. We watch in amazement as the end of the stick seemingly disappears as it hits the plane of the hoop…only to come through the left one! I pull it back out and look the stick over. It looked just the same as it had. Rosa turns the near bracelet over and I put the stick through again, it simply passes through as normal while the magic in the other one blinks out. Once the stick is removed the portal effect reappears. Rosa turns it back as it was, so we could see each other through them. I try the stick again, pushing it deeper this time. Again, the moment it passes through one half of the bracelet it comes through the other half. Reaching over I take the opposite end of the stick with my other hand. I could feel myself tug against it both ways. It was a strange sensation to say the least. Letting go of the near end I pull it all the way through the hoop and again study it.

"Wow." I say again. I didn't know what else to say. "Wow!"

"Of course." Rosa says as she wipes her thumbs over the two clasps. "Janus. The god of doors. These are small gates connected by magic." Just then another of the letters glows for second then fades to dark. "What was that, a minute or two since the last one?"

"I'm not sure."

"As a rough guess I'm thinking it would last an hour or so before it depleted." She shakes her head in disbelief. "Gods Quin, this is big magic! This item…it would be worth a fortune to the right buyer. A fortune!"

"You said you wouldn't sell it."

"I know but…this could set us up for life." She blinks and lets out a sigh as she remembers how she got this gift. "You're right. I cannot sell it. I promised Drusilla."

I put my hands on my head as the magnitude of the item begins to sink in. "Rosa, this could still set us up well. Think of the uses! Looking at and getting to hard to reach places. Talking to each other from far away. Funneling grain into sacks. Milking a cow straight from the teat into a saucer in the kitchen. The potential for irrigation alone…!" My voice fades. "Wow!"

Slowly Rosa turns her head to look at me, a funny smirk on her face. "Grain? Milk? Irrigation?" She chuckles. "You really are a Ceres guy."

"Oh?"

"My mind went…elsewhere." She giggles. "But I'm terrible."

"Elsewhere?"

"Never mind." She teases.

Chapter 52: There's Always Time for Training

Chapter Text

"Very well." I say.

Setting the right one on the ground she holds the left one up and reaches through it with her hand. Coming up from the earth through the other half Rosa's slender hand sprouts like a flower. She waves it in my direction.

"Aren't you afraid you'll lose your hand?" I say with concern. Leaning forward I look end of her stump of an arm. I expect to see bone and flesh but thankfully the hoop is filled with a gray haze instead. "It could be dangerous."

"It seems safe enough. We'll have to test it out when we're not so tired and we have better light." Her hand on the ground reaches around to feel the grass and soil around the bracelet. "This is so weird." She pulls it back through as another letter glows then dims. She takes a good look at her hand, it seemed fine. Bringing both the halves back together she studies them. "If I can't put this back together again it might drain completely."

"Just do what you did before."

She nods and a look of concentration comes over her. Bring the hoops together between her hands and lining up the clasps she closes her eyes and her brows furrow. After a moment she opens her eyes again and the twin bracelets were now one again. She swallows and closes her eyes again. A few seconds later the bracelets magic is activated and they part once more only to be fused back into one again. Watching it happen was less spectacular than one might think. Even though I stared right at it I could never see how the hoops parted. It happened subtly and suddenly. One moment they were together, the next moment they were apart.

"Ha! This thing is incredible." Rosa says. "What a treasure."

"Yes it is, but so are you! Rosa…you just did magic! I saw it, the first time you did it. Just like Ignatius I saw a light in your eyes. Not from the bracelet, from you!"

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

"That's amazing!"

"Yeah." She says uneasily as she looks back toward the cypress. "I didn't do it on my own though. Silvanus, he helped me."

"He did?"

"Yeah." She reflects on her experience. "Yeah, it was him. I looked at the tree. I reached out and…he answered. He showed me the connection." She looks around at the trees and bushes then back to the huge central evergreen. "In this place and in that vale I can sense a presence. Close by but not within sight." She says. "You know that feeling of having experienced something before even though you know you haven't? Like you saw it in a forgotten dream or something?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"It's sort of like that but in reverse."

"Reverse?"

"It's hard to describe." She shakes her head. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't know how to put it. I just…feel like he's close. Like he's been waiting for me. Like he was expecting me."

"You should explore this Rosa." I lay my hand on her arm. "You have the gift."

"Papa did say it was possible that we might have it." She takes a big breath through her nose and shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. Slaves aren't allowed to practice magic."

"Nobody else ever has to know."

"And how would I find a teacher?"

"The hedgewitch back home was self taught, or so she claimed. She was a bit cracked admittedly."

"I don't know Quin." She says in a low voice. "I…have to think about this. It could spell a lot of trouble for us. Besides…why me? And even more, why Silvanus? Doesn't it seem odd to you? I've lived in the cities all of my life. Most of my years inside the courtesan house. We didn't even keep a garden."

"Maybe he likes your singing."

"Master, you're teasing me."

"No I'm not. Maybe he heard your story just now. Maybe he saw how you stood up to defend me against the cultists back at the vale. Maybe he sees something in you he likes. Maybe it's just your fate." I say. "Like you said, he's been waiting for you." I point toward the big tree. "What is thirty nine years to this elder? It would be like a minute for you or me. To it we would be like the nymphs flitting by. Here one moment to glow brightly and gone the next."

"Hecate is the mistress of magic." She says. "Papa said she held the secrets to wizardry."

"Not all of the secrets. Otherwise Ignatius never could have never become an enchanter."

"True. There are magic users of many faiths, some with no faith at all."

"There you go."

"I don't even know if I want that power Quin." Setting down the bracelet on her lap she runs a thumb over her rose shaped brand. "I just…I want a simple life. I want peace. I want a place to really call home. A real home. With my boy. That's all I want now."

"You shall have it." I rest my hand over hers. "But think about it. You have my support either way."

She nods and leans her head into my shoulder. "You're awfully wise…for a boy."

I lean my head onto hers. "And you are often very silly…for a Lady." We share a chuckle.

"Speaking of being your Lady, I know we're tired and it's been a big night already but I think we have a little time for some training before going down." She says. "Consistency is key."

"You don't wish to play with your new bracelet instead?"

"This is more important." She says. "Now obey me boy."

My smile grows. Just hearing those words I can feel some of my stress melt away. I was fully in her hands again. I whisper. "Yes my Lady."

"Kneel."

I turn toward her and enter into the position. Ohhh it felt so good to obey her again. I wait eagerly for my next instruction. Rosa sets the bracelet to the side and rises to her feet. Immediately my eyes focus on her feet.

"You wish to worship your Lady?"

"Yes please."

"Not yet. If you're a good boy I will let you kiss my foot."

"Thank you my Lady." I bow my head in submission.

She backs away. "Rise, just to your knees." I stand straight on my knees. "Arms behind your back, hands gripping the opposite forearm." I do as she commands. "This is Kneel Up."

"Yes my Lady."

Stepping toward me she bring my elbows a bit higher. She tilts my head slightly up. She shifts to the side and, with one hand on my chest and one on my lower back, she has me straighten up just so. When done she has me hold the position for a time as she circles and watches closely. I drank up her attention, her eyes on me bringing me both pride and bravery. I hold the position just as she put me.

"Good." She says. "Kneel."

I return to the Kneel position. When here she again makes a series of small adjustments, helping me perfect my technique. From here she runs through each of the positions I had been taught thus far and does the same. For Wall we move to the trunk of the cypress. Her hands on me, correcting me, were a joy to feel. She made me feel so good. I loved her so much that it ached inside of me. She then brings me back to the fire to teach me another position.

"Now, on your hands and knees." I get down onto all fours. Moving around me Rosa makes adjustments with just the slightest touch of her fingers. "Knees apart. Top of the feet flat along the ground. Good. Let me see your strength my boy. Strong chest, strong shoulders, tilt your ass up a little. Good boy." She says proudly. "This is Table."

"Yes my Lady."

She begins to walk. "Follow."

Without orders to get up I follow my Lady on my hands and knees. She leads me around the fire. I note that she is careful to lead me around some of the stones and roots that poked up through the earth. My Lady always looked after her boy. We circle the fire five times before coming to a stop back at our original spot.

"Good boy." She says as she comes around to my side to sit down on my back. I easily manage her slight weight. Running her fingers through my hair she says. "One more time around."

"Yes my Lady."

With Rosa riding me side-saddle I take one more lap around the fire as she strokes my hair and whispers encouragement. "You're so strong. You're so obedient. You are so pretty. You are such a good boy."

I come to a stop where I began and stand like a prize stallion.

"How are your knees?"

"They are fine my Lady."

"Let me see." She slips off of my back. "Inspection. Eyes forward."

I get to me feet, part my legs to shoulder width, and put my hands up behind my head. I stare straight ahead into the bushes. Rosa walks slowly around me, looking me up and down, before stopping in front. Leaning down she brushes my knees clean and checks on them. Satisfied with what she saw she proceeds to inspect the rest of me, and not simply with her eyes. She squeezes the muscles of my calves and thighs. She rubs her hands up my hamstrings then grips and spreads my ass. As casually as anything she sticks her hand down my pants to fondle and grip my family jewels.

"Nngh!" I grunt and look down at her.

"Quiet." She says firmly without even looking up. "Eyes forward."

The inspection continues. Rosa looking me over and pawing at me like one might judging a mule for purchase. She removes my tunic and feels the muscles of my stomach and sides. She gropes my chest, her fingers sinking into the thick meat, then traces her hands down my shoulders then arms.

"I may shave you someday." She says. "Your body hair that is."

"Yes my Lady."

"I may oil you up just to watch you glisten."

"Yes my Lady. I am yours to use."

"You are mine to cherish."

"Yes my Lady."

Reaching up she runs a hand across my stubbly cheek. I push my cheek into her hand just a little. "Kneel Up." She says. "Eyes closed." I do as she says, making extra sure to incorporate all of her guidance from earlier. The inspection continues. She touches my lips, my nose, my chin. She runs her fingers over my eyebrows then down my temples to my ears. Between finger and thumb she rubs and feels around the outside of my ear to my lobe. She even goes so far as to feel around the little ridges. Her hands move to my forehead and she soon finds the little scar I had at my hairline. "How did you get this?" She asks directly.

"I fell off of a roof." I answer in my soft submissive voice. "I hit my head on a fence."

I feel Rosa's soft lips press against it. She holds the kiss for a long time before letting it go. She finishes her inspection by going through my hair the checking the back of my neck. Once done…she then starts to caress me. Her soft hands run back over the the areas she had just groped and squeezed making my skin tingle with life. I felt so dearly treasured. Even Mom couldn't make me feel this cared for.

Once more she runs me through the positions while keeping my eyes closed this time. I do my very best. During the kneeling positions I sit so pretty for my Lady. On the standing ones I hold firm and resolute. When my Lady leads me back to the tree for Wall I maintain my bent over position with attention to every detail. And when back on all fours I show my strength and pride.

"Open your eyes."

I open them to see my Lady's pale delicate foot on the ground beneath me.

"Bow." She says. "Bow and worship your Lady."

I lower myself into Bow position, arms stretched out in front and head down low. I kiss my Lady's foot and worship her with all of my heart.

"One last thing my boy."

"Anything my Lady." I say between long loving kisses to her toes.

"I think it is time we reveal ourselves to the world. Just a little a bit."

"Yes my Lady." If she asked I would walk naked through the streets of Rome for her.

"When you introduce us in the future always introduce me first and then yourself."

"Yes my Lady."

"You will say: This is my slave Rosa. You will pause for a moment then say: I am her Master Quintus."

"Yes my Lady."

"The pause is important."

"Yes my Lady."

"Let me hear you say it."

"This is my slave Rosa." I pause for a slow three count then continue. "I am her Master Quintus."

"Very good." She says. "Once introduced in this way it will be important that you never interrupt me or show disrespect to me."

"Of course my Lady."

"You will still be Master and I your slave, but we will be more than that as well." She explains. "Some people may understand those signals. They may understand what it really means. Especially once I have my symbol of ownership on you. Are you prepared for that?"

Prepared for it? I yearned for it! "Yes my Lady." I kiss her foot hard. "Lady? The special rope color, these signals, these people who understand, is this some sort of…secret society?"

"Mmm, of a sort." She says as she bends down to pet my hair. "More of a shared lifestyle really."

"I will try to make you proud."

"I already have. You are my boy. My special boy. I am so proud to have you." She says as she wiggles her toes then adds more softly. "I wish the world could know you are mine."

I shudder as I hold back a tear of joy. "Yes my Lady."

Chapter 53: A Breakfast of Humble Pie

Chapter Text

I was learning that a bit of training can work wonders for both of us. Afterward Rosa felt as good as I did. Calm, centered, everything right with the world. Whatever it was that made me feel so at ease under her control she got something similar from it as well. Caring for me seemed to do more for her than caring for herself. I was someone on which she could focus all of her kindness and nurturing feelings and that brought her life. What I loved is that feeling of giving over control to somebody I could trust, it set me free. For my Lady it was the taking of control that fed her soul, in a chaotic uncaring world she had this one place and this one special person to exercise her will and impose her own order. I didn't pretend to understand it but it made me feel good seeing the effect on her. That night we sleep well with her cuddled up behind me as big spoon.

I don't wake until much later than usual, the deep shade of the thicket keeping the morning light at bay. As I blink my eyes open I could hear the calls of workers already hard at work in the fields around us. I sit up and look around to see Rosa already awake and groomed for the day. She smiles when she sees me awake.

"Good morning Master!"

I take a breath of the green smelling air. "Mornin Rosa."

"No rabbits I'm afraid."

"Yeah, it was worth a shot." I rub my face. "Ah well, gets us on the road that much quicker." I stretch my back and arms. "You should have woken me sooner."

"No way." She says. "You needed the rest. Besides…you looked so damned cute I didn't want to disturb you."

I shake my head with a laugh. Me? Cute? Rosa was such a funny one. As is custom now she grooms and shaves me, it feels as great as ever, and after a good drink of water we are packed up and ready to go. As Rosa takes a private moment with the old cypress I head back down the path to unset the snares then wait for her on the road. A trio of the field workers see me and give me a wave, I wave back. After a moment I decide to head out to chat with them. They stop their work as they see me coming and gather to meet me.

"Hail." The shortest and oldest of them says.

"Hail." I reply.

He gives me a once over, noting my pack and common clothes. "What brings ya to these parts stranger?"

"Land." I say. "Got an inheritance down South. A nice parcel right on the Aciris."

This gets many nods of approval and well wishes of congratulations. These were men who appreciated the value of land. We introduce ourselves and I tell them a bit about the journey to Rome and how smelly and crowded the capital was then onto a few things about the trip this far.

"You're just startin a farm with what's in that pack there?" The biggest of the group, nearly my size, says. "That's it?"

"Yeah. I took all we could spare from back home." I say, then thumb behind me. "Plus I have my slave."

"Mmm. Shoulda sent some brothers or cousins with ya at least." The eldest says. "Man shouldn't be by himself. Needs some family."

"We couldn't spare anyone. No one else wanted to come either." I say, though deep down I had to agree with him. I never said anything but I did feel a bit of a pariah being sent out here on my own. My grandpa even went so far as to tell me not to send any requests or even a bad word back until I've made something of myself, so as not to worry my mother. "No. It's all on me."

"Mmm." The older guy slaps my arm. "Well. You're strong, you're young. You'll be fine lad. Have faith."

"Thanks." Just then my stomach lets out a long low growl. I notice a few glances between them but ignore it. "So my plan is to avoid Potentia altogether and take the road for Grumentum when we get to it."

"Yep, that'll save you almost a day's walking." The one who hadn't much spoken yet chimes in. "Not much of a road though. It's gonna get pretty wild the further South you go. You'll be cutting straight through the mountains."

"You've been down that way?"

"Many times. I have family not so far from Grumentum. Even got a cousin who's an actor at the theater there believe it or not."

Perfect! I ply the man with questions about the route and what to expect along the way. He is a font of practical information. While he hadn't made the trip recently he'd traveled our route half a dozen times since childhood. He tells me of watering spots, shelters, hazards, fishing holes, landmarks, and even of a friendly old hunter who is known to give travelers aid from time to time. Not all of the answers were good though. As I had worried monsters really were an issue through the Apennines and the guy told me he wouldn't recommend going without a larger group to provide safety. He suggested if we insisted on traveling as we were to stick strictly to the road and, if we couldn't find shelter, to camp without a fire.

"How long?" I ask at last.

"On foot, three long hard days at least."

"Three days." I say, more to myself than to them. So close yet so far. Grumentum wasn't our final destination but it would be the last major stop before the end. "Three days."

"If you're lucky. Any bad luck though or if your slave ain't fit for long travel and it could easily be five or more."

"Thank you so much." I say to the man. "I can't even tell you how much this will help us." Glancing back toward the road I see the violet of Rosa's hair. She was waiting for me. I turn to the men and shake each of their hands in turn. "Blessings to you and your families."

"Fortuna and our lady Ceres be with you Quintus." The eldest says. "Why don't ya go ahead and stop by that wagon over there on the way out. If you see something ya need…we won't miss it none."

I look over toward the hay wagon he spoke of. It wasn't hay he was offering me. On that wagon would be food and refreshment for the men for a hard day in the field.

"I…couldn't accept…"

"I was going to head back to the villa soon anyway." The youngest says. "Wouldn't even be a problem to bring back more."

"I'm not looking for charity." I shake my head.

"Who said anything about charity?" The middle one says. "Hard times can hit anywhere and anyone." He laughs. "Who knows? You might see our ugly mugs on your doorstep one day looking for work." He pats my shoulder. "But do what you think is right. Be careful out there Quintus. I hope you find your way safely."

With that the three return to their work. I turn back toward the road and take two steps until I see my slave waiting for me in the distance. Rosa was hungry, just as hungry as me. I can hear her voice in my head from the early days in this trip. "Pride is your Achilles heel." I stop and look back over at the wagon, my mind not on my stomach but hers.

I hear the old guy laugh. "Go ahead. Ain't no shame."

I close my eyes and let out a long breath. "Thank you."

This trip had been such a humbling experience. While never wealthy my family had always been comfortable. Comfortable and not very charitable to those hard on their luck. Living the life of a pauper was an education that I vow to myself to never forget. In so many ways I was different from that sheltered farmboy who set out from the only home he'd ever known just a few weeks ago. Swallowing my pride and keeping my hungry Lady close to my heart I walk to the wagon. The three men don't look my way. They knew how hard this would be for me and they knew I didn't need anybody watching me while it happened. I find the food bundle stuffed to the hilt with bread and hard cheese and nuts and olives in oil and fresh fruits. Just like back home these working men had working men's appetites. Thanking them under my breath once more I gather up about half of the food and head back toward the road.

As I climb the small embankment to the road Rosa's eyes light up. "What is all of this!?"

My head bowed I mutter. "Those men…gave us this."

Hearing the somber tone of my voice Rosa's gaze rises from the food in my hands to my face. She puts a hand on mine. "That was very kind of them."

"Yeah."

"It's a good thing to let people show their kindness. Don't you think?"

I let out a sigh. "Yeah."

"Nobody thinks less of you Quin." She says softly, moving closer. "They wouldn't have offered it if they couldn't spare it."

"I know."

"I don't think any less of you Master." She says.

I huff. "I'm being stupid. Pouting like a child." My eyes go South, in my heart the drive to make my farm a success stronger than ever. I may be on my knees now but I WOULD get back on my feet soon. Straightening up I say. "You mind walking and eating?"

"Not at all Master." She takes the sack of food from me and passes me back a bread. I take it and rip into it with my teeth. She takes one and does the same as we turn our shoulders South and continue on our way.

Chapter 54: Kindred Spirits

Chapter Text

We walk and eat our breakfast under a partially cloudy sky. Over the course of a few hours farmland slowly makes way for ranch land. Fields of waving grain and the neat rows of orchards become herds of cattle and flocks of sheep dotting the green hills around us.

Travel along this road was much different than the Appian. The road itself was narrower meaning that we had to step off to make way if we saw a mounted rider or chariot coming from the other direction. It is in relatively good condition but there were rough patches of cracked cement and temporary patch jobs. The majority of the traffic are locals and far more prone to stop and chat with a couple of strangers in their region. Most were friendly and only too happy to offer advice or tell us where we can fill our waterskin. Rosa gets a lot of looks but except for a few scowling bigots most were more curious about her than hostile, unless the Amazon thing was raised that is. This was going to be a constant we were going to have to get used to. As I had been told to I always make sure to introduce Rosa first and I found it kind of exciting to be signaling our relationship despite the fact that nobody thus far had caught the cue.

Along the stretches where we saw no others Rosa would pull out the bracelet to play with and experiment on. We had agreed that the extremely valuable magic item must be kept a secret between us for our own safety. Using sticks and pebbles she tries various different things to try to discover if the item could ever pose a danger. She didn't want to become an amputee or worse. What we discover is that the magic of the item was crafted with safety in mind. If something physical was moving through the portals the other sides of the hoops showed gray and could not be penetrated. If you put something through the non-gated side of a hoop the magic would cease until the object was removed. Based on the letters glowing and fading we estimate that the item could be in continuous use for about an hour and half and that it seemed to take ten times as long for the item to recharge when placed back together.

At one I point I stop, look left and right to make sure nobody was coming, and say. "I want to try something."

Rosa hands over the twin hoops. I place one flat on the road then hold the other directly above it then line a round smooth stone up between them and drop it. Rosa and I watch as the rock falls through the hoop to come out of the other to fall straight back into the first again. We laugh as we watch the rock fall faster and faster and faster. "Look at it go!" Rosa squeals. As I go to say something back my hand tilts just slightly, hurtling the rock into one of the stones of the road with a deafening CRACK! We look at each other in surprise then back to the road. When the dust settles we find the rock itself is pulverized and a circular crater an inch deep had been left in the paving stone! Rosa takes the items back and clips them back together again. "Let's not do that again, hmm?"

"Wow." I say as I kneel down to stick my thumb into the fresh hole in the solid rock.

"It could have broken your leg, or worse." Rosa says as she pockets the bracelet and continues on.

"Yeah." I stand and hurry to catch up.

Along the way I tell Rosa of what I learned about our route. She listened intently, especially concerning the short cut to Grumentum. Again I ask her if she preferred we take the longer and safe route and again she chooses the quicker more dangerous path. Her patience for this life had worn even more thin than my own. We needed to get home.

Her hearing about Grumentum having a theater brightens her mood greatly.

"A theater? A real theater? Out here?"

"He said that his cousin is an actor there. That's all I know."

"Do they have proper baths? A forum? A circus? What is the shopping like?"

I chuckle. "I have no idea Rosa. I've never been there."

"How close is our farm to the town?"

I never got tired of hearing her refer to it as 'our' farm. "Again, I don't know. Once we get there I have to find the basilica and talk to a magistrate. Show my papers and stuff."

"Basilica, I like the sound of that. Sounds like a proper town." She ponders a moment. "I wonder if they have a temple to Venus?"

"I thought you were looking forward to being a farm girl." I tease.

"Yeah." She says. "But a trip into town once in a while might be nice."

"City girl."

She giggles and jabs me with a horn.

"Ow!" I laugh. "Watch it with those things."

"Sorry." She rubs the spot. "They are starting to get long, aren't they?"

"They look great."

And on we go.

It is just past midday as we pass by another walled villa. The gates were wide open and in a front courtyard I see a bearded man leaning against a well speaking with a woman who was sweeping the terracotta tiles of the yard. He sees me and nods. I nod back and call into him.

"Would you mind if we had a bucket of your water?" I hold up our near empty waterskin.

He stands and waves us in without hesitation. As he turns to greet us I could see why he was so confident to allow strangers in. At his side he wore a gladius in a leather and brass scabbard, very similar to the one my father wore. Just in the way he stood told me he was likely adept at its use too.

"Military?" I say cordially.

"Retired." He says in a distinct Greek accent. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, a touch of gray coming out in his thick dark beard.

Taking the waterskin I say. "Thank you for this." Turning slightly toward my slave I say. "This is my slave Rosa." I pause as Rosa nods at the pair and they nod back. "And I am her Master Quintus."

I turn to look at the man to see his left brow raise as he looks from me to Rosa and back again. He seemed curious and mildly perplexed. There is long and strange silence before he at last speaks. "I am Peisandros." He says, followed by a similar pause to mine, then motioning to the woman. "This is my girl Aemelia."

The pause gives it away. They are like us. In the blink of an eye the entire dynamic in the yard shifts. I notice Aemelia's blue eyes go immediately to me. It is then I notice around her neck a tight necklace of a familiar vermilion. Our eyes meet and she smiles. She had that same look of calm as the woman I saw wearing that special color back in Beneventum.

Peisandros shifts his full attention to Rosa. "You are a slave?"

"Yes." Rosa steps forward just in front and to the side of me, establishing her proper station in this context. "But still a Lady. It is a complicated story."

"Fascinating!" He grins. "A pleasure to meet you. I see so few Ladies out here. Can you stay a time Lady Rosa?"

"I'm afraid not." Rosa shakes her head. "We are anxious to move on Master Peisandros. My apologies."

"Of course." He says, speaking to her as an equal despite their vastly different social classes. "Would you share a drink with me at least. Wine? Tea? Beer?"

"Beer?" Rosa's ears perk up. "You have beer?"

He chuckles. "I developed a taste for it while serving in Germania. I brew it here. It is much different than what you would have had in Egypt." He seemed to recognize her accent too, subtle as it was. "Would you like to see?"

"Are you sure you wish to invite an Amazon into your home?"

There is a momentary tension in the air. "You are truly a one of a kind Lady Rosa." A quick look is exchanged between he and his girl and I sense something silently exchanged between them before he says. "I would be honored."

To my surprise Rosa then replies to him in flawless Greek. Or I assumed it was flawless, I hadn't a clue what she just said.

"Ha!" He answers her back in his native tongue and motions her toward the door.

Rosa looks to me and I see my strong Lady come out in her. Noble, proud, elegant. Despite her petite stature and common clothes her power shines through in her posture, expression and in the way she moved. In that instant I could see her in the beautiful flowing silk gowns of a meretrix back in exotic Alexandria.

"Put down the pack my boy." She speaks her order kindly yet firmly. "You earned a rest. Stay with Aemelia and help her if she asks."

All three of them look at me, Peisandros and Aemelia particularly interested to see how a Roman free citizen would respond to his Amazon slave girl. I take in a breath and say proudly, and definitely too loudly. "Yes my Lady!" I bow my head toward her still feeling their eyes on me. Oh, that felt good.

"Your boy is enthusiastic Lady Rosa." Aemelia laughs. Despite being a free woman her body language toward Rosa is deferential. She didn't look at Rosa directly, careful to keep her eyes slightly lowered. "If you excuse me saying so Lady."

"He hasn't been collared." Rosa explains. "He is in training." She turns to me and runs her hands across my shoulders. "And he is doing very well." Looking up into my eyes she whispers. "You okay?"

I nod, unable to hide my grin.

She pats my cheek then turns toward our host and heads off to see his brewing facility.

Aemelia, a tall stout dark haired woman of around thirty with a local accent, comes up beside me and helps me set the pack off to the side then loops her arm into mine.

"Ohhh. I am so happy to meet you Quintus! I have so many questions." She says in a bright way, as if we were already long time friends. "I've met so few Ladies or boys. And you are still earning your collar? It is such an exciting time." Aemelia's enthusiasm is infectious. "So exciting!"

"Um, yeah." I say shyly. This was new, talking about this stuff to others. New and exhilarating. I might not be able to shout my love for Rosa from the center of the Colosseum as I wished to, but at least I could be her boy here in this villa. "Very exciting."

"Your Lady is so very beautiful."

"Yes she is." I say as I allow my fellow submissive to lead me into the house that our dominants had just disappeared into. "The most beautiful."

Chapter 55: Voice of Experience

Chapter Text

Aemelia leads me into the house. The interior was neither extravagant nor plain, tasteful with a definite Greek flare to it. The walls showed paintings of Greek heroes among scenes of warfare and battle. Honestly it was exactly what I was expecting based on my brief encounter with the owner. She brings me through entryway and main hall into the dining room where three lounging couches sat around a low table face each other.

"He will bring her here." She says. "Could you take the extra klinai and bring it with."

"Yeah, of course." Not that I needed the extra incentive, but I was ordered to help her by my Lady. I lift the couch frame and hold it as Aemelia adjusts the other two, keeping up friendly conversation the whole time, then produces a few pillows and padded mats to lay out on the couches. It was easy to notice which one was to be Peisandros' as his cushions were trimmed with red and gold, the ones for my Lady downright plain in comparison. A host's privilege I suppose but I found myself wishing I had something special to lay out for Rosa. Once the room was prepared we move on.

She has me store the extra couch in a side room then we move on to the kitchen. A slave was already there resting on a stool but Aemelia immediately dismisses the woman. "The Master and I are hosting. Light the dining lanterns then tell the others we do not wish to be disturbed." An immediate look of understanding comes over the slave. She gives me a quick once over then bows and hurries out of the room. The four of us would have the villa to ourselves it seems.

"Do you prepare and serve for your Lady?" She asks me.

"Yes." I answer without even thinking about the question. It seemed the proper answer. I may be new to this world but I wanted to show Aemelia that I belonged.

She looks at me with open admiration. "You serve her outside the bed chambers. That is wonderful. She really found a good one with you." She says. "Most Italian boys like the kink but not the life. Sir calls them 'bedroom boys', they're commitment directly linked to the hardness of their manhoods." She chuckles. "He says he hasn't seen a proper boy since he left Corinth."

"I am a proper boy." I say with pride, wanting to make sure I put Rosa in the best possible light. "My Lady would accept no less."

"Indeed." She opens a low cupboard and I am surprised to feel a wave of cool air wash over my feet. The cupboard definitely had a bit of magic about it, perhaps it was lined with those magical tesserae that Gaius dealt in. What a great use for them. From here she pulls cheese, fresh grapes, and salted meat and sets these onto the counter. Motioning to the holder on the wall she says. "Knives are there. I'll get you a platter."

"I think…I think my Lady was only staying for a beer."

"They will be drinking and talking. They will want a snack with their beverage."

"Yeah, good point." It would be a bit rude to refuse such hospitality and it wasn't like Rosa couldn't use an extra meal right now.

Keeping up the cordial chat Aemelia gets platters for each of us. I choose one of the knives and she takes another. With the food on the counter between us Aemelia begins preparing her tray. I follow her lead and do the same on my side.

"So, how did you meet?" She asks. "How did you reveal yourselves?"

As we work I give Aemelia a very rough version of our story thus far. She is fascinated by every little detail, wanting more than I was willing to say just yet. I keep things vague but reveal small things about Rosa and I's private life. Along the way it slowly dawns on me that I was talking to this person who I had just met, a woman no less, about topics that not too long ago I never would have had the nerve to even broach. Having Rosa as my Lady had put me much more at ease with members of the opposite sex. I had found the woman of my dreams, other women now just weren't as intimidating as they once were.

"Not even two weeks!? My goodness, you are new." She says once my brief recount is over. "And to buy your own Lady at a slave market…wow. And such a Lady! That is something else."

"It has been quite an experience."

Perhaps hearing nerves in my voice she assures me. "Don't worry Quintus. Listen to your Lady, she'll train you right."

"I know." I build up my courage to talk plainly with this woman, not sure if or when I'd ever get a chance to talk to someone like this again. "How long did your training take?"

"Training never really ends." She says. "But my Sir collared me after four months."

"Four months!"

"He is very exacting. He is an experienced Sir with very high standards. He has had three girls before me." She explains. "Every pair is different though. There are some common practices, but each pair must find their own particular way. Some are collared within days, some years."

"My Lady has high standards too." I say a bit too defensively.

"I am sure she does."

"She is very experienced." I brag. "She is older than she looks."

"You are a lucky boy."

"Yes I am."

"Her being a demon and a…um…"

"Amazon." I say firmly.

"Yes. That doesn't bother you?"

"No. I am a lucky boy. So lucky." I found it difficult to talk about Rosa without breaking up a little. I couldn't be more proud to be hers. "My Lady is special."

"Indeed."

With that Aemelia does the finishing touches on her platter. It looked like something out of a painting. The cheese and meat sliced perfectly and laid out in neat layers. Half of the bunch of grapes forming a central symmetrical mound. She takes a small round pan bread and slices it in half and puts this along with a tiny bowl of oil to fill the other half of the platter. I look down in front of me. I wasn't even done slicing the cheese. Instead of nice slim slices mine was crumbled and uneven. I could clean a trout as easy as walking but I was far from an experienced hand in the kitchen. I focus harder and try to do better as Aemelia makes a few small adjustments to hers then takes a seat on the stool.

"Tell me of your Lady. What does she like? When she allows herself to do anything she wants, what is it she does?"

"Well." I think back. "Play. She is playful. There is a lot of joy and laughter with Rosa. I've…never smiled so much."

"Ohhh! That sounds wonderful." Aemelia grins wide. "A kind heart is so important. Is she hard or gentle?"

"Very gentle mostly." My heart swells with pride as I talk of my Lady. "She is nurturing. She holds me and pets me and says the nicest things to me. She says I am precious and…cute and…beautiful." I chuckle. "If you can believe that."

"I do." She says. "And you best start believing it too if you're going to be her boy."

I let out a huff as my first slice of the meat is crooked. I am used to slicing a bit and stuffing it in my mouth. I never gave any consideration to how my food actually looked before.

"Quintus, tell me, have you figured out the secret yet?"

I look at her. "Secret?"

"The secret of control."

"My Lady is in control." I state the obvious.

"Mmm, yeahhhh, but…is she though?" Aemelia says. "If it isn't too personal, may I ask about your first real act of true submission?"

I search my memory, but I don't have to search for long. Rosa and I are in that stable all those days ago. It is dark. Rosa is sound asleep. Nobody can see me. I remember the shame yet the irresistible need to bow down and kiss my Lady's foot. I remember how good it felt to allow myself to do that. I recount the memory to Aemelia.

"Your Lady made you do that?"

"No." I confess. "That was me."

"It is always you. That's the secret." She laughs then motions toward the door. "We give them their power and we can take it back again. They cannot take from us anything we don't willingly give them." She says. "They may do things beyond our control but that isn't the same as them holding control. They earn their place just as much as we do."

"I…never thought about that."

"It is important." She says. "You would have figured it out eventually, but it's good you know."

"Yeah."

"Does your Lady look after you well? Your needs are being met? She knows what you like and don't like?"

"She looks after me really good." I reply, after a moment's hesitation I add. "I…I like the ropes. She's good with ropes."

"Ohhh, yes." Just the way she said that told me she knew exactly what I was talking about. It was so strange opening up like this with another kindred spirit. "Bondage is a favorite of mine as well."

"She is so good. I've never seen anybody handle a rope so well." I say. "She bought me a special rope. Do you want to see it?"

"Yes! Show me as you leave." She says genuinely. "I suspect she will buy you more if you're a good boy."

"I am a good boy." I say, my voice very subtly shifting softer. "For her I am a good boy."

"I wish there were time for her to show us her rope work." Aemelia pines. "My Sir prefers shackles and chains and the like. Rope is so cozy and pretty looking though. I wish I could see."

I imagine Rosa tying me up in front of this couple, giving them a display of her prowess with me as the willing model. The thought is both terrifying and exciting. "We must be moving on soon."

"A shame." She says. "Had you the time Sir would have asked that you and I entertain them. He enjoys watching me with others."

"Oh!" I didn't even know how to reply to that.

"He might have offered me to your Lady as well if she were willing." She sighs longingly. "I would have loved to feel her ropes, among other things."

A surge of jealousy swells inside of me. I'm not sure I could bear seeing Rosa with another. I was starting to think that this meeting had come far too early for me. As much as I enjoyed being Rosa's boy for others to see I also felt way out of my depth too. I look over the fucking disaster of a platter in front of me I knew I hadn't the skills for this part yet that is for sure.

Aemelia continues. "Are you looking after your Lady well?"

"When she is my Lady I do everything she says."

"Hmm, that wasn't quite the question." She says. "You say she is playful, do you ever initiate play? Not necessarily with sex, just being playful. You say she enjoys nurturing you, do you ever go to her to be nurtured? Do you give her opportunities to correct you? Do you thank her for punishments? It is so important that a Sir or Lady understands how important they are. They need to be looked after too."

"She is…important to me."

"Of course she is." She says warmly. "Do you love your Lady?"

My hands pause just before pouring the oil into the little bowl. There was only one answer I could give to that question. "Yes."

"That is wonderful. Love isn't always involved you know. For some it is just a need to be fulfilled." She says. I wonder if that is how it was for Rosa. She had an affection for me but…who knows. "I love my Sir too. He promised me marriage and a child in the next year."

"My Lady…does not wish to have children." I say, careful to control the emotion in my voice. "And she cannot marry."

"I suppose not. You two have a complicated arrangement."

"Yes." I take a breath and pour the oil. Looking over my platter compared to hers was an embarrassment. I wished I'd never said that I would prepare. Would my skills reflect poorly on my Lady? "Well, I wish you and your Sir luck on conceiving and your upcoming marriage."

"Thank you." She says. "It will be a great honor for me. I just wish I knew who the father was going to be."

"Excuse me?"

"His spirit still has the fire but my Sir cannot sire a child since his last tour of duty. He may breed me with his eldest son but he is leaving me guessing right now. He is such a tease sometimes." She chuckles. "Heck, if things go well today you or your Lady may end up being the father. He is not above such a thing. He would tease me unmerciful for getting pregnant with a stranger off the road." There was a longing to her voice, the thought of getting teased unmercifully for such a thing did not phase her.

"Uhhhhh…"

"I doubt it though." She winks.

"You two…have a complicated arrangement." I echo her previous statement back to her.

"Indeed. Most of us do." She laughs. "Don't judge Quintus. Like I said, every pair is different."

"Sorry, you're right."

"If you're done we should get these to the dining hall."

One last time I try to arrange the platter to make it look even half as good as Aemelia's, but it was no use. Rough chunks of meat sat amongst crumbled lumps of cheese with the grapes jammed in among them. The more I tried to fix it the worse it got. At least the bread and oil looked okay. "I'm ready."

Aemelia takes up her platter and I follow along with mine. We return to the dining hall. She puts hers on Peisandros' side, turning it so that it displayed in the best possible way in the orange lantern light that filled the room. I put mine on Rosa's side. Seeing the platters there taking up the center of the room makes me even more embarrassed by my work, worse yet the oil had spilled a bit onto the bread and cheese.

From beyond the open doorway we hear laughter and voices enter the villa from the back door. It was our dominants. Aemelia glances to the door then back at me. "If we don't speak again, it has truly been a pleasure to speak with you Quintus."

"Yeah. Same." I nod to her. "Good to meet you Aemelia."

With that Aemelia comes to stand to the right of the sofa on her side and lowers to her knees on the mosaic floor as she pulls the top half of her dress down to hang about her waist, her large breasts hanging heavy and exposed. She lowers right down into a perfect Bow position, arms stretched to the front and her forehead so low it touched the floor, as she awaits her Sir.

I stand there, unsure of what to do, as Peisandros and Rosa walk into the room.

Chapter 56: Bungling Boy

Chapter Text

Rosa enters followed by Peisandros who carried with him a frothy pitcher of beer and a couple of mugs. The presence of another man, an older man that brought to mind memories of my father no less, suddenly makes this weird. I had no idea how to address or even relate to the man. He was a Sir and I was a boy, but I wasn't his boy. I was so lost. There is an awkward moment between us as Peisandros gives me a curious look, probably wondering why I was standing in the middle of the room looking like a lost lamb.

"Hello my pretty boy." Rosa says in a muted but still cheerful tone. I look at her in the eyes desperate for her to help me. She doesn't let me down. "I want you by my side. Kneel."

I nod. "Yes my Lady." Hurrying to the side of her sofa I quickly get down on my knees then begin to bow like Aemelia was…before I remember my order and remain in Kneel position. Why was I so nervous all of sudden? This must be how actors felt on opening night. "Sorry." I whisper as she reclines on her sofa.

"Shhh." She says. "Be calm my boy. You are doing fine."

Across the room Peisandros studies me with an amused grin then shakes his head. Setting the pitcher and mugs on the table between the platters he reclines on his own fancy cushions opposite Rosa. "It appears your boy has prepared you some food." The fact he could so easily tell I had prepared it was a blow to my submissive pride. He had the nicer cushions. He had the nicer platter. He had on a nice toga now and she her common outfit. He had every advantage over my Lady…and I hated that.

"Yes." Rosa says, her expression hardening as she sees the platter I had put together for her. "It appears so."

"Excellent!" The man says loudly. "You might as well stay and dine awhile."

Rosa gives me a long look before saying. "Yes, I suppose it couldn't hurt."

I had the distinct impression Peisandros had just gotten one over on my Lady. He had gotten his way despite Rosa telling him otherwise when we arrived and it was all thanks to me. I thought I was doing good but I had just undermined my Lady. Nervous fear grows inside of me. My mouth is dry and my hands clammy.

"Sorry." I whisper.

"Shhh." She says.

Rosa looks over her sad looking platter without a word of criticism despite how obviously substandard it was compared to his. This was even more embarrassing than I though it would be. I was letting my Lady down in front of another dominant and I knew it would be reflecting on her. "This looks delicious." She says as she picks up flaking misshapen lump of cheese and tastes it. "Mmm."

"I did my best." I mumble.

I receive a hard flash of her eyes. She holds it for a three count then says once more. "Shhh!" I clamp my lips shut and wilt under her gaze. My shoulders slumps and my head dips. I see her eyes narrow. "Kneel." She commands in a firm voice. I snap back up into my proper Kneel. Gods! I was fucking everything up.

Peisandros chuckles and says something in Greek. She replies to him in that language. They were clearly talking about me. Probably having a laugh at my short-comings as a boy.

"Girl." Peisandros snaps in a hard authoritative voice. "Serve my beer."

"Yes Sir." She says softly and with flawless control raises to Kneel and them up to her feet.

"May she serve you?" He asks Rosa.

Rosa nods once.

"Thank you Lady." Aemelia says demurely.

Her every movement was precise and efficient. She comes around to the side of the table and fills each of their mugs, stopping just in time for the frothy head to swell up from the rim without actually spilling over. She places the pitcher down and bows before returning to her Sir's side. Standing there a moment she awaits an order. Peisandros gives her nothing but the smallest of gestures and Aemelia lowers into a perfect Kneel. I subtly correct my own position seeing it done so well. Gods, compared to her I was nothing but a clumsy oaf.

"Your girl is very well trained." Rosa says in a friendly voice. "She is a credit to you."

"Yes." He grins. "She's a shameless needy whore but she obeys well enough."

Aemelia closes her eyes briefly and I swear I see a little blush warm her cheeks. She opens them again without moving or saying a word. Rosa takes the comment in stride, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to say. And Peisandros…is looking at me. That same amused smirk from earlier on his face. It is then I realize that I had been turning my head to look at each of the three of them. I snap my face forward and go still.

I kneel there still, staring straight ahead, even though my body urged me to flee the scene. I could feel my courage and confidence eroding. Everyone here knew what they were doing but me. I was ruining the whole thing for everyone. I do my best to refocus. My eyes settle on Aemelia on the floor across from me. In her perfect Kneel she looked so at ease at her Sir's side. She was the experienced one. I would try to use her as my example.

Peisandros picks up his mug. "I cannot wait to hear what you think of it. It is not to everyone's taste." Looking down to his right he says. "Would you like a sip girl?" She shakes her head an emphatic no and he laughs. "As I said."

Rosa takes up her mug and smells it. She then raises it to her host. "To your health."

"And to yours." He returns the gesture.

The both take a long swig of the drink. "Mmmm!" Rosa says. "Delicious." She wipes her top lip then turns to me to hold out the mug. "Try some my boy."

My mind completely focused on doing the right thing I follow Aemelia's lead. The food and drink were for them, not for us. "No thank you my Lady." I say.

Everything stops. Across from me Aemelia's eyes widen with concern as her Sir's thick brows furrow with disapproval. I look up at Rosa to see genuine ire in her eyes. A second later I realize what had happened. When Peisandros offered beer to Aemelia it was a question. When Rosa offered it to me it was an order. I had just blatantly disobeyed my Lady in front of others! Everything else might be forgiven but not this. I already knew I would be punished. But no punishment could compare to the agony of letting my Lady down so spectacularly. I felt utterly wretched.

My position wavers. I look back and forth between the faces. My breath picks up and my heart is beating so fast. I try to go for the mug but Rosa pulls it away from me and sets it back on the table. Peisandros says something in Greek to which Rosa replies curtly.

"I'm sorry…I…I'll…" I try to apologize. "I'm sorry…"

"Shhh!"

AH! I disobeyed again! Everything I did only made it worse.

"Mmm." I whimper and shrink down. I wish I could just disappear! I had been so excited to be able to be my Lady's boy in front of others but now I had messed it up so, so badly.

Rosa says her host. "Excuse me a moment."

"Of course." He nods.

She turns her attention on her sad excuse for a boy. I didn't want to look at her. I didn't want to see the disappointment. I wanted to cry!

Her voice is as gentle as a warm autumn breeze. "Quin." She says. "Look at me baby."

I look up at her doing everything I could to hold myself together. She is smiling. Kindness and warmth flowing from her to me.

Reaching out she touches my cheek. "It's me. It's just me. Your Lady is right here."

"I…fucked up." I whisper to her, embarrassed to say this in front of others but wanting to be honest with my Lady. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay my boy. It's okay to mess up. You're new." She pets my hair and chuckles lightly. "I never expected you to make me a platter."

"I…I thought I was supposed to."

"Have I trained you for that?"

"No, not yet."

"No. I haven't." She confirms. "Have I ever expected that of you?"

"No."

"No." She says again. "Don't try to live up to Peisandros or his girl's standards. Or anybody else's." She leans down to kiss my head. "Whose boy are you?"

"I'm your boy."

"Yes you are." She says in that special comforting way she had. "You are my special boy. I am your Lady. No matter where we are. No matter who we're with. You hold to that. You stay to true to us. Us." She gives me her branded hand. "Kiss me." I kiss her hand, pouring all of my love for her into that brief kiss. "Good boy."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Obedience." She says calmly. "That's enough for now. Relax. Be yourself." She kisses my head again. "Enjoy yourself."

And just like that all of my shame and fear is washed away. I take a big deep breath and return to a tall proud Kneel at my Lady's side. Across from me Aemelia is smiling. I smile back and sneak her a little wink when the dominants aren't looking. I knew I would still be punished but I also knew I deserved it. I felt so much better about everything.

The Lady and the Sir converse in Greek. Peisandros had questions. Rosa replies with her usual upbeat demeanor and a rock steady confidence, occasionally reaching over to casually pet my hair or stroke my shoulder. I sit pretty for her, my spirit calm and happy.

Chapter 57: Aemelia's Story

Chapter Text

Rosa and Peisandros eat and drink and converse in fluent Greek. At their sides Aemelia and I kneel, neither of us understanding what they were saying but proud to be there for them. Rosa told me to be myself, to have fun, and despite not moving an inch that is exactly what I do. I started to find the joy in this. That excitement to reveal myself as Rosa's submissive returning to me and making me feel downright giddy. When Aemelia surprises me by suddenly crossing her eyes in a silly way I end up giggling out loud before clamping my lips tight. Aemelia holds her control but I could see her eyes dance with jocular amusement too.

Kneeling there I reflect on my Lady's words. I was her boy. Hers. While this occasion was more formal and involved others it didn't change who she is nor who I am. Aemelia told me that every pair was different and had to find their own way and I really understood what she meant now.

My ear catches Latin again as Peisandros shifts topics. "My sons are around his age." He chuckles. "They would never allow themselves to be seen like this."

Was that supposed to an insult? Was he testing me? Was it just a statement? Being a boy around my Lady was easy. I had no idea how to be a boy around another man. I keep my Lady firmly in my mind and let the comment roll off of me.

"Indeed." Rosa replies. "Most men wouldn't. That is why he is my boy and they are not." Oh, that felt nice. I can't help but smile.

"He's a big one, isn't he?"

"And strong!" Rosa says with pride. "I swear he's descended from heroes. I've met many men, none as strong nor with such fortitude."

"Indeed? A farmer you say?"

"A land owner." Rosa corrects. "He is the master of his own estate. And yes, a farmer."

"Hmm, we may be able to do business. Grumentum isn't so far away." He says. "But that is for another time."

"I will leave that between you and him."

"Very good." He says as he studies me closely. "He's handsome."

"Very." Rosa smiles. "And smarter than he gives himself credit for."

Gods it was surreal being talked about like this right out in the open.

"Healthy?"

"Very."

"His offspring will be blessed with these traits too."

Having spoken with Aemelia I knew where this was going. I look up toward Rosa nervously. She calms me with a brush along my jaw with the back of her hand.

Peisandros pushes the point. "Perhaps a bit of entertainment between your boy and my girl?"

"He is not ready for that." Rosa says coolly. "And you know that Peisandros."

"Apologies." He bows his head to her.

I let out a breath of relief. My Lady had things well in hand.

"Aemelia is my fourth girl." He says. "How many boys for you Lady Rosa?"

"We do not talk about that. I allowed him to purchase me. He is my only boy now. That is all that matters."

"Understood." He sensed this was not a topic to be probed at. "And what of girls? Would you take one?"

"I am monogamous." She answers straight back as she teases my earlobe between her finger and thumb. "My boy satisfies all of my needs."

Ohhhhh! Could I love this woman any more?

"Understood." Peisandros says again. The two dominants were getting to know each other's boundaries. It was kind of fascinating to watch. Outside of this situation Rosa would have no choice but to show deference to this free citizen. In here they negotiated as equals. This was quite an interesting world I was getting a glimpse into.

"Can my girl Aemelia at least preform for you then?" He asks. "One quick performance before you leave? It would mean a lot to her."

I see Aemelia perk up and look at my Lady with big eager eyes. Rosa wasn't the only one looking after her submissive. Aemelia said that Peisandros enjoyed watching her perform for others, I now realize that she enjoyed it just as much as him. He was her Sir but theirs was a partnership just like Rosa and I.

Rosa looks to the girl and nods. "As long as it isn't too long, I would love to see her."

"Girl!" Peisandros snaps. "Clear the table and get your worthless ass up there."

"Yes Sir." She says obediently.

I shift just a bit closer to my Lady. I didn't like the man's harsh tone nor him calling Aemelia worthless despite the fact that it didn't phase her in the least. As Aemelia clears off the table Rosa leans in close and whisper in my ear. "Watch politely. Do not judge. It is not our place to judge them."

I nod my understanding. As Aemelia had told me earlier, everybody in this life had a "complicated arrangement". What must a decorated fighting man like Peisandros think of a boy like me? They wouldn't judge us and we wouldn't judge them. It was all part of the understanding. I was learning a lot.

When the table was clear Aemelia asks. "Should I bring your cane Sir?"

"Did I say you should?"

"No." She hops up onto the table and awaits her next order.

"Face them." She turn to face toward us, looking down at the pair of us with wild excitement in her blue eyes. "Get those clothes off whore. Let them see your worthless whore body."

"Yes Sir." She removes her clothes with no hesitation. We had already seen her breasts of course but now we saw the rest of her. She had a stout frame with wide hips to match her heavy breasts. She carried a significant amount of fat on her body but wore it well. She was soft without being overweight. Her pussy had no hair on it, shaved clean. I blush heavily at her sudden nudity. The only reason I don't look away is because my Lady told me to watch politely, so I do. Seeing me uncomfortable brings a blush to Aemelia's cheeks as well. "Sir, may I make a suggestion?"

"No." He says. "Endure."

"Yes Sir."

I watch closely as Aemelia goes into a position I hadn't been taught yet. This one was similar to Inspect, she put her hands up behind her head, but with the difference of instead of standing she gets down to balance on just the balls of her feet with her knees spread as far as she make them. Her control and balance were impressive. She wasn't just nude, she was splayed out for us to see every bit of her. I had never seen a pussy so open and exposed like this. It was…beautiful. Like some tawny pink fleshy flower.

"Tell them a story." He commands. "Tell them of what you did on the first of last month."

"Oh Sir! Please no. Another story please. We just met these two."

"Tell them!"

"Yes Sir."

She looks from me to my Lady and gathers her courage. "I had been disobedient. My Sir's punishment for me was to sit upon a stone by our nearby stream, a place where local slaves come to collect water, as I secretly rode my Sir's phallus beneath my dress."

"Due to an injury I now use a harness and an ivory phallus." He explains from behind her. "It is larger than my natural manhood. Tell them how you feel about that."

She closes her eyes and bites her bottom lip. "I yearn to feel my Sir's flesh inside of me as his other girls have."

"But…"

"But…" She opens her eyes, shame painted across her face. "…I…enjoy the bigger phallus. I am not right. I am a wretched slut. I cannot help myself."

"Yes you are. A terrible slut." He says cruelly. "Your Sir wouldn't be enough for your cavernous cunt. No man has ever truly satisfied you, isn't that right?"

She takes a deep breath in through her nose and lets it out through her mouth in a combination of shame and arousal. "Yes." She whispers.

"Speak up!"

"Yes!" She says again more forcefully. "No natural man has yet been able to quench the fires within my loins. I need…more. Much more. I am a wretched needy slut."

"You are no use to any man. Why would any man want you? A worthless woman."

Aemelia bites her lips and closes her eyes as a tremble runs up her naked body. "Yes Sir." She squeaks. "Worthless."

"I am glad I met you after my injury."

"Please." She gasps. "Don't say that Sir."

"Of my four girls you have been the worst by far. A foul nasty woman. You aren't worthy to have me inside of you."

"Ohhhh!"

"Apologize to our guests."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I am sorry you have see my worthless slutty body."

I glance up at Rosa to see her absorbed in all of this with great fascination. Her eyes study Aemelia closely, he ears raised high to listen to every word. I look back to my fellow submissive, hardly believing this exposed naked harlot on the table was the kind woman I had prepared food with just a short time ago. My eyes widen as I notice the petals of her womanhood glistening with wetness.

"Thank me for keeping you." He says.

"Thank you Sir! Thank you for keeping such a worthless slut. I am not worthy of your attention."

"Continue your story."

"Yes Sir." She continues. "We are in uncivilized lands out here. Inhabited but not fully under human control. Perhaps it was the smell of my arousal but…I drew the attention of a Faun. Peeking at me from the bushes. A Satyr to be specific."

My Lady gasps. "There are Satyr's here!?" She grabs onto me for bravery, I lean into her to lend what strength I could. No Faun would ever touch a single violet hair on her head as long as I was alive to stop it.

Aemelia swallows. "Generally they never approach humans. But, as I said, I think it caught my scent. My wetness was all over the rock I sat upon." As if on cue a single dewy drop drips from her pussy down onto the table below her.

"Why didn't you call for help?" Peisandros asks. "Why didn't you run?"

"I was ordered to stay there in silence until…"

"The truth!"

She startles at her Sir's raised voice, wobbling slightly in her stressful position. She looks up, blinks twice, then looks back down to my Lady as her face and chest now glow pink with humiliation.

"I…I saw his cock." She confesses. "I saw the creature's penis. Erect. As big as your forearm Lady. I…wished to…feel it. To feel a real flesh and blood cock that might…fill me."

"You disgust me." Peisandros sneers. "Have you no shame you cock starved whore?"

"Hahhh. I am sorry Sir. I have no shame." Aemelia sighs as her pussy starts to drip, drip, drip in a slow but steady stream. "The creature…it spoke to me though I could not understand it. I was scared but…I sat in silence as I was commanded. It ran away three times but each time returned to approach a little closer. It was about your height Lady though much stouter of build. It had horns different from yours. Like a ram's horns. His lower body was that of a goat, hooves and all. Those strange goat eyes too. From his waist up he looked like a man, mostly. They aren't as scary as the stories say. It was almost…cute."

"Ugh." Her Sir grunts with open disdain.

Her face flinches as if he had just whipped her. "The creature it…ravished me."

"Ravished?"

"It fucked me. It came to me and lifted my dress. It saw the rock and the phallus. It sniffed. It pulled the phallus from me and…and fucked me." Her legs and feet are seriously trembling now from holding the pose. A sheen of sweat now covered her flesh. Her brown nipples jut forward, stiff, and the rest of her large low hanging breasts jiggle with her shaking body. "It…filled…me."

"What happened when it fucked you? When it entered you?"

"I CAME!" She yelps out loudly. "I came. I had an orgasm such as never before."

"Better than even with your Sir?"

With a pained look she gasps. "Yes! Forgive me Sir!"

"Go on."

The drips from her bald vagina drizzles down in longer and longer glistening drops. A small puddle was now forming beneath her.

"He smelled of dirt and musk. His breath like sour milk. His fur and hair were coarse. The sounds he made were only half human. What he said to me as he fucked me I do not know. He tore my dress. His coarse tongue lapped at my breasts. His large penis filled and stretched me, reaching as deep as was possible. He took me in from the front. He turned me and took me from behind. I climaxed for the Faun again and again. Half a dozen times before his own."

"What did you discover?"

She is silent, her whole body trembling, before eventually she answers. "They are naturally erect. Their manhoods do not wilt after release."

"What happened then?"

"He…it…just kept on. Fucking me and fucking me. Wild and savage yet never hurting me. It fucked me for gods knows how long. He filled me with his seed. So much! So much! His hot cum leaked from my cunt like a cracked honey jar. Master has hosted orgies for me with eight men before and it pales in comparison." The drips had become a thin steady stream flowing down onto the table. "I…lost myself. I don't know how many times I came. More than I could count." She swallows. "Two slaves heard my cries of passion. They came to help. As one ran to find a weapon he could use…the other stood and watched me. He watched me…long enough to know that I was not unwilling. I saw the recognition in his eyes and…I didn't care." Her shaking had become an issue. She was beginning to falter in her position. "They chased it off. They carried me back to the house. We say it was a rape but…that one slave…he knows. He knows what kind of woman I am. He has surely told others. They know…and now you do as well! Hahhhh!" She lets out a pained sigh. "Sir!"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes!"

"Are you happy it happened?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"You are sullied by it."

"Yes! Contemptible! Dirty! Horrible!"

"Thank the gods interbreeding isn't possible with them without the gods help." He spits on her. "What kind of woman are you?"

"Hopeless! Slutty! Wretched! Nasty!" She cries out between hard breaths that were somewhere between pain and ecstasy. "WORTHLESS!"

Peisandros rises from his sofa and moves around to her side to get a good look at the state she is in. She looks up at him with wide pleading eyes. "Kneel." He says in a calm voice.

She collapses down into her Kneel position, not nearly as perfect as before, her body trembling and her breath ragged. "Thank you Sir." She whispers. He takes her head and hugs it to his body. "Thank youuuu."

I am startled as Rosa begins to applaud! She gives me a look to indicate that I should follow along so I clap my hands as well.

"Magnificent!" Rosa praises. "Such control. Such openness. You are a credit to your Sir dear Aemelia. Incredible!"

Aemelia peeks out from her Sir's arms with a bashful smile. "Thank you Lady. Thank you."

Peisandros pets his girl's hair and I swear I see a glint of pride in his hard face. I found myself just a little bit jealous of all of the attention Aemelia was getting, despite the fact she definitely earned it. I may not have enjoyed the story but I could not knock the performance.

After a brief stint of conversation as Aemelia recovers Rosa thanks Peisandros for his hospitality and tells our host that we must be moving on.

"Perhaps we may host you someday." She says. "Once we are established."

"I would like that." He says. "Would you like that girl?"

Aemelia, now dressed, nods emphatically. "Oh yes! Yes Lady."

We head back to the front courtyard. Stepping back out into the light of the sun I could sense the mood shift into a halfway zone between the private world we had just stepped out of and the public one beyond the gates. A place where slave and citizen and Sir and boy and Lady and girl were all shades of gray. The dominants converse in Greek as the subs move to the side. I hurry to the pack to pull out my rope to show Aemelia. She touches it and says how beautiful it was and how nice it feels. It was nice to show somebody who could appreciate what it really was.

Water is drawn for us then it ends as it began, with Peisandros and Aemelia facing Rosa and I beside the well. It struck me how…normal they looked. A man and a woman. In my mind I could still see her trembling naked body and hear his hard commanding voice. How many people have I met over the years that were a part of this world? There was no way to know.

"Thank you for visiting Lady Rosa." Peisandros says. "This was a rare pleasure I will not soon forget."

"Thank you for your generous hospitality Sir Peisandros, and thank you for the entertainment and the gift as well." Rosa replies. Gift? She turns to Aemelia. "A pleasure to meet you as well girl."

Aemelia curtsies. "Thank you Lady."

With that Rosa steps back to just behind and beside me, just as we were when we walked in. Peisandros steps forward for a firm handshake with me.

"Good fortune to you Quintus." He says to me, eye to eye and man to man. "You can expect to see me in the coming months. We can talk business."

"I look forward to it." I say back.

"And if, for whatever reason, you ever wish to sell your slave…tell me first!" He says, only half joking. "We would treat her like royalty."

"Not a chance." I grin. "My Lady is not for sale at any price."

"Of course."

We say our goodbyes and with another unique memory added to this special journey Rosa and I are on the road again.

Chapter 58: Funishment?

Chapter Text

We walk on for a time each privately reflecting on our time with Peisandros and Aemelia. There were fascinating to me, absolutely fascinating. So very different from Rosa and I and yet I recognized the deep connection they had. I heard it in Aemelia's voice. I saw it in Peisandros' eyes. It shone through everything else during their performance. These two did not fit into the standard Roman roles of possessive jealous husband and doting faithful wife. They were mismatched with society yet a perfect fit for each other. I did not understand what they had, and I cannot say I enjoyed the story or their type of relationship, but that bond they had…that bond I knew.

Well…almost knew. With Peisandros and Aemelia there was love. Real love. Love both ways. With Rosa and I…the love went one way.

I peek over at my little slave walking beside me to see her scanning the hills and tree lines, probably on the lookout for monsters. Despite this she had that new look of cautious confidence about her now, so different than the girl that had followed me out of Rome. Her horns were longer now by about an inch, long enough that I could start to see patterns along the surface. She was showing signs of our long days on the road, her hair a bit frizzy now from not getting a proper bath and her simple hastily made clothes showing wear, but to my eyes she was as beautiful as a woman could get and only growing more so with each passing day. With all we'd been through I felt I knew her as well as my own parents. Yet she was still such a mystery.

She respected me. She adored me. She needed me. Why didn't she love me? What was wrong with me? What must I do to earn her love?

Rosa catches me looking at her and smiles back at me, making me fall in love with her just that little bit more. "That was unexpected." She says.

"Sure was."

"We're everywhere." She glances back behind us. "Even out here. That's comforting. I wasn't sure what it would be like in the country." She looks back up to me. "Did you have fun?"

"It was an experience." I say. "Yeah, some of it was fun."

"Did you and Aemelia have a good talk?"

"As much as we could with the time we had. She gave me advice and stuff."

"Good."

"If Peisandros was serious about doing some business that could be huge for us Rosa. We'll be starting from nothing out here."

"Peisandros is a serious man. He wouldn't have brought it up frivolously." She says. "He'll want you to succeed. He quite likes you."

Up ahead we see a shepherd guiding his flock across the road and we slow to give them time.

"Do you…think that story was true?" I ask. "That Aemelia told."

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Rosa giggles. "She certainly told it with conviction. Although…wow. I don't know. Her Sir enjoyed it though."

"She enjoyed telling it."

"Yes. Many boys and girls enjoy humiliation. It is quite common. What we have is far more rare actually."

I felt a bit special hearing that. We walk a bit further watching the bobbing fluffy sheep trundle down the slope and across the road from right to left.

"I'm going to be punished?"

"Yes." Rosa says. "Only for the disobedience, nothing else."

"Thank you my Lady."

"This one may be more funishment though." Her eyes focus off into the distance. "I want to do it soon. My options are limited out here but I would like a fresh start between us when we finally get home. No outstanding punishments or the like. A clean slate for our new home. Out here I can't be tying you up or doing anything too involved either."

"Funishment?" I smirk. "I like the sound of that."

She gives me a sidelong look. "Don't get used to it boy." She tries to say in her stern Lady voice even as she hides a chuckle. She then sighs. "I'm going to end up spoiling you rotten, aren't I? I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a lifelong Lady to just one boy."

"I think we'll manage." I say happily. "But I appreciate the discipline either way so…thank you."

She looks up at me. "You're welcome my boy."

I wave to the shepherd who was within earshot now. Raising my voice above the rustling the bleating I say. "Hail. Any word on the road ahead?"

He waves back without stopping. "No word, neither good nor bad."

"Good day."

"And to you."

Rosa and I stop as the final stragglers make their way down the hill. I look to the sky. Partially cloudy with no clear signs of foul weather. I look out over the sprawling landscape, farms and grazing lands to the North transitioning to forests and imposing high mountains to the South.

"We could still take the longer route. We could stop into Potentia for supplies or what not."

"With what money?"

"Good point." I say. "At this point either route has risks anyway I suppose."

"Might as well get it done quicker then." Rosa completes my thought. She was putting on a brave face but I could still hear the fear in her.

"We will be passing through some forests. Silvanus won't forget you Rosa. He likes you. He'll watch out for us." My eyes drift back to the rural agricultural landscape behind us. "Just as Ceres has been watching over me. We just need to be smart and keep our wits about us."

With that I pull my dagger from the pack and attach the sheath to my belt. I didn't like to wear it openly, I was no military man and hadn't earned the right to wear such a weapon, but right now practicality took precedence. As we walk both Rosa and I eventually find stout walking sticks to carry with us. We may be two small people in a big dangerous world but we would fight with all we had to defend each other if it came to it.

We push ourselves up the hills and through the valleys a bit longer to try to make up for the time spent at Peisandros' villa. By the end of that day we were breathing heavily as the altitude of the road continued to rise. The villas and pastures were sporadic now. The traffic along the road less frequent. Tufts of grass sprouted through the cracked road down the center where chariot and wagon wheels did not keep it in check. The next day and half would be the most rugged, most wild, most dangerous, and most challenging portion of our trip. Particularly once we made the turn down the shortcut to Grumentum.

We are about an hour from losing light and traveling through a wooded area when we come across a sturdy wooden bridge spanning a deep crevice with a narrow stream at the rocky bottom. I recognized the place from a description given to me by the helpful farmer I'd spoke with that morning.

I look down over the side. "Perfect. The water is low." Pointing West I say. "There is a set of stairs carved into the rock over this way. It will take us down to that water."

"Oh?"

"I was told there are caves down there. Good for camping."

"Caves?" I could hear the wariness in her voice.

"Nothing should be in them. I guess this stream floods the whole bed every time it rains." I say. "That said, we need to be careful with that." I look to the sky. There were clouds but not the threatening kind. "I don't think that'll be an issue though."

"A cave." Rosa sighs. "Better than nothing I suppose."

I take her hand. "We'll have a roof and walls soon. Just one or two more nights if we're lucky."

"I know." She gives my hand a squeeze. "Lead the way Master."

I follow the man's directions and find an overgrown trail leading through the bushes and undergrowth. Just as he said we come across a narrow set of stairs leading down into the crevice. The remnants of a previous bridge jut from the earth on either side of the expanse. I take a hard look down and a long listen. I see nothing of concern and only hear the babble of the water the song of birds. I look back at Rosa to see her clutching her walking stick in both hands. It was simultaneously adorable and concerning. Her mother might have been a fierce warrior but my slave didn't look like she could hurt a fly. She would at best be a distraction if we had to fight anything, though I pray to every god in the pantheon it never comes to that. I still couldn't believe this sweet thing had actually killed a man. Perhaps I was selling her short.

While narrow and steep the stairs are carved clean into the solid rock and the footing is good. We descend down to the stony bottom. One hand on the pommel of my weapon and the other holding my stick out in front I cautiously step out from the stairs to take a look around. Again, no trouble could be seen. The bed of the crevice was littered with logs and sticks and other detritus washed down during one the stream's frequent floods. Plenty of material for a fire, had we been building one. It was easy to spot the caves the man spoke of. Along the bottom of the crevice walls were areas worn away by water and wind, some of them pushing up to ten feet into the rock. At least two of them had the blackened remnants of old campfires.

Pointing to a large, deep flat bottomed cave not so far away from the stairs I say. "That one."

Walking carefully over the rounded rocks we make our way to the cave. I have to bow my head to enter but Rosa walks straight in. She takes a look at the smooth flat floor. "It'll be hard but it could be so much worse." She starts to move around the area, tossing the few stray sticks and pebbles that had washed in here out of the cave.

I set down the pack along the side. The first thing I do is go to collect some fresh water. I then pull out the little bit of food we had left from this morning.

"Nope." Rosa says.

"Huh? You don't want to eat?"

"We don't have much light left and I want to get this done."

I cannot help but grin. "My funishment?"

"Spoiled boy." She scoffs. "I oughta have you going back up to look for a switch for a proper spanking."

"Ooooo!" I grab my bum. I remembered well what that felt like from childhood.

She giggles. "Don't worry ya big softie." Reaching into her pocket she pulls out the bracelet. With impressive ease she separates the rings and tosses one of them to me. "Here. Stick that down your pants."

"Huh!?"

"Don't you dally now or I will have you looking for that switch." She says sternly. "Now, stick it down your pants boy."

Chapter 59: Funishment!

Chapter Text

"Down…my pants?"

"You heard me."

I swallow. "Yes my Lady."

Holding the magical hoop between my outstretched fingers and thumb I pull my arm into my tunic and start to rummage it downward. Rosa stands at the mouth of of the cave holding her half up in front of her, watching as hairs, fabric, and the odd glimpse of skin peek through the portal as I move it along my body. Oh, this is weird. She has the stern Lady look about her but her amusement and curiosity were peeking through the facade as she watches intently.

I might have protested or asked questions but disobedience was the thing I was being punished for so I didn't want to push my luck. My hand slips into my underbreeches. I try to avoid the obvious but Rosa was a step ahead.

"Now place it over your manhood."

I take a deep breath. "Yes my Lady."

I hesitate a moment…then spread my legs and fit the bracelet around my twig and berries. Both Rosa's eyes and my own widen as we watch the tip of my flaccid dick slowly emerge upward followed soon after by the rest of it along with my hairy balls. The sensation of the gravity shift alone on just my junk is…indescribable, to say nothing of the feeling of the breeze and open air against it while I was still fully dressed. It sort of slumps to the side and Rosa giggles.

"Well hello there." She says to it with a cute blink of her eyes as if it were a pet mouse or bird.

Words cannot express the surreal moment. At my groin my hand held the hoop flat against my body. Where I ought to have been feeling my cock and balls I felt…nothing. Just flat…featureless…nothing. And there, across the cave, looking rather paltry and comical hovering there, was my humble manhood held in my Lady's palm.

A big grin spreads across Rosa's face. "Wow." She looks to me. "Do we need to stop? Are you okay?"

I nod yes to continue before I even think about it. The less I really thought about this the better I felt.

"Good." She turns it upside down and my slumped junk swings around to hanging freely in the air.

I take in a breath at the dizzying sensation. "Oh!"

Rosa titters as she jiggles it in front of her. "What a pretty toy I've found." She says. "Turn around my boy and Kneel, keep your one hand where it is."

"Yes my Lady." I take one last look at my Lady and my dangling penis then turn around and do as she says. I enter a Kneel but with my right hand kept tight against my groin. I settle down into the position and wait. Behind me I hear Rosa making silly cooing and kissy noises toward her new "toy".

"Stay there." She says at last. "Look straight ahead. Do not move."

"Yes my Lady."

It then goes quiet. I strain to listen but the burbling of the water echoing off of the rock walls made detail difficult to hear. I do hear a stone from just beyond the cave click against another, but that's about it. Down below however I could feel movement. A bobbing, a bit of jiggling, and the breeze wafting across my exposed private bits. My cock had just gone for a walk with my Lady, leaving the rest of me behind. My other hand grips my leg. This is so fucking WEIRD!

I feel…something touch the tip of my penis. Wood? Stone? I couldn't tell. It was hard and rough is all I knew. It tilts then very gently it drags across my knob, the abrasive surface against my most tender of places makes me freeze up in place. It lasts but a moment followed by nothing. Gods, she literally had me in the palm of her hand here.

Next…something light, delicate, and fine. It tickled as she ran over my suspended scrotum. A feather? She runs the length of the object over and around my testes then uses just the tip to tickle the underside. Definitely a feather. I shift and let out a shuddering breath as caresses the feather around and down the length of my shaft. She told me not to move but it was tough as she teases and tickles.

Next…sharp! "Ah!" I flinch. So sharp, like a needle or a…thorn? I had seem some thorny twigs out there from rose bushes. My Lady is oh so very careful as she touches my skin with the points of the thorns, never enough to pierce skin but enough to feel it. My breath is ragged I sit there, perfectly still, and trust my Lady not to hurt me. She tilts me, allowing my cock to hang down free, and very slowly runs the thorns around the circumference of my shaft.

Not being bound meant I had to dig much deeper for my bravery, but I manage it. My Lady would never hurt me. Never. I refocus and savor these amazing new sensations she was treating me to. I try my best not to picture her wandering around the crevice with my dick in her hand. Too weird!

Next comes a feeling I knew right away. Soft, silky, strands of hair encompass my nether bits. It flows over and around, wafting this way and that. I feel skin against my balls and hear a giggle from beyond the cave. I realize she is holding me against her forehead like a floppy unicorn horn. I grin. What a silly Lady I had.

After this comes something altogether different. I am bounced and shaken then I slightly lurch as I feel my cock and balls, and only my cock and balls, in a peculiar state of free fall or…something. Damned if I knew what this was. Was she spinning it around? I could feel the wind zipping by and the weight of my manhood pulled differently but…wow! I am wobbled and jiggled and jostled in ways otherwise impossible without magic being involved.

"Whoooo." I blink and focus on keeping my position.

After a brief pause there comes a brush of something so soft I wasn't even sure I felt it at first. Something delicate and incredibly supple. A flower petal? What it is it brushes lightly down and around my penis, stopping to tickle my very tip for a time. With this object my Lady takes her time. Sweeping up and down and around my penis. So wonderfully tantalizing yet so frustratingly soft that it could only tease at being fully arousing. Eventually however the attention is noticed and my cock begins to swell with excitement. This funishment was just that, fun!

Then, all at once, COLD!

"HAHHH!" I gasp and jolt as my whole manhood is plunged into frigid flowing water.

Rosa had walked to the water and dipped me into the cold mountain stream. There…she holds it.

"Hnnnngh!" My hand grips tighter onto my leg as the fresh cold water flows around my package. My other keeps the hoop pressed tight though I don't know how. I could feel a bit of the water wetting my skin around the edges. It was a reminder that I could end this at any time, though that wasn't going to happen. I grit my teeth and stare straight ahead as the shocking cold goes on and on and on. "Rrrrrrngh!" My manhood shrivels and does what it can to retreat back through the magical portal. My body is screaming but I hold my position. From supple flower petal to harsh icy cold waters the sudden shift rocks me. This experience was so much more intense than the rest of it! "Ohhhh fuuuuck!" I groan under my breath.

"Can you feel that?" Rosa asks from not far away from the cave.

"YES!" I gasp. "Yes my Lady!"

"Mmmm, very refreshing."

"Yes! R-r-refreshing." I squirm. By the gods it was cold! The contrast with the rest of my warm body only made it that much more jolting and difficult to adapt to. "Lady!"

"Mmm?"

"It's…c-cold!"

"Ohhh, I bet it is." She says, a bit of steel in her voice. "Let's hope a fish doesn't mistake it for bait and swim by to give it a nibble."

"Mrrrmmm!"

She waits a few long agonizing moments more before saying. "You will not disrespect your Lady like that again."

"No my Lady!"

"You will not disobey your Lady in front of others of our kind."

"N-no my Lady!"

"You will not disobey your Lady period."

"I w-will obey you!" My soft meek voice echoes off the stone and back toward my Lady.

"Yes you will my boy." She says. "Whose boy are you?"

"Your boy!"

"Whom do you worship?"

"YOU! Only you!"

"Very good. Now thank me."

"Thank you." I puff.

"Like you mean it."

"Thank you! Thank you my Lady!"

"Good boy." With that, at last, my private parts are pulled from the flowing stream.

"Ohhhhh!" I sigh in relief.

"Ohhhhh!" Rosa's excited voice squeals. "It's so CUUUUTE!" I feel a warm kiss to my balls. "It's all snugged up and wrinkly! He he he he! Gods it is adorable!" My shrunken manhood is peppered with light kisses. "This is my favorite thing ever." The way she was going on about it told me this would not be the first time I experienced this. That magical bracelet was certainly going to make our lives interesting.

"Hahhhh." I let out long breath as my penis and scrotum make gentle contact with what I guess is one of the smooth sun warmed stones along the bank. The sudden cold to warm makes it actually feel hot, but not uncomfortably so. The heat radiates into my separated organ and warms it quickly. She leaves it like that for a time before I feel movement again. Then I feel something else even warmer, and far softer. I could only guess but I am pretty confident it is one of her breasts. This was muuuuch nicer.

I hear her enter the cave. "Poor little fella. Gonna catch his death of cold out there."

A shirtless Rosa comes to sit facing me, her back resting back against the rounded slope of the wall, just to my left. Indeed, as I suspected, Rosa had my penis cradled up to her breast as if she were nursing it. It did look laughably shrunken, my knob completely drawn up into the wrinkly foreskin. She flicks it against her nipple. The strangeness of this experience continues as I see it happen just out of arm's reach but also feel it at the exact same time. She then brings it her pink lips to give a warm tender caring kiss.

"Isn't it lovely?" She whispers, her eyes gazing into mine.

"Yes my Lady."

"Isn't it precious?" She kisses it again.

"Yes my Lady."

"Isn't it just…smoochable?" Kiss, kiss, kiss.

"Yes my Lady." I bow my head.

Her lips curl into a wicked little grin. "I am glad to hear you think so." She holds my shrunken flaccid separated manhood out and offers it to me. "Show me."

Chapter 60: Self Service

Chapter Text

"Um…"

"Go ahead baby." She whispers.

Hesitantly I reach out with my free hand and take the magical hoop along with what was sticking through it from her. I stare it, not quite believing it was me I am staring at. I'd never myself like this before! Thanks to the cold dunk I was clean at least, just hint of sweaty musk still. Little beads of fresh water still glistened in the dark pubes and as I watch one roll down then trickle across my scrotum I feel the tickle of it at the exact same time. I take a breath then give it a little peck at the base of stubby shaft, again I feel it in real time.

I try to pass it back to her but she holds up a hand. "Kiss it again." Another fast one and I try give it back, once more she refuses. "Again." I give it a proper kiss, again at the base, and still that wasn't enough. "In a different place." Relaxing back against the wall Rosa's right hand comes up to rub her breast as the other brushes over her bulge. She liked what she was seeing.

I look at my manhood and just accept what was about to happen here. Then, looking back up to make eye contact with my Lady, I give my left testicle a long gentle slightly sucking kiss. It felt…nice. Weird, really weird, but nice. Rosa's eyes burn with desire.

"That's good my boy. Very good. Show me more."

"Yes my Lady."

Kiss, kiss, kiss. I give and receive three more lingering kisses, feeling them both on my lips as well as my dick at the same time. Between the warm rock, the warmer bosom, and now these kisses I am warming fast. Kiss, kiss. Coming to life I feel myself swell against my nose.

"Suck it." She urges, our light wouldn't even last as long as the magical time limit and she very much wanted to see more. "Show your Lady how good you can service a cock."

"Yes my Lady."

I point myself at…myself. I hold the hoop half a foot from my face and study my package in detail. How many men could say they had gotten this up close and personal with their own organ? The tip of the knob was just starting to poke out from its sheath. Extending my tongue I give it quick tapping lick. Then, opening up my lips, I slowly place it inside of my mouth. My bottom lip slides along under it as my top stays well above. I wasn't nearly as big as my Lady and had much more room to play with here. I feel it glide onto my tongue while at the same time feeling the wet and the warmth down below. As I let out breath I feel the hot air wash over me. With Rosa watching with widening eyes I tighten my lips around my cock and suck.

"Hmmmm." I moan as I feel it both ways at once. I pull the ring back, my dick stretches as I keep my lips tight and my mouth sucking hard. I feel my shaft slide back through my lips. "Hmmm!" My brain was having trouble processing it but it definitely liked what was happening.

"Gods, that's so fucking hot baby." My Lady whispers. "Keep going."

I go right to the base and envelope my entire penis inside of my warm wet mouth and instantly feel it surge with energy. Again I suck back toward the tip. "Mmmm!" Fuck that feels good! I do it again, then again, and then again. With each long suck I grow longer, fatter, and stiffer. Having my Lady's exquisite body to look at definitely helped too. I yearned to feel her supple pouting breasts again. I knew how soft and silky that smooth skin would feel. I burned with my need for her and soak in every part of her beauty from the tips of her pointed ears to the fat end of her big cock to her dark horns to her cute little toes. The pinnacle of female beauty in this humble boy's opinion.

"You're doing so good baby, so good. My sexy boy!"

"Mmm." I smile with my mouth full. I give my cock a flex and feel it harden. The more I did this the more normal it felt. Like living dildo I hold my organ by the ring and start to slide it in and out of my sucking lips. "Hmmmm."

"I bet that feels good."

"Mmmm." I moan in my soft yielding boy voice.

Rosa strokes herself through her shorts. "Oh, look at you baby. You're doing so good. Keep going."

"Mmm. Mmm. Mmmmmm." I let out meek little hums as I continue to give myself head. Fully hard now it is feeling better than ever. My eyes never leave my Lady, seeing her watch me with such intense and desirous interest makes my subby little heart glow with joy. "Mmmm. I wish this was yours my Lady. None can compare to yours. Mmmm."

She smiles and releases her cock from her constraining shorts.

"Hmmm!" I moan with wild arousal. "Your boy wants his Lady's cock. Mmmm!" I suck myself with rising passion, wanting to show her what I would do if this was her. I adored being the focus of her attention. With my audience of one raptly watching I start to perform. I tilt my head and suck along the side. I turn it upside down and lap and flick my tongue around the tip. I hold it above me, facing straight downward, and take my rock hard dick as deeply as I could and hold it there as I hold back the gags.

"Ohhhh fuck baby." Rosa strokes her dick as she watches me. "Ohhh damn, I'm so fucking wet." Her other hand slips down under her balls.

"Mmmmm!"

Mine is the second cock I had gotten to feel in my mouth, the first being my Lady's of course, and the difference is significant. My jaw wasn't straining. I could try different angles and different depths. It didn't give me the satisfying feeling of inferiority and service that my Lady's did but it was undeniably easier and, in some ways, funner to play with. Though a hell of a lot more distracting! Feeling the pleasure as I gave it is a strain to my focus. I had to concentrate through the good feelings to the technique. As I went it dawned on me what an incredible education I was receiving on cock sucking. I could test things and try things and get immediate feedback. What feels good, what feels great, what is nice in short bursts and what is nice in a long steady rhythm. If given time like this my oral skills could become elite. Nothing compared to Rosa, but she had demonic advantages I couldn't touch.

Slapping my spit covered manhood across my face I whisper. "Do I have permission to cum?"

"No."

"Yes my Lady."

I wasn't close yet but I needed to know how to pace myself. Holding the bracelet firmly on both ends I sit up nice and start to bob my head forward and back at a steady pace as I mewl and coo happily for her.

"Such a pretty cock sucker." She sighs as her slender hand glides slowly up and down her own big member. "Such a pretty boy."

I bat my eyes with mock innocence and whimper. "Mllrmmm! Ohhh my Lady, I lo…mmmm!" I jam my dick back into my mouth before the words I wasn't allowed to say slip out. They were becoming harder and harder to contain. "Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm!"

"That's it. Suck your cock like a good boy. That's my boy. Ohhhhh."

I suck and slurp and slobber, just letting the spit dribble freely. I could feel the pressure down below rising, I could feel my dick tensing both in my mouth and in a mouth. Damn…I was getting pretty fucking good at this! I switch to smooching my balls to give myself a breather. It is crazy how I could respond to things as I felt them. Whatever I wanted to feel I could just do.

"Tastes good, hmm?"

"Yes…mmmm…my Lady."

"Gooood boy."

Because I know the silly side of my Lady would enjoy it, I curl my wet lips over my teeth to sheath them then begin nibbling at my spongy knob with a loud. "Umumumumum!"

To my great satisfaction Rosa giggles. Seemingly unable to hold back any longer Rosa sits up and crawls over to me. Her hands climb my thighs as she leans in to plant a big open mouthed kiss on my lips, with the tip of my cock between us. Together we kiss and suck and lick over and around my dick from either side. Her long tongue curls all the way around my shaft then slinks into my open mouth as we continue kissing passionately. I thrust my dick left and right between our kissing lips and Rosa's encircling tongue.

"Hnnngh!" I moan loudly.

My Lady pulls back and lets out a hot breath. "Hahhhh!" The fires of her lust burn hot. She forcefully pulls my tunic apart and pulls it down over my shoulders. She grabs one of my pecs and squeezes it as her other hand grips my shoulder hard. Her top lip curls up to bare her small fangs. She wanted me. She wanted me bad!

My already high soft voice becomes even more pleading and demure. "Mm. Mm. Ooommm." I shrink smaller, I lower my chin, I widen my eyes, and I go into full submission. My body was hers to do with as she pleased as surely as if it were bound by rope.

Shifting back she sits on the floor and pulls her shorts off, leaving her sexy nubile body completely nude. She faces me and spreads her legs to give me, for the first time, a view of everything. Her wispy violet pubes that I'd seen above the root of her cock picked up in the small space under her sack. Just today I had truly seen a pussy in all of its feminine glory and now I get to see another. Noticeably smaller, a prettier shade of pink, and a hell of a lot cuter, Rosa's poon was as different from Aemelia's as her dick was different from mine. This was my Lady's beautiful pussy and, for me, that made it perfection.

She slides two fingers along the moist fleshy petals. "You are good with a dick my boy, but it's time we see what you can do with a cunny."

I pull my dick away from my lips. "Yes my Lady!" I say ecstatically. "Oh yes!" I go to move but then look at erect penis then down at my crotch, both of my hands were occupied. "What do I do with this?" I ask.

A wicked look in her demon eyes she says. "Oh, I think I know just the place we can put that my boy."

Chapter 61: Licking My Lady

Chapter Text

Holding out her hands Rosa says. "Give me the rings and get undressed."

"Yes my Lady."

As I pull the one hoop from my groin my dick disappears from my opposite hand. In the blink of an eye the feeling down below goes from out in the open air to the stuffy restraint of my underbreeches. I pull my hand from my pants and hand over the portal rings as ordered. Removing my belt along with the pugio and scabbard I place them close by, just in case, then hurry to get disrobed. As I do that Rosa plays around with the magic item. Sticking an ear through and touching it to the other one, putting her tongue through and having it face her so that she could see it from a new angle, placing the top part of her dick through and having the tip touch the base, basically doing things small things that would have been impossible without the magic. Just playing with it with her usual life loving curiosity.

Naked as the day I was born I return to Kneel and sit up straight for my Lady. The cave was noticeably dimming as the sun's light reflecting off of the rock walls of the crevice steady waned. We still had some time before it went black but we had to get to it if we wanted to see what we were doing. My Lady was cognizant of this as well and wastes little time.

She places one ring on the floor between my slightly parted legs. I look down into it to see the view through to the other side swing about with an almost nauseating swiftness and freedom. Suddenly Rosa's face is looking back up at me. She smiles and gives me a cheeky wink. I can't help but giggle a bit. Hearing her voice both in front of me as well as coming up from between my legs I receive my next command.

"Lay down on your back. Lay down so that this ring is near your butt."

"My butt?" In a flash the purpose as to why becomes clear.

"You heard me." She says as she slowly runs a hand down her dick. "You've taken a finger and then two. You've taken a tongue. One last test before you eventually take your Lady."

I stare at her big beautiful member then scan up her lithe sexy body to look her in the eyes. "Yes my Lady."

I turn around then carefully lay back on the hard smooth slightly cool natural stone. Rosa widens her legs but stays right where she is, not shifting to give me any more room, so I am forced to wriggle my head right up between her legs. Not that I am complaining! Her big balls rest on my forehead and she takes her bare feet and patters them on my belly. I take a deep breath in through my nose to get a good smell her intoxicating natural musk.

"Good boy." Her toes tickle me. "Breath while you can."

With that she bring her legs back under her and kneels up to leave me staring straight up at her pretty pink vagina. I take a few more big breaths as I admire her violet framed slit. Bordered left and right by her smooth inner thighs and up to down by her scrotum and anus it sat the center of her groin, as if taking special pride of place among the rest. To my eyes the lovely petal like lips of her sex beckoned me to kiss it. She moves forward a bit to position herself just right, spreading her legs wide with her knees near my shoulders and her two feet on either side of my head.

She reaches back and gives my hair a playful tussle. "Tap my leg if you need to stop."

"Yes my Lady."

"I can teach you how later, tonight just do your best my boy and have fun."

"Yes my Lmmmmm!"

The light goes out as her weight comes down and the next thing I know the wet little pussy I had been admiring is settling down atop my nose and mouth! A dick I kinda knew what to do with, a coochie however…I was working in the dark. Literally. Extending my tongue I start lapping at her already wet sex. I once again taste that sort of earthy soft spice that I had sucked from her fingers that night in Beneventum but much more intense. The flesh is warm, soft, moist. As my tongue finds her tunnel I feel it is so silky smooth inside, hotter and much wetter than the outside. My tongue glides up and down and pushes as deep as I could make it.

"Mmmm." Rosa hums as she rubs herself against my face, hard enough smother but not enough to hurt. "Atta boy! Ohhh, not bad baby."

I lick and suck and work my lips against her as her rubbing slowly becomes a grinding. Even here her experience shines through. She knew just how to ride my face to focus my active tongue where she wanted it and just how to rest her weight onto me without breaking my nose or jaw. I am loving it! Giving oral pleasure to my Lady is a joy like no other. Although…the lack of air was slowly becoming an issue.

"Mmmmm!" I nuzzle into her hard and push my tongue deep for a few rapid thrusts. I then try pull back quickly to grab a breath of air, but Lady stayed right with me. Opening my mouth wide to breath I am treated to a mouthful of muff, her balls against my chin and butt cheeks against my eyes. "Mmm!"

She giggles and gyrates on me. "Come on my boy. Eat that pussy."

I suck and slurp ravenously, taking every snatch of breath I could though my Lady did not make these easy for me. From the bridge of my nose to the tip of my chin and from cheek to cheek, everything is wet with her delicious dew. When I could see anything at all I end up staring straight up at her asshole, as cute and perfect as the rest of her.

"Yeah. Mmm, that's it my boy." Her right hand rubs and gropes my pec as she rides me. "Just like that."

"Mmmm!" I keep doing my best, giving her all I had, but I needed to breathe! "Mmm! Mmmm!" I start to struggle.

"Something wrong baby?"

"Mmmm!" I writhe and kick.

"No?" She says happily. "Okay then." She keeps on riding.

At last I am forced to tap her leg and I am instantly reward with a big breath of much needed air. "Haaaahhhhh!"

She looks down between her legs at me and titters. "Don't be afraid to communicate silly boy." She gives my nip a pinch to punctuate the point.

Panting hard I smile back up at her. She gives me a moment to somewhat catch my breath then mashes her cunny right back onto my open mouth once more. I go back to the most important work of pleasuring my Lady. She grinds and I lick, both of us finding our groove.

While she may shift this way or that she invariably leads me back again and again to the apex of her pussy where I find a hooded little nub maybe half the size of the tip of her pinkie finger. When I lick there I always got a nice moan to go with it.

"Ohhhh. Yeah baby. Suck my clitty my boy. Ohhhh yesss."

I flick and lap and even…nibble.

"OH!" She flinches. "Gentle baby, gentle. No teeth."

"Mlrry." My muffled voice apologizes through her sex.

I lick at it tenderly to ease what sore I may have caused. This place was particularly sensitive. Good to know. Trying to read her signals I continue give my Lady oral sex. I love it. I LOVE IT! Her on top of me, surrounding me, dominating me, using me and using my mouth to make her feel good. I was her boy. This was my place. Nothing else made me feel like this. Only the sweet embrace of my ropes could make this any better. That said, by keeping my arms tight to my sides as I had I was able to fantasize that part a little bit. I start growling and moaning and mumbling into her pussy as I eat it out. With my voice garbled I say the things I'm not allowed to say but could not be held inside. Mostly…I love you, I love you, I love you Rosa!

"Ohhhh, yes my boy. Sing for me. Ohhhh. Yesss." Her grinding settles in a hard steady rhythm. Leaning forward she plants on hand onto my stomach and ride my mouth harder and faster. "Ohhhh fuck baby."

I focus on that special little button of joy that she enjoyed so much and lap the flat of my tongue into it as stiff and firm as I could make it.

Her big dick rubs forward and back between my pecs and I could feel a warm little dribble of precum leaving a trail. "Ohhhh my boy. Yes my boy. Just like that my boy."

She rides and rides, she grinds and grinds, and I lick furiously with a fatiguing tongue. She was clearly building up for an orgasm but it wasn't coming fast nor easy. As her boy though I would not quit until the job is done. "Mlllrmmm! Nmmm!" She is so wet, her juices run down my cheek and flow into my mouth. I swallow and slurp my Lady's precious treat for me.

"Hahhh! Haaaahhh!" Her melodic voice rises, reverberating in from the cave walls but also muffled from her legs and body that encompassed my head. She grinds harder, very focused on the nub, and I grind right back with all of the strength my tongue had to give. Her hand grips hard into my side as I feel her body quiver and then…. "HAAAHHHHHH!!!"

"NNNGHHH!" I groan back with equal fervor as I keep on doing what I had to help make this happen.

My own bliss had to exceed even my Lady's as I hit a high that only a boy or a girl could truly understand. Her climax is sexual, mine akin to the spiritual. I could rarely remember feeling so gods damned proud of anything in my life. I feel the rhythmic contractions of her pussy against my lips, everything is so warm and wet and utterly wonderful.

"Ohhhhhh my boyyyy!" She jerks and writhes on top of me. "Ohhhhhh!"

Chapter 62: Testing Quin

Chapter Text

My face awash with Rosa's succulent nectar I listen with great satisfaction my Lady sigh. "Ohhh, my boy. Good job baby." She pats my chest. "Good boy."

"Mmmm." I hum happily.

The tip of a finger touches the tip of my staining rock hard cock. "You're leaking." She titters.

"Mmmmm!" I begin kissing around her pussy and butt as she eases up on the grinding.

I couldn't see a thing but her ass and the roof of the cave in the dimming light but I sure could feel what was happening down below. She tilts my cock straight upward and the next thing I feel is her warm wet saliva flowing down over her tongue to trickle and ooze down the length of my manhood. There is pause before I let out a gasp at the unexpected pressure of her tongue against my back door. From her angle it should have been difficult until I realize she had stuck her tongue through the ring in her hand through to the one on the floor of the cave near my butt. She rubs and excites and prods but does not penetrate, much more concerned with slathering my hole with her demon spit than anything.

"Spread your legs." She whispers, and I do so. Her tongue returns to continue less obstructed.

I know what is coming and I do my best not to think about it too deeply. The first ass I'd have my dick in would be my own, the first dick I'd have in my ass would be my own, in a very real way I would be taking my own anal virginity in both ways at once. Our magical portal play was going from weird to weirder.

I don't even realize she had placed my dick through the portal until the moment I feel the tip touch my entrance.

"Hah!"

"Shhhh." She says warmly. "Relax my boy. This is going to feel good."

I let out a breath and focus on relaxing myself down there, like she had taught me with her finger and tongue. Rosa lays down on top of me, her crotch still in my face. I enjoy the contrast of her hard cock and soft breasts pressing down on top of me. I continue to stay busy, kissing her pussy and balls and inner thighs. The cold silver ring touches my ass with my entrance squarely in the center.

"Breath in." She whispers and I obey. "Now…breath ouuuuut."

As let out the long breath the pressure at my anus builds and builds until…penetration.

"OHHHHHH!" I moan lewdly as I feel my the double pleasure of sliding into my own ass.

There is that sort of pinch from first entry but not that bad at all, it goes surprisingly smoothly. I feel myself open and stretch around the shaft, I feel how tight I am gripping around my cock, I feel both at once.

"Ohhhhh gods!" I pause my oral as my eyes roll back and I just take in this crazy double pleasure. Slowly and steadily Rosa pushes deeper. "Ohhhh!"

Thanks to my spit and Rosa's I am well lubed for the occasion. I notice right away that I am harder and more rigid than Rosa's firm muscly tongue but not that much different in girth. This was something I could handle. In fact, I am almost…disappointed when I feel my pubes touch my ass to go full hilt. It felt incredible though.

"What's it feel like?"

"Gooood…soooo goooood."

"Mmmm, I thought so." She kisses my stomach. "You are doing so well, taking it like a true slutty boy."

"Mmm! I'm your slutty boyyy."

She lowers her wet pussy back onto my mouth as she begins to move the portals to fuck my ass with my dick. "Nnnngh!" I groan as I tongue my Lady's cunny while ass fucking and getting ass fucked. She starts slowly, with long satisfying strokes in and out. Ohhhh fuck I felt good! So fucking tight and warm around my cock, so hard and filling in my ass. While this happens Rosa's long tongue slithers and squeezes my balls, her saliva soon flowing down my taint to coat my thrusting manhood and sphincter.

"Ohhhmmm!" I do my very best to continue to pleasure my Lady's pussy but this is a lot to take in all at once for a boy like me. Being held down by her weight, having her pussy and balls rubbing onto my face, having my balls fondled and licked, experiencing anal both ways at once in a way completely outside of my control. I didn't simply feel dominated I felt…owned. I pull my mouth away and cry out. "May I cum!?"

"So soon?" She says. "This must feel nice."

"Hnnnnngh!" I whine. My ass wanted more but my manhood was reaching its limit. "Pleeease!"

"Hold it. Not yet."

Mercifully she stops the thrusting before the point where I couldn't have done anything to stop the end from coming.

"Hohhhh." I sigh. She had stopped with me balls deep and while I was able to hold back my orgasm it still felt really good to hold a dick inside of me. There was something so giving and yielding and vulnerable about receiving penetrative sex that made my submissive soul shine.

Fresh air washes over my face as my Lady dismounts my smiling face. I let out a pouting whine as I feel my dick pull out. The rings are pulled away but not put back together. Kneeling at my side she looks down at me and I see that adoring look come over her. She very gently pinches my bottom lip. "Pretty boy."

"Take me?" I coo sexily as I spread my legs wider.

She gazes down, taking me in like the precious thing she believed I was. I had hopes until she speaks. "Not tonight."

"Please my Lady. Please."

"Not tonight my boy."

"Yes my Lady."

She leans down and kisses me. "Soon."

"Mmmmm." I grin bigger. "Yes my Lady."

"Get up my boy." She says as she helps me rise to a sitting position. "I wish to watch you."

"Yes my Lady." I sit up.

"Kneel." She says. "Chest out, shoulders back, let me see your strength. Don't be shy."

"Yes." I turn and return to Kneel just the way she asked.

Placing the rings to the side she runs her hands over my chest and down my abs. Her hands do not caress but rub and grope. She squeezes and tugs and even gives me a soft slap into my thick chest muscle.

"You are powerful!" She whispers as she openly ogles my body. "You are incredible!"

"Thank you my Lady." I bow my head.

"Head up!" She commands in a suddenly sharp voice. "You are strong. You are brave. You are loyal and you are honest and you are disciplined."

I could feel my cheeks blush at the praise. "Thank you my Lady."

"You are a man of honor Quin. You…you humble me my boy. Every day. You cannot know how happy and proud you make me."

My vision blurs as my eyes wet with tears. "Thank you my Lady."

Grabbing my arm in both hands she says. "Flex."

I flex my muscles for her.

"Flex!"

I flex harder, tightening every muscle to display to my Lady.

"Feel that strength. Feel that power you possess." She says. "Do you feel powerful?"

"No."

"Feel it! Find it Quin. You are the son of a warrior. You are a good fighter you tell me. You are the ancestor of hard working men. Think of your feats of strength. Think of the things you could do with that power. Think of how you felt when you defended me." Her eyes are intense. "Feel it!"

"Yes my Lady." I think of the things she tells me. My father teaching me how to hold his dagger. The fights I'd been in. The feats of strength I would regularly accomplish back on the farm.

"Let me see your muscles. Let me see that physique." She urges me. "I watched you lift a grown man over your head. You are powerful! Feel it. Feel it inside of you Quin."

Again I do as she asks. I begin to feel a new fire burning inside of me. A fire of pride and power and contained aggression. I sit up even taller and flex my pecs hard and harden my cock stiff as it could go. "Yes my Lady." My voice is now deep and strong.

"You almost came. Your loins are filled with lust."

"Yes my Lady."

"Feel it, embrace it, use it. Let that virile hunger flow into the rest of your body."

As she says it, so I feel it. The energy of the orgasm just denied is taken back into me to excite ever fiber of my being.

"Yes! That's it." Rosa kisses me, hard. "My precious boy. My powerful man. My Quin!"

I look at her as she fans these masculine flames burn hotter and hotter inside of me. "Rrrrrmmm."

"Yes!" She smiles and runs her nails down my chest. "It is easy to obey me as a boy. What about now?"

"I want you!"

"I am sure you do." She runs her middle finger along the slit of her pussy. "If I let you loose…I cannot imagine the beast I might unleash."

"I want you!"

"I know."

"May I…"

"But you cannot have me." She cuts me off firmly. "You are still on my leash. I am still in control here."

"Hrrrrr!"

"You are a beast! A savage! A wild man of heroic might!"

"I want you!" I grunt again.

"Yet you cannot have me." She grins teasingly as she sucks her wet finger. "Mmmm."

"Rrrrm!"

"I have tamed the boy, but have I claimed the man? Are you mine Quin?"

"Yes!" I stare back into her in a way I never had before. My gaze pierces straight into her. She stares back unflinchingly, neither intimidated nor afraid, knowing full well who was in charge here. Ohhhh my Lady! She was everything I wanted and more. I could feel the urge inside of me to break away, to disobey, to take her, but my true self shines through. I give over to her my potency and my power willingly and eagerly. I was the strong man like she described, but I was always her boy. "Yes my Lady."

"Table!" She commands.

I instantly go into Table position and hold it with tight and strong. Like a show stallion I stand on my hands and knees with strength and pride. I continue to stare into her eyes, daring her to test me further.

"Yes!" She smiles. "That's it baby. Feel it! Feel it and use it." She slaps my shoulder to test my sturdiness, I don't move an inch. "Kneel Up!"

I rise to Kneel Up, standing on my knees with my arms behind my back. I rise as tall I can, towering over my seated petite Lady. I cinch in arms together, holding them tightly, in a perfect strong pose. In front of me my wet cock nearly quivers with hard power.

"Magestic!" She says up at me. "You are glorious!"

"Thank you my Lady." I say with full throated confidence.

"Bow!"

I pour all of the fire inside of me into stretching out into a low worshipful Bow.

"By the gods you are incredible." She says in a hushed awe stricken voice. "My perfect boy."

"Yes my Lady!"

"Kneel!"

I am back up into a tall strong Kneel in a flash.

"You want me?"

"Yes my Lady."

"You want to fuck me?" She emphasizes the word 'fuck' to make it twice as dirty sounding. "Answer."

"Yes my Lady!"

"You want to get fucked by me?"

"YES…my Lady." My hand grip my legs hard and I let out a lusty hiss through my clenched teeth.

"You may not touch me." She sits back and runs her hands up either side of her cock and them up to grab her breasts. "You may only look."

I let out a feral snort as my body heaves with restrained desire. "Yes…my Lady."

"But you may do what you wish otherwise." With her eyes she motions to the magical hoops on the ground beside me. "Show me my boy. Show me your lust. Show me your power. Show me your passion. Show me what you wish to do to me."

"You wish to see?" I grin a wide cocky grin. "Then you shall see my Lady."

Chapter 63: Self Sex

Chapter Text

My spirit stirred I waste no time. Taking one of the magical loops I slap it down onto the stone floor. Taking the other I slap it onto my ass and hold it there. Down on the floor my own hairy sphincter looks back up at me. I spit on it and jam two fingers into it.

"Nngh!" I grunt as I feel my fingers thrust into me.

"Oh my!" Rosa says softly as she watches me with rapt attention. "Don't hurt yourself my boy."

"I'm okay. Nnnngh!" I push my ass back into my other hand and finger fuck myself harder. I wanted to show her that I was ready for her. It was a tad awkward working handed like this but I manage.

I stab my two thick fingers in and out then spit again. My fingers were a lot bigger than hers, though I was more than warmed up and ready at this point. I look at my Lady with fire in my eyes, letting her know that I was doing this for her and that I wish it was her doing this to me. My Lady stares back with horny fascination. I could tell it was horny by the way her cock flexed. Oh how I loved her eyes on me.

I gather all the spit I can and let another longer stream slowly stretch down from my lips onto my hole. And with that I grab my cock in my free hand, aim it, then flop heavily down onto the floor. My iron hard cock slams into me full hilt with all of my brawny weight behind it. "HUNNNNHHH!" My body arches back at the rough entry. That definitely hurt a bit, but it hurt good. "Ohhh fuck!"

"Oh my goodness." Rosa whispers as she strokes herself and watches me.

Laying belly down on floor of the cave I bring my right arm to the front so that could prop myself up and look at my Lady. My left remained tight on my ass. My eyes locked on my Lady I begin to thrust. From her point of view it would appear I was jabbing my cock straight down into the living rock but the reality was I was balls deep inside of a warm tight ass. Widening my legs like a frog I am able to get another inch deeper and oh how I savor it.

"Mrrrrm!" From my chest I let out a rumbling bassy growl, not like my soft boy voice at all.

"You are beautiful."

I thrust harder. "Hrrrmmm!"

"You are powerful."

"Hohhhh." This felt sooooo fucking good, fucking and being fucked simultaneously. Hard and faster I fuck myself. My pelvis clapping down against the floor with each raw satisfying ass filling, cock gripping thrust.

"You are mine."

"Yes my Lady!" I slam harder and deeper, taking every inch of my manhood on each ramming stroke. "Nngh! Rrrm! Nnngh!"

She shifts closer to me, coming right up to sit in front of me. In the dying light her pale body almost glowed against the stone around us. My eyes scan up her body from her big balls to her huge cock that lay just inches from my mouth up her silky smooth belly and chest to her pouting breasts past her slender elegant neck and finally to her gorgeous face. Her fangs, her horns, her pointed ears and violet to pink hair, features I once thought strange and exotic looked so natural now. Uniquely beautiful just like the soul of the woman who possessed them. She might look my age but there in the depths of her eyes I see the older woman who had so captured my heart.

"I lo…" I let out a frustrated snort as I cut my true words off. "Rrrrmm! I long for your cock my Lady." I say between hard breaths. "May I suck your cock?"

She plays with my hair in that way she had. "Once you're finished. You would be too rough for me now." She strokes my face. "Your Lady is delicate."

"Yes my Lady." I grin. I change up my rhythm from hard and slapping to long, deep and powerful. While not as good as her tongue my cock felt so damn good, the knowledge that it was a cock just adding a extra spicy dash of naughty to the already naughty act. I bear down to grip harder and feel the tightness constrict around my stiff manhood. "NNNNGHH!" Right in front of me my Lady's luscious body is so close I could smell her, so close I could lick her. It would be so easy to reach out and touch her soft perfect body. So close and yet my innate obedience to her holds me back as surely as any bondage.

"You're gonna cum soon." She extends her long tongue to lick my ear, just once, then pulls it back again. "I can hear it."

"Hrrrm! Rrrrrm!"

She wasn't wrong. As I continue to fuck and be fucked I could feel the pressure building inside of me. In the heady high of a building orgasm I start to fantasize about this being my Lady I was making love to. About this being my Lady's cock pounding my ass. With her right there it wasn't hard to do.

"Don't hold back my boy. Give it all you have. Let me see you cum. Let me hear you roar."

"Yes my Lady!"

I hold nothing back. My body bounces back up off the stone so hard my bones rattle. Clap, clap, clap the sound of flesh on rock fills the cave as through the magical portal all of that force is pushed through to my screaming hole. To both my Lady and myself I show off the rugged power of my body. "Hnnngh, hhhhngh!" My manly grunts get hoarser and louder as the moment claims me. "OHHHHHHH!"

Cumming is yet another surreal moment as I feel my ass tighten around my cock and my body spasm and a moment later I feel that throb flex through my cock inside of me. I slam as deep as I can as…throb, throb, throb…I fill my own ass with my hot sticky load. Not looking at any particular feature I take in my Lady's nude body as I bust my nut deep hard and I roar. "RRRRUHHHH!"

"Yessss! Oh gods, look at you! Yesss my boy!"

Throwing caution to the wind I slump forward into her, resting my cheek on her soft belly as I blow my load. As I cum the aggression that had built up in me is spent and my voice gradually softens with every wave of pleasure. "Ohhhh. Ohhhhhh."

Cradling my head she pets me and strokes me and kisses my hair. "Good boy. Such a good boy. Cum for me baby. Good boy."

As my body bucks I look up at Rosa and she looks back down at me with that same gentle adoration she looked at me with when I was being softer and cuter. Though I already knew it that look reminded me that boy, man, Quin, and Master were all a part of the same precious package in her caring eyes. My weaknesses, my strengths, my triumphs and my failings were now hers as much as they were mine. Somehow it is both so humbling and so empowering at the same time.

I pull out of my twitching creamy hole and drop the ring. Throwing my arms around her I hold onto her tight and nuzzle into her tummy. I knew I couldn't and yet I must. I knew I couldn't say the words yet in my intimate bliss my instinct to obey is overwhelmed by a need even more powerful.

"I love youuuu." I moan softly into her belly.

Rosa's body stiffens. Though silent I could feel her displeasure with me. I could sense it every bit as much as the growing soreness in my well fucked ass. I close my eyes and hold on tight. I would be punished…but it would be worth it.

Chapter 64: Hold Me

Chapter Text

After a long moment Rosa leans down and kisses my cheek. "That was magnificent my boy. You showed your true power. It humbles a Lady to see that."

"Thank you my Lady." I knew she wasn't entirely pleased with me, why was she pretending she was?

"It'll be dark soon. Go clean yourself up my boy."

I look up at her and she looks back down at me, I don't feel that usual connection we shared. She didn't look angry. If anything she looked a little sad, though it was impossible to tell for sure. "I'm sorry my Lady."

"Shhh." She gently pushes me off of her. "Just don't say it again."

Kneeling back I look at her, confused. "I'll be punished?"

"No." She says. "You are young. You don't know any better. Go on, get cleaned up now."

That hurt a little. She had called me so many things that might be considered demeaning to a man and yet I could always hear the heart and honesty in her voice. She hadn't said those things to tear me down but to bring me out of my shell. Never in our time together had I felt condescended to, but those words almost felt like it. I look down to her cock and see it is already losing its stiffness. "You said after I could suck your dick my Lady. I will make you feel so good." I go to approach, to make up for my disobedience with the best blowjob I could give her, but she holds up her hand.

"I've changed my mind." She says in a low strangely calm voice. "Now, listen to your Lady. Go clean up."

I look at her waiting for and wanting more. If she was sad or upset or angry I wanted her to express it to me. Instead she closes herself up, keeping her emotions private. With a neutral expression she goes about cleaning and putting the bracelet back together. She doesn't even look my way. Suddenly being cut out like this was so much worse than any punishment!

"Yes my Lady." I whisper.

Taking my underbreeches with me I move back out to the stream and wash up my under bits well. The water was cold, though I knew that well from what Rosa had done to me previously with the magical hoops. Looking around I can see the thorny branches, the rocks, and even the flower she must have used to tease me. That had been so much fun. My eyes drift back to the mouth of the darkened cave. It had all been so much fun…until I went and ruined it with my stupid words. Why? Why, why, why!? She TOLD me not to and yet I just went and blurted it out. Keep your stupid mouth shut Quintus. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

They say never to ask a question you don't actually want the answer too. I had done just that in effect. One thing was absolutely certain now. She didn't love me. I don't know why, I don't understand what was wrong with me, but she wouldn't have reacted like that if she did love me. I turn away from the cave and fight back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. Since Rosa had brought out my other side I found it harder to keep my emotions bottled inside of me like I was raised to do. Reaching back to my previous self I summon a bit of my old masculine shame and self doubt in order to steel myself against the blubbering boy that threatened to come out. I…didn't want her to see me cry. Not about this anyway. I had made her feel bad enough as it was.

I splash a bit of the cold mountain water onto my face then slip back into my underwear and stand up. Taking a deep fortifying breath I turn and walk back across the smooth rocks to our camp. Rosa had cleaned up both herself and the cave and already had the remaining food laid out for us.

"This is all we have left, sorry Master."

It is impossible to miss the shift from boy to Master.

"It's enough."

"I ate at Peisandros' and you didn't, please take the lion's share." Her voice is pleasant enough, but ever so slightly detached. I knew Rosa well enough now to hear it.

"Sure." I sit down across from her.

We eat in silence. Though she was six feet away from me the gulf between us felt as wide as the sea.

"Rosa." I say softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's done." She says. "We don't need to talk about it." Reaching across she offers me her hand. After a moment of hesitation I take it. She gives it a hard squeeze. "It's okay Quin."

"Okay." I nod.

Her hand slips from mine as she changes the topic. "We are so close now. It is almost hard to believe."

"I can't wait." I say. "Things won't get any easier for awhile, but at least we'll have a place of our own."

"Mmm." She smiles. "I am so beat. I cannot wait to get off the road."

"Yeah."

She looks to the cave entrance, the light is so dim now that the vibrant colors of her hair and eyes appear nearly gray now. I sense the fear in her. I watch as she consciously settles her nerves.

"I will sleep with my dagger tonight." I tell her. "I will be between you and the entrance."

She nods. "Thank you Master." Looking about the stone floor she says. "It'll be the hardest bed I have ever slept on."

"Same." I say. "I should have gathered some sort of bedding before it got dark. Ah well, it's just one night."

I take the food scraps outside so as not to attract animals as Rosa lays out out blanket along with any other bit of padding she could find, which isn't much. I use my folded up tunic as a pillow and she uses her capelet. I lay on my side facing her, wanting to drink her in for every last second of light Sol would give me. I loved this woman with all of my heart. I couldn't get enough of her. She had done so much for me in our short time together. My life simply could not be complete without her in it now. It was agony knowing that she didn't love me back but it was something I was going to have to come to grips with. If this is how I had to have her, so be it. The alternative was unthinkable.

Rosa lay on her back staring up at the ceiling with intense concentration. She holds her right hand up and her eyes narrow as she lets out a snuffing breath through her nose.

"What you doing?" I whisper.

"Trying to create light." She says.

"You're trying to use magic?"

"Yeah. Papa used to do it all the time. He would make these little red candle flames float around in the air." She sighs. "I don't have a clue how to do it though. At least with the bracelet I have something to focus on."

"Well…are you feeling something at least?"

"I don't know. Maybe." She glances over to me. "I bet your feeling something."

I blush. "My butt is sore."

"I bet it is." She smiles. "You were so rough with yourself."

"It's kind of a good sore though. I'm okay."

"You men are so…rough." She giggles. "You really were incredible. A little scary even. But I liked it."

"Thank you."

"Just, maybe use some oil next time." She says. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Yes Ma'am."

"I can't imagine what that felt like. Both giving and receiving."

"It was…I can't even describe it. Weird. Good, but weird."

"I bet."

"You could try someday."

"Mmm, I don't think so." She rolls over and kisses me. "My boy provides for me now. You are all I need and all I want Quin."

I blush again and say in oh so quietly. "Thank you my Lady."

Back at Peisandros' she had told him, quite proudly, that she was monogamous. After a life as a meretrix, having been with who knows how many men and women over the past two decades, she seemed more than satisfied with settling down to just one man. I was blessed to be that man. I wanted to say so much more to her but I hold it in and watch as she returns to trying to conjure light from nothing.

I was so glad the mood had relaxed again. I wanted Rosa to be happy, I wanted that more than anything. I lay there and think of ways of how could I make her even happier. Remembering back to the advice Aemelia gave me I recall her saying something about if my Lady enjoyed nurturing me, to approach her and allow myself to be nurtured. Not just for my sake, but hers as well. I certainly could use a bit of nurturing right now.

"Rosa."

"Mmm?"

"Hold me?"

She stops at her attempts at magic to turn her head toward me. "You okay baby?"

I shake my head no. "I'm feeling…anxious. Could…you hold me?"

"Quin…of course I will hold you!" She slips an arm under my neck and pulls me in. "Come here my boy."

I shift closer and lay my head on her upper chest as she wraps her arms around me. Her left hand strokes my bare back as her right runs fingers through my hair. I move the blanket to cover us both as best it could then lay my free arm across her warm soft body. We lay in silence for a time as Rosa holds me close and pours her affections onto me. Closing my eyes I am soothed by the sound of her beating heart. She kisses me. She caresses me. She hums soft songs for me. She makes me feel like her precious man like only she can.

"You're worried about getting there." She whispers. "You're anxious about arriving."

"Yes." I confess, while it wasn't the foremost thought in my mind that was a worry I carried with me. "I don't know what we're walking into. I don't know the people. I don't know the area. I don't know the land."

Rosa kisses my forehead. "I don't know these things either, but do I know you Quin. We're going to be fine."

"And what if…things aren't fine?"

"Mmm, I guess we cram everything back into that old pack and head on down the road." She says. "Maybe you can get a job at a restaurant, that was some fancy platter you made me back there."

I giggle. "That's so mean."

She pinches my ear. "Made you laugh." She hugs me tight. "As long as we're together Quin, everything else will sort itself out."

"Yeah."

In the short time we had snuggled I could feel Rosa relaxing, her stress easing, just as much as me. Just as with the dominance and submission Rosa got just as much from this as I did, only in her own way. I let out a long breath.

"We should sleep." I say in a tired voice. "We have a hard day tomorrow."

"They're all hard days." She gently pets my hair and gives me one last kiss. "Sleep well my boy."

"Good night my Lady."

Chapter 65: Monstrous

Chapter Text

"Good morning Master."

Oh how I loved hearing those words. Words I hoped to hear for the rest of my life. "Good morning Rosa."

Rosa sits up and immediately cringes. Rubbing her back she tries to stretch out the ache. I knew exactly what she was going through, I had experienced it not that long ago. Sleeping on solid stone was not something I would recommend to anybody, though at least it had been smooth. Rosa hadn't done so bad but I got a lousy night's rest. The combination of the too hard bed, the fact that I had to remain on guard for any potential threat, and, most of all, the churning emotions from my rebuffed declaration of love had combined to make for a poor night despite the wonderful cuddling I had gotten beforehand.

"How's your butt?" She winks.

I chuckle and shake my head. In the light of day I couldn't believe what I had done the night before. "I'm good, thanks for asking."

We had no breakfast but, as was our routine, Rosa and I freshen up before she sits me down for my shave.

Carefully scraping the razor across my oiled cheek she says. "This is a big day, isn't it?"

"Yes." I watch her pretty eyes as she attends to me. How could she care for me so adoringly yet not love me? It was eating me up inside no matter how I tried to rationalize around it. "There is a fishing hole not far down the road from here. I'll try to get us a quick breakfast to give us strength. After that…we move quick and quiet."

Rosa nods. "Yes Master."

"We cannot play around today. We are as far from civilization as we can get in Southern Italy. I need you to follow my lead today."

"I understand Master. I'll do my best."

"I know you will." I raise my chin so that she could start working on my neck. "Rosa."

"Yes?"

"I've said it before but…I'm really proud of you." I say. "I hate to say this but, back in Rome, I never thought you'd make it half this far."

"All thanks to my patient Master." She smiles. "You would have been there already without me slowing you down." She stops to look me in the eyes. "You gave me a chance. You believed in me. You showed me that I have strength and fortitude and determination that I didn't even know I had. This silly little slave girl will never forget that. I will be there every single day to help you become the man you are meant to be Quin. Unlike most who use it, you have truly earned the title of Master."

I close my eyes and hold back the words I wanted so badly to say. True words, but words that would only hurt us both. Instead I whisper. "Thank you Rosa."

We pack up and leave our cave behind. We climb the stairs and are soon back on the road. The day was overcast and the chance of rain looked high but at least we wouldn't have the sun beating down on us. The fishing hole I had been told about proves fruitful and we enjoy a hasty meal of trout and mountain blueberries. No more than an hour later we reach the fork in the road we had been talking about. We don't rehash the decision, we both knew what it was. Taking the right option we set off down the shortcut to Grumentum.

It is more a foot path than a road, certainly nothing a chariot could travel. This was trail for pack donkeys and those on foot. It isn't long after when the trees and bushes make way for the open alpine of the high mountains. The views are absolutely stunning. Below us we can see the dark forest stretching off to the East. Beyond the mountains form hazy ridges, like ocean waves locked in place, poking up from white cloud and fog. Had the weather been clearer I swear we might have seen all the Persia. To the South, not far away, a great snow capped mountain towered even above our high altitude and more like it could be seen beyond.

"Wow." Rosa gasps under her breath.

"Yeah."

I put my arm around her and the pair of us steal a small moment to take in the natural majesty. I could actually see where we needed to go now. The distances were vast but I think I can just make out the mountain pass we would be travelling through. Beyond it would be a grand verdant valley of rivers and lakes and fields and villages. Somewhere in that valley…was home. The massive peaks we were now viewing from the North would become familiar sights looked upon from the South in the years to come. We were so close!

Yet so far. As my eyes scan closer I saw the rugged wild lands we would be traversing. Cliffs, crags, boulders, rocks and crevices. Steep climbs and tricky descents. Much of it out in the open too. This would be the hardest stretch by far. We weren't home yet.

Not passing a single other traveler we hike through day in near silence, though the whipping mountain winds provided a constant drone. About midday it starts to rain, more of a cold mist really, making the path muddy in the earthy sections and slick on the rocky ones. Stepping carefully we plod forward. The road is even more difficult than I had been warned. Each mile was hard earned. Rosa stays right behind me the whole way as I set a pace I felt she could manage. I keep my senses keen, keeping a lookout for any dangers. When we come across the decomposing remains of a wild goat it sharpens my attention that much more.

However, try as I might to remain vigilant, thoughts and emotions continually surfaced inside of me. Why didn't she love me? How could I love her so deeply yet she not feel even remotely the same? What was wrong with me? Why couldn't she love me? Was it something I did? Something I hadn't done? Would she come to love me? Or was that a fools hope? In my growing torment even the twisted words of the mad Ignatius start to come back to me. Could demons even love like humans could? Was this just a game for her? Was I simply a boy of convenience? Why didn't she love me?

Stopping I bow my head and shake it. These were unhealthy thoughts. Poisonous thoughts. They would consume me if I let them. But they were thoughts that I could not shake. Thoughts that were distracting me at a time I most needed to stay sharp. Though it might hurt to hear the answer, I simply had to ask.

"Master?" Rosa says from behind me. "Why are we stopped?"

The patter of a light steady rain fills the air. Around a green expanse sloping up toward the peak our right and down into a steep valley to our left. Great tomb like boulders jutted up from earth here and there. I let out a long breath then stand tall and turn around to face my Lady.

"Rosa…why don't you love me?"

Her curious look turns dark. "This is not the time nor the place."

"Yet here we are. I must know, before we make our home together." I say firmly. "Please, just tell me. You say I am young and foolish, yet I know in my heart that I love you. I know it more than anything else I have ever known. If you are so wise help me to understand why you do not feel the same."

I see growing anger flash in her eyes. "Quin. We are not talking about this now."

"It has to be now." I close my eyes and take another deep breath, letting go of my walking stick I then fall to my knees right in the muddy road front of her. "I love you Rosa."

Her nostrils flare and she bites her lips, holding back what she really wanted to say. After a moment I see that cold detached Lady from last night come over her. She laughs. A false laugh, hollow and mirthless. "You are such a silly boy." Leaning down she offers me her cheek in that way she had that I loved so much. "Kiss me." I kiss her cheek. "Good boy. Now let's go."

That wasn't enough this time. "No."

"Stand." Her voice is firm. The voice of my Lady in full control.

I knew the secret now, thanks to Aemelia, and I knew the power might be hers to wield but it was mine to give.

"No." I say. "I know I will punished. I know the answer will hurt. But I must know. Why don't you love me?"

Her eyes flare with barely contained anger. "Get…up…now!"

I bow my head and take on the soft voice of her boy. "I love you my Lady."

She hurls her walking stick to the ground next to mine and they clatter together. Her small hands ball up into fists, they shake with impotent frustration. "I will go on alone then." She steps off of the path and walks around me. I turn with her, the cold mud mashing into my sandals as I moved. Once on the other side she snaps. "Get up! Come along boy!"

I lower into a full bow, groveling at her feet. "I love you my Lady."

"Quit…saying that!" She yells.

"Why don't you love me?"

"That is not a question one asks of a woman, be it Lady or not. You are out of line Quin. This is not becoming of a boy or a man."

"I'm sorry." I say. "I…don't know what else to do."

"Obey me!"

"I want to! Please…just answer." I raise back to Kneel and sit up nice. "Don't I at least deserve an answer?"

"You…HRRR!" She snarls a wicked wild snarl. Her small fangs had never looked so sharp nor her horns so ominous. She paces up the slope then back down again. She hisses and mutters angrily to herself, her vibrant magenta eyes glaring my way from time to time. "You really want me to say it, don't you? You want me to hurt you, is that it?"

"I just need an answer."

"Fine." Her brows furrow. "I don't…I don't…Fuck! Get up!"

"No."

Her fists balled she raises them and lets another snarl.

"Rrrahh! You young foolish boy. Don't you see? Haven't you figured it out?" She yells. "Everyone I have ever loved…every single one…is dead. Mama, Papa, Danae. All of them. Dead. Dead and gone forever." She says more quietly. "It is fate. The people I love die. I can't…lose…you…Quin. I can't…bear…another." She gulps in a sob before it can escape. "I couldn't bear that. I'm not that strong Quin. I can't."

"You won't."

"No! This ends now." She stands tall and imperious. "Boy!"

"Yes my Lady?"

"I am your Lady and your slave and nothing more. Mistress in the house, servant outside. That is all I am to you. That is all our arrangement is. Tell me you don't love me. Tell me now."

I look up at her in pain and confusion. It killed me to continually disobey but…I could never say those words. "No." I say softly.

"What did you say to your Lady?"

"No." I say as I reach for her foot, though she pulls it away before I could touch her. "I do love you Ro…"

She slaps me, hard, across the face! I hold my cheek in shock at the strike. That wasn't punishment, it was an act of violence! The difference between the two as clear as night and day. She hit me! Not her Master, like she had when I abandoned her by the road with the merchant, and not Quin. She had struck her submitting boy as she stood tall as his Lady. I couldn't believe it. It felt…a betrayal of everything we had built together.

"Take it back."

"Nooo."

She seethes at my insolence. "I don't love you! I don't love you Quin and I never will. There, I said it! Are you happy now?"

"Noooo." I whimper.

"Tell me you don't love me. Tell me! I am not the type of woman you love. Need, yes. Love…no. Tell me that you will never love me."

"But…that's not true. I do love you Rosa."

She slaps me again. "You are bad! You are a bad bad boy!"

Never…NEVER…had anything hurt me more than these words and slaps did just now. Coming so unexpectedly from my beloved Lady…I simply hadn't the fortitude to hold back the tears. I cry. I cry the way a man isn't supposed to cry. Openly, tears flowing down my cheeks. I try to supplicate. I try to submit. I mewl and beg. I try everything I knew but my Lady's rage would not subside.

"Are you my boy?"

"Yes. Please…"

"Then obey me boy! Tell me you don't love me!"

"I…d-don't…"

"Say it!"

"Nooooo." I whine. "I can't. It would be a lie."

"You are bad! You are a bad boy! Your Lady is very disappointed in you."

"Don't…say that." I sob, my heart being torn to pieces by my beautiful Lady's cruel words. "It hurts. You're hurting meee!"

"Y-you cannot love me Quin! You cannot! I can't…lose…" Her voice clips off as her fists shake. "Do you know how many men I've called boy? You think I love you? You think I could ever love a common boy like you? You would have fallen in love with any pretty thing that showed you attention."

More withering blows to my heart. I never knew anything could feel this bad, worse even than the loss of my father. "Why are you saying these things?" I weep and wail. "Whyyyy? I don't understand."

"You do not need to understand, you need to obey. OBEY! You are a bad boy. You are disobedient and disrespectful and BAD!"

"I…I…I…I'm not bad!" I shout back at her. "I…I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Stupid boy! Bad boy!" She hits me again. "Say it! Say you don't love me!"

"NO!" I scream. "You said…you said…we had to be honest. You said… a Lady and her boy…trusts each other." I gasp between my sobs. "You said that. You said that! I won't lie to you. Not even if you order me to." I suck in a breath and cry out. "I LOVE YOU!"

She raises her hand in anger again. I whimper and shrink away from her in fear as I ready myself for another blow. All of a sudden…she freezes. She looks down at me with wide horrified eyes, as if just waking to what was happening here. She slowly lowers her hand and brings it to cover her mouth. "Oh gods…what have I done? What have I done!? My boy…" Reaching for me I flinch away from her, half expecting a slap. She pulls her hand back as if I were fire. "My beautiful beautiful boy. What have I done to you? What have I done!? Nooo, baby." A tear rolls down her smooth cheek followed soon by another fat tear down the other cheek. "I'm sorry Quin, I'm so sorry. I…never…" She gasps and shakes her head. "I don't deserve you…I never did. I…never did."

With that she spins and runs up the slope away from me. I could hear her crying as she went.

Wiping my own tears from my cheeks I reach out for her. "Wait. Please…"

"KREEEEE!" My voice is drowned out by the deafening shriek of the harpy. Swooping in from behind me the great shaggy beast passes right overhead, the wind from its mighty wings nearly knocking me backward. It ignores me completely, all of its focus on its prey. Rosa spins at the sound just in time for it to descend upon her! Like an eagle with a bunny the monster grasps Rosa's petite form in its huge talons and lifts her from the earth in one swift motion.

"ROSAAAA!!!" I scream, reaching out toward her as she is violently hoisted into the air.

"QUINNNNN!!!" She wails in terror.

Chapter 66: Gone

Chapter Text

My legs are in motion even before my stunned mind had fully grasped the situation. My eyes locked on the receding figures of Rosa and the harpy my long powerful strides cover ground as fast as my body would carry me. After a few strides I pull the encumbering pack from my shoulder and let it fall away. I hear it split open behind me, spilling my every worldly possession out onto the rain soaked mountainside, as my legs pump faster. None of that mattered now. Not my stuff, not my rope, not even my land. My gaze remains solidly fixed on the one and only thing that did matter.

Rosa fights, she fights for her life. I hear her snarls as she thrashes and punches and kicks against the beast twice her size. She twists to jab her horns into the creature's leg but they are not yet long enough to be anything more than a nuisance. Her efforts might not be hurting the monster but they were slowing it down.

"Fight!" I shout after her, struggling against the steep slope and the slick footing. "Keep fighting Rosa! I'm coming!"

My breath catches in my throat as suddenly Rosa is tossed to float midair for an instant, before being grasped again by the creature who had simply been repositioning its prey to be carried easier in its over sized feet. Thank the gods its sharp talons hadn't yet seemed to pierce her flesh. It had her more solidly now. Rosa continues to struggle and wriggle but escape looked unlikely. Rosa secured it starts to pick up speed.

The creature looked to be seven feet tall, maybe eight if straightened up, with greasy black feathers that ran from its head all the way down the center of its back making it appear like it had long onyx locks. It is humanoid but instead of arms there were two great black and gray wings that spanned twice the height of a man. Its skin had a sickly gray pallor and as it turns its head to look back at me I see its features twisted and hideous. It had large round eyes like an owl's with a wide beak like nose. It's mouth was grotesquely wide, as if someone had sliced its cheeks open nearly back to its nonexistent ears, with long jagged yellow teeth. Opening its mouth wide it lets out another deafening cry. "KREEEEE!"

Three more mighty flaps lifts them higher and further away. My mind and my heart screams at my body to run faster but I am already at a full sprint with the mud and slick wet stones seeming to do everything in their power to slow me down. With each slip and stumble they get further and further away. I crack my knee across a jutting boulder, I don't even feel it but it slows me up by another crucial half a second. The harpy had almost crested the ridge ahead. I didn't know what was on the other side. Another slope like this? A sheer cliff? It didn't matter. I continue to run with all the strength I could summon.

"ROSAAA!!!"

Her futile struggles cease. She turns her head to look back at me. Even from here I can see the raw terror in her wide magenta eyes. This was her worst nightmare come to life. In her face though I also see…sadness. Just before disappearing over the ridge Rosa calls back to me.

"Run away my boy!" She sobs. "RUN!"

"NOOOO!!!"

"LEAVE ME!" Reaching out toward me she cries. "Quin…I…I…I lo…"

"KREEEEEE!"

With that the harpy dives down over the edge to the East side of the mountain. Things go eerily quiet, just that same patter of rain as before, as my pumping legs carry me to the peak. My momentum hurtling me over the lip I would have fallen to my death had it been a cliff, thankfully I see another long green and gray slope falling away from me. With the beast diving it had picked up speed considerably and the pair were now out of earshot and receding into the mist.

Run. Run. RUN! Keep running.

The rain and wind whipping past my face I bound and leap and dash down the long boulder strewn slope. Running faster than I ever had before yet feeling like I was moving through cold honey.

"ROSAAA!!!" I cry one last time as they fade into the white mist.

Just keep running. Just keep moving. I would not let this happen. This is NOT how my time with Rosa would end. Even in my frantic state it is not lost on me that of all of the monsters to attack us it was a harpy, fabled to be sent down by the gods to punish the wicked. Was this some sort of retribution for Rosa and I's sins? Had Rosa presence in my life been a test of my piety? Had we angered the divine with our unique relationship? If so…fuck the gods! Fuck them all! My Lady, my slave, my best friend, my true love was greater than the lot of them!

I continue moving straight in the direction I had seem them going careful to keep my ears alert for any sound or signal, of which there are none.

My lungs heave and gasp in the high mountain air. My muscles burn. I slide and skitter down the steeper portions then stumble up to keep on going. My spirit urged me on but I was slowing down. With each passing second the faster flight of the harpy carried Rosa further away from me. I couldn't even know if I was still headed in the right direction. My run becomes a jog as my eyes and ears search frantically for any sign of them.

"Rosa." I gasp between hard breaths. "I'm coming. Don't…give up."

Steel determination begins to waver toward hopelessness. In this gods damned mist I had no hope of spotting them. This cursed wind would swallow any noise. And with them being on the wing I had no chance of tracking them. With no other options I just keep moving forward powered by the only thing more powerful than the despondency I was feeling, love.

"Where are you?" I huff. "Where are you? I'm coming. I'm coming…" My feet slow further. "I'm coming Rosa." Hopping up onto a boulder that stuck up at an angle from the surrounding slope I pause to scan the vast open landscape beyond, or as much as I could see in the fog.

Nothing. All was quiet except for the incessant wind and rain. Not a thing stirred but the waving tufts of grass and shrubby alpine flora. I had nothing. Nothing to follow. They were…gone.

"No." I whisper as true despair sets in. "Rosa. No."

Clenching my fists I throw them into the air and let out a scream of impotent rage and heart rending pain that comes from the very core of my soul. "RAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

It is more than rain wets my cheeks as I stand broken and alone looking out over the bleak terrain. My arms slowly lower back to my sides. My head sinks. My heart breaks.

Chapter 67: A Glimmer of Hope?

Chapter Text

My howl of agony is still echoing off of the stones around me when…in the split second window between hearty gusts…I catch a tiny distant voice. "Quin?"

My head snaps up again, eyes darting about. Had I imagined that? Wiping the tears and rain from my face I listen hard, turning my head this way and that. "ROSA!"

"Quin." I hear her voice again, no louder than the squeak of a mouse and sounding as if it were coming inside a clay pot.

I zero in on the source of the sound. It had come from behind me. But there is nothing there? I squint against the rain as I step down from the boulder and slowly walk forward. "ROSA?"

"I'm…here baby. I'm here." She says back. I could hear the tremor of distress in her voice. Was she injured? It is a strange sensation of elation mixed with concern and fear hearing her voice again, along with a whole lot of confusion.

"Rosa…I can't see you."

I hear my Lady cry. My eyes settle on a scrawny twisted shrub growing up at the border of one of the embedded boulders. I stare at the frail yet hearty plant, baffled, as I notice the tender pale pink flowers at the ends of the spindly branches. It is an alpine rose.

"Rosa?"

Approaching the shrub I can hear more clearly the sounds of Rosa weeping and breathing heavily. What I am seeing and what I am hearing do not go together. Kneeling down I scan about then, there among the thorny branches, I see a familiar ring of silver. I reach into the bush, disregarding the thorns scrapping my skin, and pull one half of the magical bracelet from it.

I turn it around and look through the portal. At first all I see is a circle of darkness, though the dry fetid smell wafting through told me the magic was working. After a moment I can start to see the texture of stone illuminated by very dim light. I bring it closer to my face.

"Rosa?"

All at once a magenta eye glides in from the side to peer through the hoop in my hand. In the little bit I could see I can see her cheek is streaked with tears.

"Baby." She whispers, scared out of her wits.

Blood stained fingers reach through and I touch them with my own and kiss them.

"Rosa, where are you?"

Her cold trembling fingers stroke my cheek.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I never…I never wanted to h-hurt you."

"Never mind that Rosa. Please, tell me where you are."

"I love you baby. I love you so much." She weeps. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. Forgive…meee."

"I love you too!" I say, nearly breaking down myself as the words I had longed to hear fill my heart and soul. I keep focused though, I hadn't the time nor luxury to succumb to tears. "Rosa." I say firmly and with a calm that surprised even me. "You have to tell me where you are. I lost you in the chase."

"…krrrreekk…" I hear an inhuman growling chirp echo off of rock walls.

"Mmmmm!" Rosa's eye shuts tights as she whimpers in sheer terror. Rosa disappears and the view spins wildly. I squint to make out any detail I could. I see stone walls. I see a floor littered with feathers, crunching dry branches, and cracked bones. I see a snatch of pale light shining into the area from an opening in the rock. Rosa's hand reaches through and grabs mine as hard as she could. I hold her wrist tight, wishing I could pull her through to me. It was such a helpless feeling. Seeing, hearing, and touching her without actually being able to help her.

"I love you." She whispers, her lips right up next to her wrist. "I love you Quin!"

"Please!" I urge, trying to keep my voice down so as not to alert the monster. "Tell me where you are Rosa. You need to tell me now."

Her hand disappears back through the portal. She pulls back so that her full face could look through to me. A couple of our fingers interlock along the bottom of the ring just to keep that physical connection.

"Baby…my boy…" She says between shallow panting breaths. "…you…you need to listen to me now. You need to listen to your Lady. You…you need to run. You need to run baby." She lets out a little squeal of fear as the sound of scraping can be heard behind her. "Live. Go…live."

"Rosa, I can't…"

"Thank you Quin. Thank you for the happiest days of my life." She says as her tone shifts to an eerie calm. I could see and hear the hope draining from my Lady as a grim acceptance of her fate grows. "I should have died back in Rome. But…you gave me more. So much more. You gave me love, you gave me hope, you gave me a dream. Thank you Quin." She takes a long breath, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "Don't…forget…me. Now. Run. Run my boy. Run and do not look back."

Before he left my father had taken me aside and told me that he joined the military not for the glory of the Emperor but for the security and well-being of his family. He told me that if he were to die on the field of battle it would be a sacrifice done in our name, not the Empire's. He told me that when I was a man, a full fledged man with something truly of my own to love and to lose, that I would understand. I had never forgotten the expression on his face. His eyes steeled yet tender, focused off to the distance as if seeing something that I couldn't. I see that same haunting look now in the eyes of my beloved Rosa, only this time I understood. I understood because I felt it myself. Seeing that embrace of self-sacrifice come over my Lady brings love yet also sparks my anger. I might be her boy but I was no longer a child.

"Enough!" I fume. "We do not have time for this."

"Baby." She pleads. "You have to…get away. I can't…"

"Rosa!" I look her dead in the eyes. "In all that you've come to know about me…do you honestly think I can leave you?"

Her barely held brave face cracks as she sobs openly. "No."

"Would you have left Danae? Would you give up on me?"

She cringes with worry and fear as she realizes what I was saying. "No. But…"

"Then let me help."

"Quin…it will kill you."

"I will find that creature now or later. You know I will. You are right Rosa…I need you. I need you in my life. My dreams are nothing without you there beside me." I say with all of my heart. "Give me a chance to find you Rosa, before it's too late."

With rekindled hope comes renewed fear. "I'm scared!" She mewls. "I'm s-so scared!"

"I know Rosa. I'm coming." I kiss her fingers, the iron taste of her blood finding my tongue. "Tell me, quickly."

She takes a breath and swallows, before slowly nodding. "We…we circled back. Back toward the peak. A cave near the peak. It's…" She turns her head then back quickly. "…it's near the mouth of the cave. I think it's looking for you."

My head turn up and to the right. Though I could not see the peak through the rainy mist I knew it was there. My energies renewed I am running again, my long strides eating up the distance as fast I could make them.

"Stay alive." I say. "Do whatever you must. Hide, fight, run. Just stay alive." I say as dash up the boulder strewn slope. "Shout if anything changes. I am coming!"

She says something softly which I cannot make out. Had I wings I would have lifted into the air such was the speed with which I loped over and between boulders. It barely enters my mind what I was setting off to do. That I was running toward an encounter with a mythical beast. What chance had a farmer with a dagger against a harpy? It didn't matter. Love had left no room in my spirit for fear or doubt. Rosa was alive! Rosa was in danger! Rosa needed me!

Slowly revealing itself through the mist I see green of the slope turn into a towering gray granite peak. This HAD to be where they were, even at full flight the harpy would not have had the time to get to another peak. Knowing where they were and getting there however were two very different things. Between me and the peak is a steep grade of loose stone that I already knew would be hell to climb. In the time it takes to reach it I had plotted out what I felt was my best path up. As I start to make my way along the edge of the scree I start looking for caves along the nearly sheer cliff face.

Just then I hear a gasp emanate from the hand in which I held my half of the bracelet. "OH! Oh gods! It's coming!"

Chapter 68: The Battle

Chapter Text

My attention split between trying to locate the cave mouth and the terror unfolding from the palm of my hand I continue to find my way round the granite plinth of a peak. Through the portal the view swings and careens wildly as Rosa scrambles about the cave.

"It's coming." She says frantically. "There's nowhere to hide!"

"Fight Rosa, fight!" I say. "I'm coming."

Moving swiftly along the bottom edge of the scree I come around to see another face of the peak. My eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary I desperately scan the area. I don't see a cave, but what I do see is the bright white of sun-bleached bones scattered among the dark wet gray of loose stones. Looking up the vertical cliff from region the bones are most concentrated I spot a ledge about fifty feet up. There! It had to be. The ledge formed the top edge of a fissure that ran diagonally down through the living stone. Along that fissure juts out a very narrow shelf I may be able to use to climb along.

I scutter up the slope of jagged shifting rocks, sliding one step back down for every two steps I stride up. At my hand I hear panting breath and rustling. I bring the ring to my face, the wretched smell waters my eyes. "I'm close. Find a weapon. Hold it off as long as you can." I wished I could pass her my pugio to give her fighting shot but I knew the crossguard would not fit through bracelet.

"RRRRRR!" Rosa's wicked sounding snarl echoes up. That's it my Lady, fight! She sounded so much more dangerous than she actual was, hopefully intimidating enough to give the creature pause.

"Krrrrrreeeek." The harpy's grating caw sounds a mix of eagle and crow with just a hint of an almost human-like undertone that sent chills down my spine. That was not the sound of a creature intimidated. Curious, amused perhaps, but not afraid. "KREK!"

"Aaah!" There is a whoosh of a stick or bone swinging through the air. "Stay b-back you…BITCH!"

"KREEEE!" It cries back at her.

Gods it is so close to her!

"HEY!" I shout up toward the ledge, continuing to fight against the sliding rocks. "HEY! I'M HERE! Come and get me!"

Through the portal I can hear my voice in the distance, confirming that I was indeed at the right spot.

"Krrrkk?" The harpy had heard me.

"Come on! Come and fight me!"

After a final frantic scramble I at last reach the base of the cliff. A few feet above me is the fissure. Fuck! I needed my hands my free for this. Looking back down to my left hand I start to say something but notice the chaotic sounds of rustling and fighting. Rosa snarls and the harpy screeches, the fight was on!

"Gods, no!" I was too late.

There is the sound of a whack followed my snapping teeth and cracking wood. Somehow in her struggles Rosa still gripped tight onto her half of the bracelet. As a flash of oily black feather slips across the portal an idea strikes me. Pulling my dagger out I place the ring up against the rock face.

"ROSA!" I scream as loudly as I could. "PUT THE BRACELET ON IT!"

"RRRAaaahhhhh!" Half roar, half cry of terror, Rosa yells. There is a flurry of activity before I see the pale gray of flesh press up against ring.

Not wasting a second I plunge the blade of the dagger through.

"KREEEEEEE!!!"

I can hear the beast's howl of pain both through portal, through which black-orange blood now spurted, as well as from the ledge above. I try to hold the blade deep but the creature throws Rosa back. Then things go disturbingly quiet. The view is still, all I could see the solid stone of the floor of the cave.

"Rosa?"

"KRRRRRRKKK!" The pained rage filled growl of the harpy is all I hear.

I pocket the bracelet and sheath my dagger. Jumping high I grasp onto the shelf. Hugging to the rock face tight I start to climb. Right hand, left hand, right hand, left hand, I progress up along the fissure. Under my breath I just keep repeating over and over. "I'm coming. I'm coming Rosa. I'm coming." Over half way up, thanks to the slick greasy blood covering it, my right hand slips! My legs go with it and I find myself dangling in open air holding on with three fingers. Through pure force of will I power myself back up and continue on. "I'm coming Rosa. I'm coming." Gods! Please be alive!

With a final mighty lunge I hurl myself toward the larger ledge. I pull myself up onto it just in time to watch the gray fury twisted face of the harpy emerging from the darkness of a triangular cave mouth.

"Krrrrrrrr." It growls and shakes its black feathers.

"Come on then." I growl back through gritted teeth. "Let's do this."

Drawing the dagger I step forward, as far from the edge as I could get, as it slowly emerges from the dark. Its inky feathers against black of the cave made the fleshy parts stand out, making it appear a pallid ghost floating in the dim. Up close it is far more terrifying than I even imagined. It is huge, stooped low to fit through the cave it is still as tall as I am. Its wide maw is filled with crooked razor sharp piss colored teeth. Its massive raptor feet ended with onyx black talons. Its gray mottled skin bent and shifted like tough old leather, it's low slung breasts hanging off its torso like empty saddlebags. Down its right side, from a deep wound in its shoulder, ran the same sticky dark amber blood that stained my blade. It pulled its right wing behind it limply. The harpy could not fly away and I had it cornered. My grip on my father's passed down weapon tightens as the realization that this was a fight to death sinks in. Did he wield this in his last moments too? It seemed a random thought, and a strange one, yet for some reason it brought me comfort.

As it sees its own blood on my weapon it lets out a deafening shriek. "KREEEEE!!!"

Silently I stare into it with all of my burning hatred.

Its disturbingly large perfectly round eyes stay locked on me as I shift to its left, its head turning with me as I moved. The ledge was maybe six feet at the deepest and ten in width with the cave mouth just off center. It had a slight slope to it and I was trying use that by moving to the higher edge to try to gain some sort of advantage. Seeming to be cognizant of its injured wing the beast remains in the mouth of the cave, not wanting to risk a fall. Also, it knew what I was here for. It knew I had to come to it. A sheer drop to jagged stones behind me, a mythical beast in front of me, I hunch down and ready myself. My mouth is bone dry and I can taste the reeking stench of the creature's lair.

It studied me, sizing me up and gauging the threat I posed to it, as I did the same. I saw how hopeless this was. It was larger, stronger, with teeth and talon that could tear a healthy ox to shreds. None of it mattered, it stood between me and my Lady. Be she alive or dead I would spend my last breath trying to see her again. Each of us sensing the tension about to snap we bear our teeth and hunker lower as I prepare to charge it.

The harpy suddenly lurches, as if shoved. It starts to twist and shake as I watch two small pale hands appear up at its shoulders then the tips of two sharp horns peek into view. Rosa had climbed onto its back! As quick as a blink of my eyes her long sinuous tongue strikes out and wraps around the harpy's throat. Its huge eyes bulge grotesquely as Rosa's powerfully muscled tongue squeezes for all its worth.

"KRRLLK!"

"RAAHHHH!" I charge forward in the distraction and slam my shoulder into the harpy's chest, driving my dagger deep into its belly and sending all three of us back into the cramped quarters of the cave.

In the dark and the stench I fight on instinct. I stab and stab and stab again, ramming the blade to its hilt again and again with all of my strength. Its great foot grasps me around the ribs, squeezing the breath out of me with incredible power, as I tear its feathers and bite its leathery flesh and punch and kick and stab with wild fury. Above me I hear its gurgling screeches cut off by Rosa's strangling constriction.

It is no fight for the poets. It is nasty and brutal. There are no tactics or maneuvers or grand speeches of honor. For dear life we thrash and scrabble blindly, each of us doing all we can to inflict damage on our enemy. In the chaos it flails backward with me on top of it and I hear a sickening thud and a hard grunt as Rosa is driven back into the solid stone with all our weight on top of her. An instant later, its neck free from Rosa's choking pressure, it sucks in a wet gurgling breath and lets out ear-splitting cry. "KREEEEEEE!!!"

That bellow of desperate rage gave me a target. I thrust the dagger upward and feel its sharp blade bite flesh. As quickly as it started the harpy's piercing call is cut off. Below me the monster bucks and spasms, no longer fighting me but seized by the throes of death. I push the blade deeper, in under its chin, and hold to it tight as I feel its life and strength gradually drain from its body. It felt like hours, though it was no more than half a minute, when I finally feel it slump dead.

Rolling off of it I heave with what strength I had left to hoist it off of Rosa. I kneel down beside her and let my relief out in a great gasp as I see her chest rise and fall. She was alive! Unconscious, but alive! Words cannot describe the joy that fills me.

"I got you." I whisper. "I got you."

I cradle her in my arms and lift her limp body from the floor. One…two…three steps toward the light of the cave mouth and I collapse back to my knees. I am breathing slow, each breath a labor. My limbs are heavy. I'm tired. So tired. Keeping her held to me in my left arm I feel along my right flank at an ache in my ribs. I pull my hand away to see it glisten with bright fresh crimson mixed in with the harpy's amber life blood.

"Well…fuck."

Chapter 69: Dark and Light

Chapter Text

Pulling Rosa with me I shift over to slump against the cool stone of the mouth of the cave. I cough and swallow and taste iron. Keeping my right arm held tight against my side to try to slow the bleeding I gaze down at the most beautiful woman in the world.

Feeling weaker by the moment I straighten her clothes, her simple tunic and torn shorts crafted from my old paenula. Her capelet had been lost somewhere in the struggle. Keeping her close to me, laid across my lap, I brush her violet locks from her sweaty face. I notice her a cut up the side of her light, just a shallow one thankfully, but I tear a strip from my tunic and dress it as best I could anyway. Miraculously, beyond the bruising, that was the worst of it. Her petite size had helped her, she had been small enough and light enough the harpy hadn't needed to sink its talons into her to carry her off.

Everything I did was difficult. I just…wanted to rest. I wanted so badly to sleep, but I wanted even more to be here when my Lady awoke.

With a hand caked in blood and gore I stroke my Lady's warm cheek. I trace her long elegant pointed ear with a finger tip. They were so soft and velvety at the tips. I run my thumb along one of her horns to feel the texture. I touch her sweet lips and stroke her long luxuriant hair. So beautiful. So beautiful.

"Mmm." She stirs and blinks her eyes open. They are hazy at first as they track about while her groggy mind struggles to make sense of things.

"Hey." I whisper with a gentle smile.

Her eyes find me and her senses soon clear. She sucks in a gasp as her eyes fill with tears. "Quin." Reaching out she pulls herself into me and hugs me with all of her strength. It hurt, but I ignore the pain and hug her back with my one free arm. Pulling back she gazes up at me as she hold her palm against my cheek. "I…love…you. I love you Quin."

"Hahhhh." I sigh happily. "I love you Rosa."

"I was a fool to deny it. I was a fool." Her eyes widen. "The harpy!"

"It's okay." My vision sways. I feel dizzy. "Everything is…okay now." I try to clear my throat but end up coughing again. I swallow down the blood before she can see it. "You're safe now. I…got you."

She looks up at me momentarily at a loss for words. "You…saved me. Again."

"We…saved…each…other." Each word coming between shallow breaths.

Hearing the feebleness in my wavering voice Rosa's attention sharpens and her body tenses. "What's wrong baby?"

"Just…a little wound." I say as I rest my back against the wall. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe now."

Rosa sits up and my arm falls limply away from her. "Quin?" With frantic concern Rosa starts to check me over. I continue staring at her, admiring her beauty and basking in her love. "Oh gods!" She quickly finds the wound at my side. "Baby, you're bleeding bad." She pulls her tunic off and folds it up then presses hard against the deep gash.

"It's okay." I whisper, still smiling at her. "It's…okay."

"No, no it is not okay."

I cough and crimson spatters out onto my legs. What a pretty red. Reminds me a little of my ropes.

"Baby." She pats my cheek. "Baby, stay with me."

"I'm here." I say floating in a numb fog not entirely like my waking dreams in the heights of my submission. "Morpheus is heeeere."

"No baby. That's Charon. You stay away from him. He's come to take you away from me." She pulls the belt from my waist and uses it to secure her make shift dressing in place. "Don't you go my boy. You hear me?"

"Yes…my Lady." I grin. "I love…you."

"I love you too."

"Don't…cry."

"Stay with me Quin." Her hands move up and down my body as she desperately tried to think of what she might do. "Don't you leave me baby. We're going home, remember?"

"Yeah." My grin grows. "Home."

"That's right baby, we're going home. You and me."

"Lady?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me…" I heave with wet choking cough. "…tell me…to kiss you."

Her worry etched feature softens. She leans in close and turns her face to offer me her cheek. "Kiss me." I kiss her, my lips leaving a red print. "Good boy."

"Good booooy."

"Quin? Quin!? Stay with me baby!" Each word she spoke got quieter and quieter as the light fades away. "Stay with me…"

Silence.

Dark.

…

Light.

The soft sigh of wind rustling through grass surrounds me. It is warm and soothing. The sun feels so good shining down on me. The rich soft fertile earth beneath me better than the most luxurious bed. I could smell…life. Fertile and abundant and all around me. I slowly open my eyes to see a clear blue sky. Sitting up I find myself in a field of golden wheat stretching out for as far as the eye could see. Turning my head I look to the great hill that I somehow knew would be there. Carved into that hill is a throne. Upon that throne a kindly and rather plain looking woman, yet more grand than any of the Wonders of the world. On her head she wore a garland crown weaved of interwoven stems of various grains.

"Hello Mother." I say as I rise to my feet and approach her. The wheat tickles my bare thighs as it dances with the breeze.

"Hello my Son." Her voice lifts my heart and with it my body. I drift through the air before coming to rest upon her wide lap. I curl up in her soft gown and pull the cloth around me, the flesh of her thigh cushiony and warm. With a hand as large as I am she tucks me in and rests her enormous palm over me as gently as a down blanket. "Is it time to rest already?" Her voice thrums through my entire being, not simply through my ears. "You are so young yet my Son."

I scrunch up my face in an impudent pout. "Mmmm. I just wanna lay down a little." I whine. "Just a nap."

The giant hand slowly pets me. "You can stay. You can sleep forever. If that is what you wish."

I turn. I toss. I roll over. Then I sit up and push Mother's hand away. Looking about I ask. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Her."

Ceres smiles, though I do not see it I can feel it in my heart. "She is trying to bring you back. She is reaching out to the Lord of the Forest. She beseeches him to aid her in tapping into her magic. She has the power to do it too, though it will cost her some of her own mortality. But your soul is promised to me. It is neither hers nor Silvanus' to claim."

"Yeah." I say as I kiss her thumb. "I love you."

"I love you too my Son." Her hand cups me behind my back and I lay back into it to smile up at my radiant Mother.

"Can you bring her here?" I ask. "I want her here. I wish her to be with me. I…belong with her."

"I cannot."

"Oh." I furrow my brows as this pesky burr of 'her' bothered my otherwise serene spirit. "Why not?"

"It is not her time yet Quintus."

"Quintus?"

Upon hearing my name memories start to stir. Vague dreamlike visions of a place far, far away from here. A proud and noble man in uniform. My father. A tall dark haired woman bent over a pot, the savory smell of soup. My real mother. A farm. Friends. Grandparents. Work. Family. Grief. Belonging. Setting off alone. A journey. A slave girl. A sexual liberation. Love.

I blink my eyes. "Goddess!" I bolt up to a sitting position and avert my gaze. "Forgive my audacity!" I scramble to knees to supplicate before her and tremble in fear as I realize I was in the presence of Ceres herself!

She laughs and the infinite golden fields rustle as her laughter rolls through the wheat like waves over the ocean. Scooping me up in her hands she sets me down upon the earth at her feet and stands. "On your feet. Come along my Son."

"Yes my…" My voice catches. "…Lady?" Those words are familiar yet…I cannot remember. As I lift my head I catch sight of a glimpse of green among the golden stems of grain. As the crop sways in the gentle breeze I see flowers of vibrant magenta among the green leaves of the plant so different from the rest. I rub the back of my left hand as I study it. "What is this?"

"It is a rose." Ceres answers. "A lovely flower I have always thought."

"It…doesn't belong here." I crawl toward it. The twisted scrawny shrub was out of place among the tall perfect stalks of grain. A flaw, a hint of the savage among Ceres' perfectly cultivated crops. In comparison it looked…frail, yet tough and hearty too. "Why is it here?"

"I did not plant it." She says. "Perhaps it is a weed. Perhaps it ought to be removed."

"No!" I flatten the stalks around it to give it more light. "No. It is beautiful."

"Yes, it is." She says. "Now come along Quintus."

"Quintus?" I whisper.

Though I wanted to obey something keeps me there, kneeling before this small plant with the tender pink flowers. Ceres turns to face me, towering over me and the spindly little shrub.

"I know this plant. I have seen it before." I say as I struggle make sense of the visions. "A…mountain. A wet, cold mountain. A wild place. Far from your fields." I look up at my Goddess, squinting against the sun. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"I…" I shake my head as I try in vain to remember. "I…can't…"

"Quintus. Am I not first in your heart?"

"No." The truth flows from my heart. Only after I have answered does the meaning strike me. "Forgive me great Ceres!"

Again she laughs, an uplifting laugh that fills my spirit with the joy of family, hearth and home. "It is no shame to love a mortal above a god. It is as things ought to be for the living."

"Am I…alive?"

"You stand at the cusp my Son." She says with gentle patience.

"I…cannot go."

"No?"

"No."

"Why?"

I look to the rose. "She planted this. She put this here." Though I cannot grasp the details the emotions were as clear and pure as the sky above me. "I…need…her."

Ceres kneels and bends down low. Laying her great hand over my head and shoulders she whispers. "Then go to your Lady."

With that a wave of vital energy radiates from my groin and out through the rest of my body like a spreading wildfire. My near serenity is shattered as with that energy returns passion and pain and suffering and worry and all of the travails of living. "Haahhhh!" Reaching out I grab the base of the rose bush with both hands and hold to it with all of my strength.

My eyes are filled with light!

…

Darkness envelopes me.

A cool wet wind washes over my face. I am laying on hard stone. My ribs hurt. My throat dry. The cloying air is fetid and pungent enough to mingle with the taste of blood in my mouth. Opening my eyes I see more darkness, but turning my head I also see an opening where the moon and the stars are shining in the heavens above a partly cloudy sky. In my last recollection it was light out, still daytime. Now it was night? Where was I? How did I…? The last thing I remembered was Rosa at my side pleading with me to stay with her. That's right! The harpy! The battle! I was wounded! I was dying!

It is only then I notice the weight upon my chest. Something warm, something breathing, something with a horn that poked into me. Rosa was still at my side though her body lay slumped over me as if she had passed out on top of me.

"Rosa." I say in hushed voice as I smile weakly. I take a deep strong breath in and slowly let it out again. "Rosaaaa." We made it. We survived. We were going to be okay. With a weary trembling arm I lay it across her. As my hand finds her shoulder. "Ouch." I look at my hand and, by the pale light of Luna, can just barely see a sharp thorn embedded in my finger. I flick the annoying spine away then put my arms around my Lady and feel her stir.

Chapter 70: Doing What Comes Natural

Chapter Text

"Mmmm?" Rosa rustles.

I pull her closer to my face and kiss her head, right between the horns, and nuzzle into her lucious hair. Her body tenses in surprise and she looks up at me.

"Quin!" She gasps. "You're alive!" Her face breaks into a huge incredulous grin, she had such cute fangs. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"Of course." I say. "You told me to stay. I wasn't about to disobey my Lady."

Collapsing on top of me Rosa breaks down sobbing. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. Tears as an overwhelming outburst of the fear and tension she'd been holding inside of her. Grabbing my head from both sides she begins kissing me all over my face. I hold her close and laugh joyously. Many long wonderful minutes are spent just clinging to each other, not wanting to let go.

"How…how are you?" Rosa feels around my body, particularly at my ribs where the harpy's talon had stabbed me. In the dim light however there wasn't much to see. More than anything though she just wanted to touch me and feel me and make sure this was real. I hold her close for the same reason, just wanting more than anything to feel her on me. Half laughing, half crying, she asks. "How are you feeling? How's my boy?"

"Sore." I say. "But not bad considering." I press against the blood crusted dressing, impossible as it was it felt no more than a bruised rib underneath. "It must not have been as bad as I thought."

Kneeling up a grim look comes over Rosa's moonlit face. "No. It was bad." Her tired voice trembles with emotion. "It was real bad. I…I thought I lost you. I thought you were gone."

"But, how…?"

"Magic." She answers in a hushed tone, seeming to disbelieve it herself. Looking down at her hands she is silent a moment before whispering. "I was desperate. You were dying. I didn't now what else to do. I called out for help, to the forests and the mountains, to my father's spirit, to the old green king himself. I reached out and in, deep down. I…" She swallows. "…I offered myself as sacrifice."

"Rosa."

"I couldn't lose you Quin. I couldn't." She brings her hands to her bare chest. "It aches inside. Like…a piece of me has been torn away but…I'm okay."

"You healed me? You used magic?"

"I must have." Her brows furrow as she recalls the experience. "I remember…green. A green light." She shakes her head. "I passed out after that." She lets out a sigh. "And woke to find you holding me. Oh gods baby, I thought you were gone."

"I'm here, I am right here." Reaching up I touch her soft cheek with a finger tip and smile. "We survived, that's all that matters." She smiles back, happy for a moment, before a great sadness comes over her. "Rosa?"

She bows her head. "I am ashamed." She whispers. "I am so ashamed of myself. What…I did to you. How can you ever forgive me?"

"It's okay."

"No baby, it's not. It's really not. I struck you! I struck my beautiful boy." She shakes her head bring her hands to her knees, entering what I now recognized as a Kneel. "Even as that monster carried me away…all I could think about is what I had done to you. I…never…meant…" Her voice fades away.

"Rosa."

"My fear, my anger, my emotions took control of me…just like…after Danae…" She shudders and shakes her head again. "I am not Lady enough for a boy as pure and as precious as you. I am not worthy of you." Her shoulders slump. "I don't deserve you Quin."

I look upon my Lady, my heart overflowing with love. I had heard these words before. I had heard them come from my own mouth on that day, that special day, when I gave myself to her. I try to hide my smile.

"Deserve me?" I say, paraphrasing her own words back to her. "To be deserving of a boy isn't something you just are or are not. It's work, it's a process, it's a commitment. It is about having faith in yourself. It is about being strong enough and brave enough to let your boy see that special side of yourself that is only for him to see." She raises her head and looks me in the eyes. "It is a journey, together." My warm smile widens. "And if you fall short…you will be corrected and forgiven. We will learn and move forward." I reach up to touch the dark print my bloody lips had left on her cheek. "Don't be afraid my Lady, I will never let you fall too far. I will always be there to catch you."

"Oh Quin." Rosa's sadness melts away, replaced by humble pride and love. Wrapping her arms around my neck and shoulder she pulls me up for a hard, deep kiss. I slip my arms around her and kiss back with equal passion. Bodily we are aching, bruised, beaten, and exhausted yet the burning connection of our spirits take over. Her hands grimy with the filth of the harpy's foul feathers and mine caked with the creature's vile ichor we grope and grasp at each other's body. Our lips remain locked as we paw and shift to undress each other. We are both surprised when Rosa reaches down to wrap her fingers around my manhood already at full potency, I must have awoken with it.

Surrounded by the stench of the cold rocky lair with the heap of a stiff monster's corpse not five feet away this hardly seemed the time, yet this could not wait another second. Moving on instinct Rosa straddles me. My rock hard cock quickly finds her hot wet pussy. Wasting no time she rests her weight down onto me and I feel a woman for the very first time.

"Ohhhhhh!" We each let out a sigh of passion.

As I push deep inside of her Rosa's tight warm tunnel envelops me and it is…bliss. As she settles down on top of me her heavy flaccid cock and balls rest upon my stomach. My hands run up her soft lithe pale moonlit body to find her breasts as she begins to ride me.

"I love you." She breathes with each downward press. "I love you. I love you. I love youuu!"

"I love you!" I gently squeeze her supple tits.

"Ohhhhh." Her hands run up and down my arms. "Ohhh Quin!" Gliding up over my hands her arms continue up over her head and her back arches. She rides me with all of the grace and elegance as one of her sensual dances. She writhes and twists with fluid finesse, moving to a music only she and I could hear, her pussy squeezing and grinding and rising and falling in the rhythm of this sexual dance. "Quinnnnn!"

"Rosaaaa." I sigh back. I continue to explore and feel her perfect body with my left hand, rubbing and feeling along her neck, ass, legs, and tits, as my right slips in under her big balls to find her clit and rub it with my thumb. She is so fucking wet.

"Ohhh gods yessss!"

I could FEEL her as we made love. Physically, mentally, spiritually. I could feel her slick wet vagina squeeze around me, I could see the joy it was giving her, I could feel her energies stir. As she slides up her pussy grips me all around, as she lowers she seems to almost suck me back in. I felt as if I filled her up in ways I barely grasped. Being so deep inside of her, being a part of her, brought me a new type of connection with my Lady.

"Hahhhh." I moan lustily. "Ohhhh Rosa. You feel so good. Ohhhhh."

Continuing to pleasure her clit my other hand come to grasp the thick shaft of her hardening cock. With a light touch I begin to stroke it, long and smooth strokes up and down. Leaning down over me places her hands on my shoulders, pinning me to the floor, and gazes down into my very soul.

"I love you."

"Hooohhhh!" Those glorious wonderful words never got old. "I love youuuuu."

Losing a bit of grace she lets her carnal instincts take over and rides me harder, her legs spread wider as she grinds into me on each incredible stroke. Moving on their own my hips thrust with her, thrusting up as she pushes back down onto me. Her ragged breath washes down over my face, her eyes flare and squint at the erotic joy of our sex, her nubile body now bounces against me as our flesh claps together stronger and harder.

"Ohhh Quin…ohhhh yessss baby…ohhhhhhhh!"

Feeling ready to burst I hold back using all of the tricks and willpower I had learned from Rosa during my time in bondage.

"I'm…close."

"We'll cum together baby…mmmmmmm!"

"Yes…my Lady!"

As if were on a dance floor I follow her lead. Moving, thrusting, grinding our bodies move as one to the natural rhythms as old as time. Man and woman, together in the throes of passionate love. Even in the pale light I can make out the flush that colors her smooth cheeks, spreading right out to the tips of her lovely tapered ears. Her fingers dig into my shoulders as our beaten bodies fuck as hard as we dared let them. Her breast bounce and jiggle as all pretense at elegance is lost in the chase for raw sexual release. Between us her cock was now as hard as mine and oozing slick warm precum down on my belly. Her sack presses down hard into me on with each urgent thrust.

"Ohhhh gods baby. Baby. Ohhhhh yes!"

"Ohhhh my Ladyyyy."

"Cum with meeee!"

"HAAHHHH!!!"

As one we find our climax. We writhe and buck and hold onto each other as if everything depended on it. I feel her orgasm all around me and she feels mine filling her. My manhood throbs hard as her juicy pussy rhythmically tightens and quivers around it. For one magical instant our souls touch and mingle, forged together in the heat of our rapture. Our voices sing out and echo off of the caves walls to radiate out into the mountain valley beyond.

Chapter 71: Finishing the Job

Chapter Text

As our orgasms fade Rosa looks back into my eyes so that we could ride it out together. With a shudder and a moan our bodies come to rest. Leaning down she kisses me, sweetly and tenderly. My arms around her I pull her down to lay on top of me as we kiss and coo our love fore each other. Our lives had already been inexorably bound together but something had changed now. The argument, facing life and death together, and now our confessed love for each other made this thing we had something even deeper and more profound. A realization that I wasn't alone in the world and I never would be again. 'I' had become 'us', two against the universe.

"That was incredible." I whisper as I kiss down her neck and shoulder.

"Mmmm." She smiles and kisses me back. "Yes. Foolish, but incredible."

Kiss, kiss, kiss. Each one a glowing spot of warm on my damp skin, cool as it was from sweat drying in the night breeze. I savor each soft kiss as its own treasure. "They say Cupid makes fools of us all."

"Yeah." She lifts her hips up off of me and my spent manhood slips from her hot creamy pussy. Between us her still turgid member presses into me. Once again I had gotten off but she hadn't, not her penis anyway.

"My Lady…?"

She grins as she already knew what I was going to ask. With just a subtle shift in her tone Rosa transforms into Lady Rosa. "Yes my boy, if you are feeling up for it, you may."

"Thank you." I sigh joyously. "Ohhhh thank you my Lady."

I let her go and she rolls off of me. As she moves she keeps a hand on me at all times, as if I might disappear if she let go for even a second. She sits with her back resting on the cave wall. Moving gingerly thanks to my bruises I pull myself to her and rest my head against her bosom. She teases my hair and gently strokes it along my temple and above my ear.

"My boy." She whispers. "My good boy."

The fear, the tension, the trauma and turbulence of everything that had happened…melts away as I give myself over to my submission. Even the many pains in my body are muted as I pass over into the other side of our relationship. Everything simplified and clarified as the weight of the world lifts from my shoulders. For a short time I could just be Rosa's boy again. She would take care of me now. I knew my purpose again. I felt loved, I felt protected, I felt safe. I curl up at her side and nuzzle into her. I cannot hold back the soft docile burbling noises that come from inside such was my submissive joy.

"Good boy." She pets me. "You did so good today. Your Lady is so proud of you."

"Thank you." I whisper as I kiss her chest.

"Whose a good boy?"

I feel a little blush rise in my cheeks as I cannot help but smile. "I am."

"Yes you are." She strokes me. "My good boy."

"Mmmm." I mouth her near breast and begin to suckle at it. I am gentle with her supple flesh, sucking and lightly probing with my tongue. "Mmmm."

"That's my boy." She says in a soothing tone as her hand caresses down my neck and back. "Ohhh, a home. A real honest home." I can hear the deep contentment in her voice. "When we get home I gonna treat you so good baby. Like I always dreamed about."

"Mmmm."

"I cannot wait to give my boy a proper bath. I'm gonna pamper you and cuddle you and spoil you as much as I want. You are mine, my very own precious boy, and I will do what I want with you."

"Hmmmm." I suckle happily.

"You're gonna smell good, you're gonna look good, I'm gonna make you feel soooo good."

"Mmmmm."

She tickles the short hairs at the back of my neck sending tingles all down my spine. "And when you're scared or doubting yourself or feeling blue your Lady is gonna hold you and make it all right again." Even as she spoke I could hear her own fear ebb away. In comforting me she was also comforting herself. The scars that the terror of this day would leave on her soul would not be so easily erased but allowing her to be my Lady right now was a good start. Like the dressing she had applied to my wound having this bit of control, being able to nurture her boy, would at least stem the bleeding. She kisses me. "You won't have to be scared any more baby, because I got you now. I got you and I won't ever let you go."

"Nnnngh!" I nuzzle harder and tongue her nipple.

"You are so strong. You are so smart. You are so brave. My boy is so special. My boy is the best boy." She kisses my head. "And…you make me a better Lady."

Tears blur my vision, tears of pure joy. I reward my Lady with more whimpers and mewls and lilting needy whines.

"Awww, come here baby." She whispers as she guides me downward. "Suck your Lady's cock."

"Hahh." I let go her tit with a big wide smile. I was going to suck her dick soon anyways, but getting the order to do so made it an act of obedience and thus that much the sweeter. "Yes my Lady."

Opening my mouth as wide as it would go I don't hesitate a second on latching onto her fat knob. A visceral joy fills me even as her cock fills my mouth, as real and as powerful as when she went down on me. More so. The rush that hits me is different than mere physical pleasure, I can only guess that it must be similar to that of an addict getting their fix after too long. The taste of the sweat and grime of our day on the road followed by the fight of our lives fills my mouth and I eagerly suck it clean.

"Ohhh." She sighs. "That's nice."

"Mmmmm."

"When we get home I'll be able to really tie you up as much as I want for a long as I want."

"Mmmmm!"

"I'll have you build anchors for your ropes. Perhaps special furniture. Perhaps even a whole room for our fun and discipline. Maybe even…a dungeon?"

"Shhhlllrrrmmm." I slurp loudly and let some spittle glide down her long shaft. "Mmm, anything my Lady!"

"He he he. You like that?"

"Mmmmm." I coo as I suck her hard cock harder to show my approval. Ohhhh, I missed my ropes so much. I curl up tighter, imagining I was cocooned in a great ball of binding ropes.

"I thought you might." She rests both her hand on the back of my head, not pressing down but not allowing me to pull away either. Just the hint of physical control but enough to let me feel it. My right hand cups her velvety soft scrotum and I very tenderly massage her balls. "Ohhh, that's my boy."

"Mmmmmm!" I take her deeper, as deep as I could, and start a long steady bob up and down. "Mmmm."

"Think of it baby." She continues. "A place of our own. A home all our own. A private place for just you and me. You can worship me to your heart's content." She says. Her cock swells as she flexes it hard, the spongy mushroom tip pushing out and in. Gods! It felt so fucking good having her inside of me. "I'll have you on your knees every night baby."

"Mmmm!" I suck her faster and harder as her words excite me.

"Gags, blindfolds, and, if we haven't lost it, a very special surprise." She says. "You will beg. You will grovel. You will cry for mercy and plead for more. I'm gonna treat my boy so good because you deserve it."

"Mmmm!"

"And you're gonna treat your Lady good too, aren't you baby?"

"MMMM!" I confirm vehemently.

"You're gonna be so cute for me. You're gonna show me that special side of you, just like you're doing now. And I'm gonna use that sexy body of yours anyway I want."

Ohhhh, those words were making me feel slutty for her again. I lap at her tip and suckle as she lights those fires inside of me. My ass suddenly felt…hungry.

"Ohhhh. You're sucking my cock so fucking good! Ohhhhhh!" Her hands now push with me, her hips gently rocking to my oral rhythm. "Lady loves her boy. She loves him soooo much."

"Hmmmm!" It was that incredible moment all over again. Quin the man had gotten to bask in his woman's declaration of love, now Quin the boy got to experience the same with his dominant Lady. I felt so wonderfully small and powerless and unworthy under the rays of my Lady's radiant love. I pull up off her just for a moment to let out a mewling gasp. "I love you my Lady!"

"Mmm." She pushes me back down onto her dick. "Your Lady loves you too. I love you so much my precious boy. I feel like I might just burst." She chuckles. "You have made your Lady so happy."

Huddled up against her warm nubile body I bob faster, I suck harder, I blow my Lady as best I possibly could. I now had a bit of practice and it showed. I moved more confidently and focused on what felt good. Having blown myself I now had a better idea on how each thing I tried felt to her. I take time to play too, rubbing her tip against my lips, slapping her wet rod against my cheek, just nuzzling it and worshiping it like a boy should, but mostly I stay focused on giving head. While our spirits were soaring our physical limitations could not be completely ignored right now.

Rosa's talking falls quiet though she continues to moan and sigh to the good feelings I was bringing out in her. Her left hand stays firmly atop my rising and falling head as her right strokes me and caresses me lovingly. I never realized how touch starved I had been before meeting my Lady, but I knew it now and I also knew that I would never feel that way again. Pouring all of the love and passion I had in me into my Lady's blowjob I suck and suck and suck.

I both feel and hear her libidinous energies rising. Her motions become more urgent, her moans higher, and her slick precum mingles with my spit inside my mouth.

"Ohhhh Quin." She breathes. "That feels soo gooood." Her hand curls into a loose fist to grab my hair. "Yesssss."

"Mmmm! Mmmmm. Mmmmm." Up and down I suck wanting nothing more than anything to taste my Lady's load once more.

"Ohhh! Ohhhh!" Her beautiful pitch perfect voice rises higher. Her body tenses, her balls and cock tighten, and her breath holds a moment. I keep going but ready myself for the load I was about to receive. "HOOHHHHH!" Rosa lets out a long groan of ecstasy as she fills my throat with hot jizz.

I let it fill my mouth first just so that I could taste her again before I start to dutifully gulp it down. "Glrp, glrp, glrp." Like the good boy I am I gobble up and swallow each thick salty blast of Lady cum.

Chapter 72: Loot!

Chapter Text

Hot jizz dribbles from my lips when I slip off of my Lady's heavy cock. I swallow. I lick my cummy lips and swallow again, savoring her special flavor. Then I look up at my Lady breathlessly and smile. "Thank you."

"Hahhhh." She relaxes back. "You are very welcome my boy." Still with a grip on my hair she carefully pulls me up toward her face. "Kiss me." I kiss her cheek. "Good boy." I sneak a second kiss in and she gives me a little sidelong smirk. "Brat."

"He he he."

She lets go of me as she lets out a long breath. "Are you up for moving around a little?" Her fatigued tone signals our shift back into reality. I take a moment to come back into a more sober mindset before answering.

"Yeah." I finally say as I test my ribs. "I'll manage."

"Could we get rid of that thing." She nods toward the stinking corpse of the harpy.

I kiss her one last time. "We can try."

She helps me to my feet and then I help her to hers. Leaning on each other for support we make our way toward the feathered heap that lays so close. I take one wing and she takes others and we start to drag it toward the entrance. Its feathers left a greasy grime on every they touched, our hands being no different. Just touching the thing turned my stomach. Being a flying creature it proves to be much lighter than it appeared though it is still a load for the pair of us in our condition. We drag it to the lip of the cliff and with a concerted push send the dead beast to plummet to the rocks below. Standing on the ledge we come together to look out over the vast moonlit mountain landscape that stretched out before us. My arm is around her shoulders, hers around my waist with her head resting against my chest.

While rugged and breathtakingly beautiful I could not wait to see the fields and orchards of good agrarian land again. I felt too far from Ceres out here. We stand together, naked against the cool wind. All that needed to be said tonight had been said. All that we were physically capable of doing had been done. We were spent, completely spent, yet we steal these few minutes to share this moment.

"I'm cold." Rosa whispers with a shiver, wrapping her arms around me and holding tight to me for warmth. "And I am so tired."

"Me too."

Finding a meager puddle we rinse our hands as best we could, there wasn't near enough to wash the rest of us to say nothing of having a drink. We make our way back into the deep dark interior of the cave. It was so dark I could not Rosa's horned head though I could feel it against my chest. Feeling about we find a place at random and, using the clothes we could find as some sort of partial blanket, we lay down together. Rosa clings to my arms, holding them tight to her body needing to feel the security of my embrace after the horrific events of the day. Spooning her from behind I nearly engulf her with my much larger form and hold her close. We kiss, we confess our love one last time, then we lay our heads down for a hard won rest.

Slumber consumes me swiftly and deeply. As I blink my heavy eyes open and see morning light streaming into the cave I have fleeting fuzzy memories of a dream where I stood in a vast field of golden wheat. As dreams do, my waking senses burn off the memories like a morning fog. It takes a few moments to remember where I am but the gross smells that linger at the back of my throat quickly bring me up to speed.

"Ohhhh." I groan as the efforts of yesterday become the aches of today. I try to swallow but find my mouth bone dry.

I turn to my left to see Rosa still sleeping soundly. As always I am struck, like a pilum through the heart, by her exotic beauty. It shone through the sweat and grime and gore. Though she had been my constant companion for nearly two weeks she had only grown more lovely to my eyes. I grin as I see a remnant of my lip print on her smooth perfect cheek. Very tenderly, so as not to wake her, I kiss that same spot. I arrange my blood stained tunic over her shoulders to keep her as warm as possible. As I move she curls up into a little ball and unconsciously pulls my shirt tighter around her.

I sit just looking at my love for a time. I knew how sensitive she was to the cold. I wished I could build her a fire. Even more I wish we had something to drink. Our waterskin, along with everything else but my dagger, I dumped in my chase after the harpy. Shaking my head I recall how I heard my trusty pack burst open behind me. All of our stuff would have spent the rest of the day and the night laying exposed. Damn. Looking back down to Rosa I remind myself of what is truly important. We were both alive, that was all that mattered in the end.

During the night my belt and dressing had come loose from my ribs. I look down to see an angry pink scar about a half a foot below my arm pit where the monster's sharp talon had gotten me. With my thumb I prod it softly to find it sore but mended. That wound would have surely killed me if not for Rosa's magic. It was a…miracle. There was not other word for it. She had her father's gift for the arcane, there could be no doubt about that anymore. I was only alive because of Rosa, and she was only alive because of me. I nod to myself. That just felt right. We defeated the monster together, we save each other, it felt as if there was nothing in this world the pair of us could not conquer as long as we were at each other's sides.

Feeling as old as Drusilla I will myself to my feet. The cave mouth faced to the West so the rising sun did not shine into it directly but the bright sky of morning was enough to illuminate the long straight cavern. The floor near the entrance is covered in dried blood, both the harpy's and my own. Feathers, rocks, sticks and splintered bones were the majority of the cave's contents. Near where I had fallen I see my father's dagger along with a familiar glint of silver. The bracelet. I walk across and first pick up the weapon. I bring it to my chest and hold it near my heart.

Closing my eyes I take a deep breath and reach out with my spirit. "I…I think understand now." I whisper. "I found someone Dad. I love her. I love her like you loved Mom." Opening my eyes again I look down to the blood caked weapon. "I miss you and…I love you Dad." I sigh and bring the pommel to my lips. "You might not approve of everything I do but…I'll do you proud. Just you wait and see. I'll make you proud."

I look about and find the bracelet again and pick it up off of the ground. I look through it to see what would be normal with a mundane bracelet. The portal was gone, magical lettering along the interior is dark, and it just felt…inert in a way it hadn't been before. The magic had long since been used up.

"Shit." I mutter.

I look deeper into the cave knowing the other half of the bracelet I held had to be back there somewhere. Moving carefully and quietly through the bones and detritus I scan the floor. Seeing the shine of silver under a shattered rib I reach down to find not a bracelet but a silver dinarius.

"What the?" I turn the coin in my hand a moment before looking about the lair again. Soon I see another glimmering among the bones, and then another! Following the trail from coin to coin my gaze finally comes to rest on a torn leather sack wedged into a crack at the back base of the cave. Moving closer I see more silver inside of it. Looking about I see more things. A broken bow, a rusted knife blade, a grime caked belt buckle, and other things. It seemed Rosa was not the first of its prey the harpy had brought back here.

Getting down on my knees I start to rummage around and gather the items together. I clear a spot to pile them, my main focus on the dinarii but anything of interest ends up on the pile. The majority of what I discover is broken and ruined beyond all value or use. I do find the other part of the Janus faced bracelet near Rosa's torn capelet and place the two halves beside the rest. Despite my best efforts my activity must have made too much noise as it isn't long before I hear those three wonderful words. "Good morning Master."

"Good morning Rosa." I say, looking over at her.

She sits up and smacks her dry lips. "Ugh, I taste it. What a wretched smell. I wish we had water." Blinking her big eyes she looks over to me. "What are you doing?"

"Treasure!" I smile. "Look at all of this stuff." Directing with my eyes I draw attention down to the small mound of items I had collected. "Money, a gem, a hairpin, a belt buckle, a bottle full of pepper still sealed, a pair of dice, a metal pen, two rings, a jeweled broach, I think it's gold! I'm not done searching either." I hold up a filthy and frayed hooded green cloak. "There's even some clothes." My voice darkens as I run my hand across a black splotch on the garment. "Though most of it is…soiled."

"Those poor souls."

"Yeah." Looking about the scattered and shattered bones I say. "There's no way to even give them a burial. I pray their souls found the other side."

She shudders. "I would have been among them had you not come."

"That wasn't our fate." I say. "I hope they don't mind us taking this stuff."

"I doubt the dead care of such things."

"Yeah. Some of this stuff is pretty old. None of these coins are later than Vespasian's reign, most are older. I wonder if the harpy found an older abandoned lair or something." Saving the best for last I hold up a rectangular wooden item I had found in the leather sack that contained the silver. "Look at this."

Pulling my tunic tight around her Rosa turns to face me and squints. "A box?"

"I thought so too." I shake my head as I trace the symbol carved into the front of it, that of two pillars with an elaborate circular design between them. "It only looks like it. There are leaves of parchment inside all bound together on one side. The exterior is a part of it, like a cover to protect the pages within. I think it's a codex."

"A book?" She says. "Wow! What is written in it?"

"Not sure. I just found it." I say as I place the item back down. Picking up the two rings of the bracelet I show them to her.

"Oh no!" She whispers. "I forgot…the magic?"

"It seems dead to me but I can't tell."

Rosa gets to her feet and shivers. I hide a grin as I catch a peek of her usually impressive penis all shriveled up from the cold. Adorable. Tightening the tunic around her she approaches me and kneels at my side. She takes the two halves and studies the slender rings of silver. "They don't seem damaged at all." Placing the two faces close together there is a moment of concentration before she lets out a breath and shakes her head. The two parts remain separated. "I can't. Maybe later…I don't know Master." Looking over the gathered loot her demeanor brightens a little. "Well…this will certainly help us."

"It sure will." I put an arm around her and pull her into a hug. "Come on, let's find the rest and get out of this cursed place."

She nods her horned head and scrunches her nose. "Sounds good to me!"

Chapter 73: On the Road Again

Chapter Text

Working together we gather whatever we could find of value. I had found most of it already but there were a few more items we are able to add to the pile. We bundle it up in the leather bag, which was still usable despite the tear, but keep the coinage separate in a rough cloth pouch that we find.

I jingle the pouch. "I still can't get a cow like I wanted, but it's enough for a couple of laying hens."

Rosa smiles. "It's a start."

My tunic and Rosa's vest were both so blood-stained we didn't want to wear them. I opt for donning the green cloak with only my underbreeches on under it while Rosa cuts arm holes into her capelet and uses a bit of string for a makeshift belt. We look at each other and cannot help but laugh. Filthy, bruised, haggard, in cobbled together clothes…it looked like we'd been through all of the labors of Hercules back to back then challenged the gods for more.

"You look terrible." Rosa giggles.

"You look beautiful!"

She raises a brow. "I think your vision might be clouded."

"Perhaps."

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you!"

"Love you too baby." She gets up on her tip toes and kisses my cheek.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

I use the leather drawstring to tie off the top as well as the tear of the bag and pick it up. We move out onto the ledge. Peering down over the drop we see the sprawled out broken body of the harpy beneath us. It was a hell of a drop with only unforgiving stones as a landing. I point out the narrow lip of the fissure that I used to get up here. It angled downward until it was about eight feet from the ground.

"I was thinking that I could…" I start to say, but Rosa was already on her way.

With her natural dancer's grace, and aided by her lithe physique and slender feet, Rosa was hugging close to the cliff and walking sideways down the lip.

"Huh."

I bring the leather bag to my face and bit down on it, letting the bulk of it tuck in under my chin, then lower myself to hang from the fissure. Hand to hand I climb back down the angle just as I had on the way up. Rosa waits at the bottom for me to catch up and drop down.

"Help." She reaches her arms down toward me.

Setting the bag to the side I hold my arms up. "I got ya."

She hops from the narrow lip and straight down into my arms. I catch her and lower her to the earth as gently as a feather. She sneaks a cheeky smooch in along the way which lifts my already soaring heart.

Taking our time we make our way down the loose scree. Once I feel the comforting cushion of actual soil beneath my sandals I fall to my knees I let out a huge sigh, feeling at last that this encounter was truly behind me. I lead Rosa along the ridge then down the slope toward the road. From a long way off we can see our belonging strewn out, starting from a stone and down the green slope. A curious fox is still sniffing about looking for something to eat, it would find nothing there. I scare the pest off by clattering a stone off of a boulder near it and we watch the tawny canine scamper away.

Walking up to my old pack I groan. It has split all along one seam and spilled almost everything that was inside of it out into the elements. I come to a stop and peruse the mess. Rosa meanwhile rushes into the middle of it frantically searching for something. Whatever it is she finds it and slips it into her inner capelet pocket.

"What's that?"

"None of your business."

"None of my business?"

"You heard me."

"Were you hiding something in there?" I say suspiciously. "You sneaky little slave! What have I been carrying all this time?"

"No more questions." She commands indignantly.

I grin. "Yes my Lady."

She winks. "Thank you Master."

The next order of business is water. Blessed, wonderful, life-giving water. We had half a skin of water left and drain every drop of it. It doesn't quench our thirst but it goes a long way. After that I start to gather items.

"It was raining yesterday. Everything would have gotten soaked." I walk to my rope and kneel down to inspect it. Thankfully it was still in good shape. I hug it tight and rub my cheek against its coils.

"Just a bit of damp and a night in the open air." Rosa says. "And the oil flask broke. Nothing so bad." Picking up the pack she pulls the what was left in it out. "Good thing you packed your papers deep." She waggles my property scrolls, for both her and my land, in her hand. "You wouldn't want to lose these!"

"Oh! Thank the gods." I sigh in relief.

She stares at them a moment. "It is so strange still, knowing that I'm property."

"Rosa…"

My Lady grins and tosses them too me. "Thankfully I'm a clever girl and I enslaved my Master with my feminine wiles."

I chuckle. "That you did my Lady, that you did."

She giggles and slings the empty pack over her shoulder. "Help me find my sewing kit. I'll have this fixed up in no time. I can stitch that bag too."

We quickly find the sewing kit. Rosa finds a nice flat rock to sit on and use as a work surface and immediately sets to work. I watch her expertly repair the sacks and remember how my mother had been the one to collect the needles and thread from her own kit to send with me. It seemed a lifetime ago now. I cannot help but wonder how the meeting between Mom and Rosa will go. It may be months or years away but it would happen eventually. Deep down I knew my mother could not approve of us. Deep down I also knew that wouldn't matter. I valued my mother's wisdom but she could never know Rosa like I did.

I collect up our belongings, rebinding anything that had unraveled or come loose, and ready them to be packed up again. Beyond some broken pottery and a few water stains on my reading scrolls our belongings had fared as well as they could have. My dagger I keep securely at my side, we weren't out of wilds yet. I then start to look around for some more water. Beyond a few shallow puddles I find none. The pack and the bag stitched up we redistribute our load between the two, careful to hide our newfound valuables deep within, and pack them up. Using the puddles we clean up as best we could. It felt soooo good to scrub the blood and filth and stench off of my flesh. The water was cold and reinvigorating, for me at least.

"Heeeeee!" Rosa peeps between clenched teeth, her pink nips wrinkly and as stiff as I'd ever seen them. Her whole body shivers. "Brrrrrr!"

I try not laugh at her and splash my face one last time. Waiting for the ripples to calm I look down into the water to see my reflection. I looked different, tired and drawn out, but also…older. Not so much in the face but in the eyes there was a new confidence and calmness that had never been there before.

"Careful." Rosa quips. "Remember Narcissus."

I grin and rub my rough stubbly chin. "No worries there."

I go to our stuff and hoist the pack onto my shoulder and feel that familiar weight again. I reach for the bag.

"Oh no." Rosa says as she lifts it and loops the handle that she had crafted with some of our twine over her own shoulder. "I think you've been carrying more than your share for long enough." She straightens the bag at her hip like a satchel and looks up at me. "After you Master."

A grin slowly grows on my face. "Very well."

We step back onto the road and find our walking sticks where we'd dropped them. I notice Rosa staring at the spot where I had been kneeling, the spot she stood over me as my Lady and struck me. I rest a hand onto her shoulder, letting her know that all was forgiven. She brings her hand to mine and squeezes it back. I could see that it would take some time for her to forgive herself.

The landscape is majestic, grand mountains as far as the eye could see aglow in the warm light of late morning, but even this grandeur cannot move me. Home. Home. All I wanted was home. Our eyes turn and peer off far to the South. Home was waiting for us there.

I thump my walking stick into the road. "Stay close."

Rosa stands tall at my side. "Yes Master."

As we take our first steps we leave this nondescript spot along the road changed people from the pair that had arrived here less than twenty four hours before.

Chapter 74: Back to Civilization

Chapter Text

Keeping conversation to a minimum so as not to attract attention, on we press along the winding mountain path. We forgo eating beyond whatever easy forage we found along the trail. Each step felt more urgent than the last as we got closer and closer to our final destination. We do come across a fresh mountain spring where we freshen up properly as well as completely slake our thirst. The brief yet crucial stop breathes new life into us. The road eventually descends back into the trees and for the latter part of the day we are traveling along a hilly valley between the higher peaks. Beyond a few tense moments with a curious bear the rest of the day passes without incident.

Our footfalls are slow and heavy as we crest yet another hill. There we stop. In the distance we could make out a few spires of smoke drifting up out of the verdant canopy.

"A town?" Rosa says with rising hope.

"More like a village I'm guessing."

"Can we get there tonight?"

"We'll make it." I say. "Even if you need to ride again."

A look of iron determination comes over her. "I can make it Master."

I was so damn proud of that woman, she had come so far. Our spirits buoyed we forge ahead. Evening turns into dusk and we knew that we had to be getting close. Despite how tired we were we are downright giddy when we see the walls and torchlights of the village ahead. We laugh and hold hands as our pace quickens, our minds already enjoying the comforts and security of the village ahead.

"Who goes there?" A voice asks as we approach. A town guard steps out into the center of the open gate. Beyond him the trail turns into a earth packed street that leads to a small town square. There should be a inn somewhere around that square.

"Are we glad to see you!" I say as I approach the man with my hand extended.

He gives us a once over, his eyes narrow suspiciously. I couldn't blame the guy. We were rough looking and wearing the most ridiculous clothes, from his view we were a couple of wild vagrants coming in on a sparsely traveled trail. This too could be rectified here. Surely there would be a general store to purchase proper attire. We come to a stop a few feet back.

"Greetings." My hand still outstretched I say. "It has been a long road and we could really use…"

"No Amazons." He cuts me off gruffly. "She's gotta go, and so do you kid. On your way."

My heart drops, as does my hand, as the jolt back to civilization proves to be an unpleasant one. "Sorry?"

He motions to Rosa, his eyes dip for a second down to her crotch. Unbeknownst to either of us Rosa's makeshift capelet turned shirt was parted near the bottom leaving a clear view of the bulge at the front of her shorts. She quickly covers up but it was too late, he had seen the truth.

"Move along." He orders us.

"Move along?" I say. "Move along!? Move where?"

"Round the wall, back the way you came, I don't care. You're just not coming in here."

"No. No, you don't understand." I say. "We aren't beggars, we'll be no trouble, we have money."

"Good for you. Take your coin and move along."

"Sir." I say as politely as my weary mind could muster. "We've come a very long way. We've had a…difficult journey. This is my slave. I am a land owner from near Grumentum."

"I suggest you move on through then. Sooner you leave here the sooner you get there."

"But it's almost dark and…"

"I guess you better get going then, before you lose all light."

"Sir…it's not fair." I plead with him. I couldn't believe this was happening. "You don't know what we've been through to get here. You don't understand. We just want a dry place to sleep and a warm meal. That's all."

"Listen kid." He steps closer and lowers his voice. "You don't want to bring her in here. For both your sake." His hard eyes soften with his voice. "It's not safe for you here. Get outta here before you draw any notice."

"But…"

Rosa lays a gentle hand on my arm and whispers. "We're not welcome here Master."

I look to her and shake my head. I felt so fucking angry and helpless all at the same time. We'd worked so hard to get here only to be stopped by this bullshit!? I wanted to give my Lady a comfortable night. Who were these people to deny us that simple service?

"It's not fair." I say to her. "It's not fair!"

"No." Rosa says. "It's not." She looks at the guard. "Thank you sir, we are in your debt."

"Sorry about this Ma'am." He nods. "May Mercury watch over your road ahead."

"And I hope Janus stands with you at your gate tonight." She says with impeccable manners.

"Hurry now." He urges us.

"Come on Master." She pulls my arm and leads me away.

As we walk around the tall wooden walls of this backwater forest village I am still muttering at the injustice of it. We didn't deserve this. Rosa didn't deserve this. Out on the road when it was just her and I it was easy to forget about the ugly side of society. It isn't long until we are on the other side the settlement and walking away from it, we find that the road had returned to smooth stones and pavement with smooth ruts along where wagon wheels would roll.

"I think that was where the short cut meets the main road again." Rosa says with admirable composure. "I feel a bit safer already."

I stop and look back at the village with its comfortable rooms and hot suppers. "That's not right. That's not right to turn us away."

"Master."

"I should report them to the governor. You are a legal slave."

"Master."

"I am a citizen! They have no right to do this."

"Master."

"I'll…I'll…"

"Master!"

"What?"

Her eyes motion off to the right side of the road. I turn my head to see a sign, on that sign were the words: Grumentum: 25 miles.

"25 miles?" I say, the meaning slowly sinking in. "25 miles! We can do that in a day!"

"We'll get there tomorrow." She says with a tired smile. "And I'll be a bit more careful when we approach the gates this time around." Reaching down she scratches her nuts in a most unladylike way. "No need to go rousing jealousy among the menfolk."

I laugh and shake my head, my anger from just a second ago all but gone. "How do you DO that?"

"Do what Master?" She bats her eyes.

"Never mind." I look around. "One more night in the bush then."

"What is one more?"

After the watchman's warning we put a little distance between us and the village before spotting a still pond just off the road. We set camp along the shore. Still being in a fairly untamed area we skip building a fire and simply find a secluded spot where we could hide away and catch some sleep. We set our belongings to the side. Rosa peers out over the glassy surface of the lake, the heavens splendor reflected in the dark water. She stands still and perfectly quiet.

"Pretty." I say as I look over her shoulder at the starry lake, to no answer.

I leave her in peace with her thoughts and try to feel about for a decent place to rest. The moment I sit down and rest my back against the trunk of a tree Rosa comes to curl up onto my lap. I wrap my cloak around her and hold her tight. She balls up and starts to rock back and forth, it isn't long before she begins to cry.

"Rosa?" I whisper.

My Lady only breaks down more. She was in no state to talk. She nuzzles into my chest and clings to my body as her weeping turns into heavy sobs. I couldn't be sure why she was crying though I heavily suspected. It wasn't what happened at the village, it wasn't the wear and tear of the road, it wasn't even her striking me. She had held a brave face for as long as she possibly could, but the terror of our encounter with the harpy had at last come to the surface. It could only be bottled up for so long. Monsters were her greatest fear, and with good reason. A monster had taken her parents from her and her sister while she was still of a very impressionable age, leaving them orphans fending for themselves. I couldn't even imagine the horror she must have felt when she found herself alone in the harpy's lair.

I hold her. I soothe her. I stroke her and I kiss her head. I keep my girl inside of my cloak and inside of my safe loving embrace until she gradually cries herself to sleep. It is only once I feel her small warm body relax against me and hear her soft deep breath that I close my eyes to find my own slumber.

Chapter 75: Lost Knowledge

Chapter Text

Rosa on top of me, a tree trunk as a mattress, a knotty root pressing into my butt and the small of my back, and a cool breeze chilling my feet it is not the best of sleeps. I manage to catch a few snippets of slumber through the night though, enough to function at least. With or without sleep the excitement of reaching Grumentum would have been enough to keep me going.

I awake from the last of my naps to see the morning light brightening the forest around us. Rosa is at my side, curled up and using my cloak as a blanket and my leg for a pillow. If I tried to move it would wake her, plus I'd either have to keep the cloak with me and leave her shivering or leave it with her and walk about in just my undies, so I opt to just stay sat where I am. I sit and listen to the morning birdsong and watch the fish jump to snatch bugs from the shimmering surface of the pond. Lovely. This was going to be a good day, I could feel it.

My empty stomach growls in protest but I ignore it. I had bigger things on my mind.

Once we hit the city, less than twenty five miles away now, our new life would begin. We'd get a bath, we'd get some clothes, we'd get a proper meal, and then we'd get to work. I had to register the ownership of my land, and probably my slave too, with provincial officials. I wouldn't mind checking in with the local temple of Ceres either. If we got an early start and really pushed this could potentially be done by this afternoon. Once there I would find out where my plot was, I hoped it was close enough to the city that Rosa could enjoy some of its amenities from time to time. Although the experience last night at the village was a cruel reminder that she might not be welcome with open arms. We'd figure something out.

Depending on how far away the plot was from the city would dictate what happened next. It might still be many miles off. All I knew was that my land was along the Aciris somewhere, but that river wound from the mountains all the way South to the coast near Heraclea. If it was close enough I won't be able to resist trying to press on to get there today, after everything I had been through to get to it I greatly yearned to at last feel my own land beneath my sandals. If it was far away we'd spend the night in Grumentum and head out the next day. Gods, this was so exciting!

Needing to take my mind off of these things lest I wake Rosa just to get moving I look about for something to distract me. Within reach is the leather bag Rosa carries. I pull it close and open the drawstring. Feeling around inside my fingers quickly find a flat wooden surface with a design etched into it.

"The codex." I whisper to myself as I pull it free. I had heard of these, a new way of holding written texts that had some advantages over scrolls, but this was the first I'd seen. I feel the polish of the sleek wood against my hand. Though rather plain to look at, it was a well crafted item.

Setting it down on my knees I loose the little hook that held it shut and open the cover to look at the top quality parchment within. I had never seen such fine parchment, smooth and regular and still supple despite the years it sat in that cave. I am not sure if it is missing some pages but there is no title or list of contents, it simply begins. It was a strange arrangement on the page. The top half was in Greek and I got the distinct impression that it was a copy of another text in another hand, perhaps even a traced version of some rubbing as the writing did not flow as it should. The bottom half was in Latin and appeared to be notes and commentary by the transcriber. This was no story book.

Flipping to the next page my interest piques. "By Ceres!" I see very detailed drawings of three kernels of grain, one wheat, one rye, and one barley. The writing around the drawings is indecipherable to me, I would have to have Rosa read it aloud. Again the bottom half is in Latin but it spoke in reference to the text and sketches above, assuming the reader had read and understood what was there. What I could glean was that the even writer themselves didn't fully understand what they had copied above. This was some sort of philosopher's journal where the scholar was trying to comprehend a much older text. It was far more complex than most anything I had read before, I was well out of my depth, but the mystery had me intrigued.

As I continue turning pages, reading bits of the Latin and studying the drawings, Rosa eventually stirs.

"Good morning Master." She says softly, even before opening her eyes.

I rub one of her horns with my thumb. "Good morning my love."

"Mmm." She smiles. "That's nice, say it again."

I stroke my hand past her pointed ear and along her neck to her slender shoulder. "Good morning my love."

"Mmm!" She kisses my leg. "Mornin lover."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry about last night."

"You never have to be sorry for that. Never."

She blinks her eyes open to see the codex not far from her face. Sitting up she cuddles in beside me and wraps her arms around my body, probably as much to leech my heat as a gesture of love. Not that I was complaining. I slide it closer on my lap so that we could both look at it.

"What's this?" She asks, her waking mind suddenly very focused.

"I don't know." I say as I start flipping back through the pages I'd already looked at. "Half of it is in Greek. It outlines some sort process one does with grains."

"Hold on." Rosa stops me and flips back a page. "They're fermenting here. They're making beer. I recognize that from Peisandros' place."

"Yeah." I say. "The notes mention brewing, but it's more than that. Umm, here." I point. "The writer mentions dis…distil…distillation. Something like that. Turning one liquid into another. Eventually the liquid is put into wooden barrels for a time. There's mention of grapes too, but it is mostly focused on grains."

"Quin." Rosa pulls the book even closer. "That's not Greek."

"It isn't?" I say. "Is it those magic letters? Like on the bracelet? Is this a magic book?"

"No, not that either. These aren't magic runes. That language is Atlantean."

"What!?"

"I think it is anyway. I can't be sure." She flips a page.

"This is writing from Atlantis!?" I say in disbelief.

"I don't know. I am not a scholar. I remember Papa had some scrolls like this though. I could be wrong, I was very young."

"Wow…wow!"

"I can make some of it out." She says as she turns another page. "It has a lot of commonalities with Greek." She studies the strange bent item in the drawing. "This thing is called a still." She runs her fingers over the page. "I wonder who copied this."

"And where. And when. How long had it been in that lair?"

"The academies would pay handsomely for such a journal."

"You think?"

"Yeah, don't you?" She says. "I bet Peisandros would be interested too. It seems right up his alley. We should show him if we see him again."

I let it sink in a moment and then…clap the codex shut and latch it. "A topic for another time."

She laughs and looks up at me. "Anxious to get on the road are we?"

"Just a little bit." I wink.

"We're so close!" Slapping my knee she states. "Then lets get you shaved and groomed Master and we can be on our way. You need to be looking your best today."

I grin. "Yes my Lady."

She shaves me and grooms me and makes me feel special like only she can. As she is washing up she pulls the two halves of the magical bracelet from her inner pocket and again attempts to connect them.

"Hey! I did it." She grins. "They are one again."

"They just needed time I guess."

"No, I think it's more to do with me. I felt so hollow yesterday morning, so empty. It's hard to describe. I'm feeling much better today though." She twists the bracelet, studying it. "Hopefully it will recharge itself now. Time will tell I guess."

Within moments we are on our feet, each with our own pack over our shoulders. Rosa looks to me then back to the hollow where we had just slept.

"You know, I'm gonna kinda miss roughing it." She says wistfully.

"Really?"

"NO!" She exclaims. "Come on Master. We're almost home!"

Chapter 76: A Wondrous Sight

Chapter Text

Back on a proper road again is not only much easier to traverse it also brings with it other travelers once more. For a piece of silver we manage to purchase some food off of a group heading to Potentia. A loaf of bread and some cheese for a dinarii, highway robbery by any measure but absolutely worth it to feel our bellies full again. With each mile the area swiftly became less wild and more settled. It is only an hour before we come across another village.

Remaining as inconspicuous as we could given our rough appearance we make a few purchases of food and clothing then move right on through to find a secluded place to get changed. Rosa didn't like the idea of buying premade clothes as she usually made her own, but we hadn't the time today to be choosy. I wanted to be presentable for arriving in Grumentum. For myself I buy another good wool tunic to replace the one I'd lost, this one was red. Rosa we spend a bit more on, at last buying her proper sandals along with a stola and a blue palla. We find a small clearing behind some bushes and try on our garments. Simple as they were, being commoner clothes, the dress and shawl completely transformed my adorable slave girl into a lady of beauty and refinement. She even goes the extra step of, with a bit of twine and the hairpin we'd found, putting her long hair up into a topknot which accentuated her willowy neck and showed off her lovely ears. It was the first time I had seen her in clothing she had not borrowed or cobbled together or her hair in anything but naturally flowing locks and the effect magnified her natural elegance tenfold. Seeing her like this was a sudden reminder that Rosa was no simple peasant as I was. Her gestures, her movement, even the way she stood simply oozed a grace and sophistication that could not be missed. If not for the brand on her hand anybody looking at us would have assumed I was the slave and she the master. Wow! I couldn't even imagine how stunning she must have looked in her fine silk Alexandrian gowns of her previous life.

"You look…incredible!"

"Thank you Master." She curtsies. "We need to make a good impression, right?"

"Right." I look her up and down one more time. "Wow."

Once back on the road we notice an immediate difference. Folks smiled at us again. We would nod and say hello and move along with far fewer suspicious looks or sour faces. I soon realized that Rosa's dress cloaked her Amazon heritage much better than her capelet ever did. We are even invited to join a picnic, which we accept with apologies that we could not stay for long. We eat and drink and enjoy the casual company of others in a way I hadn't felt in quite some time. It just felt…normal. It had been awhile since I felt like anything in my life was simply normal. It was nice. Rosa regales them with the tale of the harpy, even showing them our old bloodstained clothes as proof, as well as a vastly exaggerated account of me doing battle with three men and two dogs. The group is duly impressed even as I blush at the attention. As soon as we could excuse ourselves we are back on the road again.

"I kinda miss seeing your legs." I quip at one point.

"I don't think you'll see me in an outfit like that ever again. Not on the road at least."

"I guess not." I say. "Things are already changing. Everything feels…different today."

"We're so close." She then giggles as she looks down at her new dress. "I can't believe I walked halfway across Italy in those short shorts!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Very unladylike. So unbecoming." I tease and I am instantly punished with a pinch and twist to my nipple. "Ah!"

"Behave."

"Ooo. Yes my Lady." I say rubbing my chest, all smiles.

The mountains get lower and more rounded, the forests thin out, the traffic along the road gradually increases, and more and more we see homes and settlements along the way. It is just past midday when round the peak of a hill to see a wondrous sight unfurl before us.

Under a cerulean sky painted with white wisps of cloud stretches a vast bucolic valley. Surrounded by hills and mountains on three sides it stretches off out of sight to the Southeast. The flat floor of the valley is painted greens and ambers with farms and fields and forests and through the center winds a sinuous river fed by the Appenines. Huts and villas and tiny villages speckle the pastoral landscape. That old martyr we met on the road spoke to me about heaven. If this wasn't it I don't know what was.

"Home." I sigh.

Rosa hugs my arm tight and presses in close as she takes in the incredible valley.

"Come on." I say, hurrying forward. Rosa follows me off of the road across a rocky expanse so that we could look around an outcropping that blocked our view to the Southeast. Once we clear the obstruction I stop and point to the city in the distance that sat upon a hill along the river. "Grumentum!"

"Oh Quin!"

"Ha ha!" I grab my Lady at the hips and lift her high into the air and start to spin around. "HA HA HA!"

"HEEEEE!" Rosa extends her body and spreads her arms like a bird and laughs with me as she twirls through the air.

I let go of her hips and let her slide down into my embrace. We kiss and laugh and share this monumental moment. "There's the Aciris." I point along the twisting river. "I wonder if we can see our place from here?"

"Home!" Rosa cheers. Slipping from my arms she runs to the edge of a steep drop off and throws her arms in the air as she cries out. "WE MADE IT!"

I glance over my shoulder to see that we were getting a few looks from the road. Not that I cared. I chuckle and call after her. "We're not there yet."

Onward we push, following the road down into the rich valley with its crops of grain and plum trees and olives. Herds of goats and sheep dapple the dry hills that surround us. We greet the people that pass us by a bit more attentively now as any one of them may prove to be a neighbor or a future friend. We look at the villas as we walk by and take in the streets and businesses of the smaller communities we pass through. There is much of interest but our stride never slows, we were too close now to dally.

We reach the river Aciris and follow a road that wended along its stony bank. Aciris. It wasn't just a word anymore, or a squiggly line on a map. It was real. This was all real. After dreaming about it for so long I was still having trouble believing this place really existed. Rosa seems to sense my dumbfounded feeling as she reaches over to take my hand, helping to anchor me to this wonderful moment.

Our feet aching, our legs weary, our bodies sweaty from the summer heat, we cross a stone bridge to arrive at the foot of the hill upon which sat the raised city of Grumentum. We look up the slope to the pale stone walls part way up and the buildings beyond. At the highest point stood the grand columns of the city's forum. I nod. This place had a good feeling about it. Like Beneventum did. A city big enough for anything we may want without being overwhelming to my rural sensibilities. I look to the South, my eyes following the twisting ribbon that marked the river's path. I prayed the land was close. I look back up to the city above us and nod.

Turning to the right we follow the road along the base of the hill then turn again to start climbing the grade that lead to Grumentum's Southern gate. Once there we pause yet again just to take in the bustling activity moving in and out of the city. Rosa's eyes are wide with excitement as she peers through the wide gate. Brimming with nervous joy I step forward, my slave girl falling in just behind me.

Chapter 77: Welcome to Grumentum

Chapter Text

I nod to one of the city guards stationed at the gate as we move through with the rest of the traffic. He grins and waves me over. A bit trepidatious at the attention I swerve to meet him.

"Good day to you Officer." I say.

"Good day citizen!" He says jovially. "I do not believe I've seen you before."

"No Sir, I am new here." I pat my pack. "I've inherited some land in the area and we've come to settle down."

He holds his hand out. "Well then! Welcome to Grumentum." I shake his hand. The man was tall, though not as tall as me, and slender with long blonde, almost golden, hair. His too large eyes are a pale silver and his tanned skin had a brassy sheen to it. He was a handsome man even through there was something slightly unnerving about his features.

"This is my slave Rosa." I pause. "I am her master Quintus." Rosa bows her heads in greeting.

"Your slave's cute little horned head is what drew my attention." He says as he motions us to step to the side to allow other travelers to flow in and out. We move into a shallow hollow on the inside of the city walls. "It is always a welcoming sight to see another non-human."

"You are a Jinn?" Rosa says, a hint of surprise evident in her polite tone.

He laughs, a deep hearty laugh. "Jinn, angel, call me what you will." He says. "The name is Amadeus. City guard and cohort of Consul Fulgentius, one of the corulers of the city." He shoots me a wink. "The consul sure would appreciate your vote in the next election good citizen."

"Er…yeah." I say. I had never voted before. "Well, I'm not sure how close we'll be."

"Keep him in mind. He's a good friend to have for people like me and Rosa. People like us need every friend we can get."

"Indeed. Are there many like you here?"

"Not so many but we're around." He says. "A couple of angels, a few demons, and a small ghetto of kobalos too."

"Kobalos? Goblins! You have goblins living in the city?"

"Yep, I wouldn't call them that word to their face though. The hills around this valley used to be crawling with them in the old Republic days. Don't worry, they aren't a threat anymore. Do be careful with them. They're not all bad but many are…light fingered."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Any…amazons?" Rosa asks with cautious hope.

The angel looks at Rosa curiously before understanding washes over him. "No, I'm afraid not." He says with no enmity. "You would be the first that I know of, and I know most of our type around here."

"I see." Her ears dip ever so slightly.

"You are a rare one, aren't you?"

"One of a kind." I say warmly, looking back to my beautiful companion.

"Your wings?" Rosa says softly as she steps up at my side.

He nods, expecting the question. He extends his neck and brings his hand to it to trace along an old well healed scar that ran around it. "I am an ex-slave. I only bought my freedom five years ago. Unfortunately my ex-master was…a merciless woman." He rolls his shoulders. "Chopped them right off first day. Flight risk you know, literally. Ha!"

"I am so sorry."

He chuckles, this was all old news to him. "Having my freedom again is even better than soaring through the sky." He glances to me then back to her. "Perhaps fate will be so kind to you as well."

"There is no such fate for my kind."

"True." He says sadly.

"It's okay." Rosa presses in beside me to take my arm. "I've found my freedom."

"Fair enough." His already kind expression looks at me with a new respect.

"And what about your halo?" Rosa asks. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Muted." He says with a grin, then a moment later a golden light shines out from his crown. Around us there are mutters and grumbles as the people passing by give us a wider berth.

"Amadeus. Amadeus!" A guard from the other side of the gate barks. "Gods damn it!"

"Sorry sir!" He calls back and the golden light dims. He laughs. "As I said, muted."

"I hate to cut this short." I say. "But I've business to attend to and only so many hours to do it."

"Of course." He says. "Well if you ever need a local to show you around I am here at the South gate most days." His words were mostly directed to Rosa, but I was included as well. "And remember what I said about the Consul. In Grumentum it is good to know who your friends are and are not."

"I see. Well, thank you Amadeus."

"Good day." Rosa adds. "Perhaps we'll meet again."

"I look forward to it." He bows and returns to watching the traffic coming in and out of his gate.

Rosa and I walk into the city proper. Despite having been to the grandest city in all the world just two weeks ago we gawp and point and let out excited exclamations like a couple of tourists straight in from the sticks.

"There's the theater!" Rosa says gaily looking toward the large stone building a block to the East of us. "It looks nice. I hope they allow slaves."

"That's a temple." I point to the building beside. "I wonder to which god?"

Walking along the paved main central street of the thrumming and thriving city there are posters advertising upcoming blood games at the amphitheater and a sign inviting us to enjoy the heated public bath. Aqueducts ran this way and that and around us there are stalls and carts with local business people trying to draw our attention. The smells of delicious fare mingles with the acrid smoke of a nearby smith. People dine and shop and debate and hurry about their business all around us. Without slowing too much we soak it all in. It might be a far cry from the capital or even exotic Alexandria, but it was a proper city alright.

"I love it!" Rosa says, her eyes alight with excitement.

"This is awesome!"

It isn't long before the main street intersects with the one that climbed the hill to the forum and the government buildings. I straighten my pack and take breath. This was all so real all of a sudden. This was it. Time to embrace my destiny! With my slave just behind me but right at my side I stride forward with all of the confidence I could muster.

An hour later Rosa and I are sat upon a wooden bench in an oppressively silent windowless hallway at the very back of one of the Imperial buildings. Our two packs are piled beside us. Across from us is a door leading into the office of an officer of the local bureaucracy. I had walked in here with a fire in my belly, now I was just bored.

"What do you think is taking so long?" I say at a volume I thought quiet but it ends up echoing off of the polished marble floor and piercing the silence like a ringing bell. Down the hall a magistrate writing upon a tablet at a small desk in an alcove gives me a vitriolic scowl.

"Patience Master." Rosa says. "It won't be long now."

Another hour passes. All I could think about is the vibrant city beyond these bland white walls and my farm that waited for us somewhere out there in the countryside. Rosa and I couldn't even enjoy a conversation as the writing man would shush us every time we spoke even a whisper. People had come and gone from the door in front of us as we still sat waiting. Not able to hold back I mutter.

"I was hoping we could see our place today."

"Me too." Rosa says, placing her hand over mine. "I was hoping tonight would be the night."

"I hear ya."

"Shhhh!"

Rosa ignores the glowering man. "That's not what I mean."

"Mmm?"

Leaning in and up Rosa gets right in close to my ear. "I want you. I want you my boy. Tonight."

"Want…me?" I swallow.

"You've been so good my boy. So good." She licks my tender earlobe and says in a voice just loud enough for me to hear it. "I'm gonna fuck you so good baby."

"Ohhh." I swoon back against the wall

"You've had my fingers, you've had my tongue, you've had your own hard cock." She continues, her hot breath tickling my flesh. "I think you're ready for your Lady's love."

"I'm ready!" I gasp. "Ohhhhh gods!"

"I'm gonna take you baby. I'm gonna make you howl. I can't wait to feeeeel youuuuu."

"Ohhh yesss!" I am melting.

"He he he." Rosa nips my shoulder. "I'm getting hard just thinking about…"

"SHHHHH!"

"Shh yourself!" I bark back, my unintentionally 'boyishly' high voice reverberating off the walls. I clear my throat and deepen my tone. "Leave us be old man."

"Old man!?" He sits up indignantly.

Uh oh. Given the quality of his toga it was plain to see that he was my social better. I may have just made a terrible mistake. He was just about to say something when the door opens and a young man looks to us. "Quintus?"

"Yes!" I say, springing up out of my seat and grabbing my pack. I give the irate magistrate a cringing smile as an apology and hurry into the office with Rosa close behind.

Inside we find a gray haired fellow in a toga similar to the one the man in the hallway wore behind a long desk. Upon the desk he already had my paperwork laid out. I didn't know what I expected this to be like, momentous in some way or at the very least notable, instead the dreary energy in the room sucks the life out of the moment.

"Quintus Quintilianus." He says in a monotone voice.

"Yes, that's me your honor." I clear my throat and shift nervously.

"Pfff!" Rosa's giggle is a stark contrast with the sober tone of this office. "Your last name is Quintilianus?"

"You didn't know that?"

"No!" She titters. The official harumphs and Rosa bows her head. "Apologies your honor."

I can't help but smile despite the hard glare bearing down on me.

"You bring a demon slave with you, here. An amazon no less. An amazon!" His words drip with disgust, his face twists as if the word tasted bitter in his mouth. I let the insulting tone slide, there was little I could say in this situation. After all I'd been through I didn't want to mess anything up now. "The nerve you have. I can see you have too much of your uncle in you."

"I n-never actually met my uncle Paullus."

"And I met him more times than I wished to." His eyes narrow. "His reputation precedes you. Keep that in mind young man." I got the distinct impression that was a veiled threat.

"I am only here to settle down and farm sir. I am a good boy….errr…I mean, I am a good man." Rosa grips my arm from behind at my stutter, lending me some courage. "You'll have no trouble from me. From us. We just want a quiet life."

"Mmm." He grumbles, unconvinced, and looks back down to the papers. "Your citizenship, your property, and your…slave girl…" He looks at Rosa with open contempt and distrust. "…have been found to be in order."

I let out a sigh of relief, Rosa's breath echoes mine.

He brings a sheet to the top. Upon it is a drawing of a wild rose, a near exact copy of the symbol on Rosa's hand. "And you wish to register this as the Quintilianus symbol? It is…unconventional."

"But allowable?"

"Mmm, yes." It was the most reluctant yes I'd ever heard but it was still a yes and that is all that mattered. There was no other symbol I could imagine using. Rolling up the papers he pushes them across to me. "Welcome to Grumentum citizen."

"That's…that's it?" I say. After weeks of travel and two hours of waiting the meeting had barely lasted a couple of minutes. He does not reply as he was already reading another contract from the pile by his desk. "Thank you sir, thank you! So…my plot is close then?"

The younger man who stood off to the side steps forward. "Your plot borders the river on the North side, follow it East and watch the marker stones. You'll find it easy enough."

"How many hours?" I ask, trying to keep my enthusiasm contained in front of the stuffy old official.

"Hours?" He says. "One, a bit more probably. If you hit the tributary you've gone too far."

"One? One hour!?" I rush forward to shake the young man's hand as if he had personally placed the plot. "Thank you! Oh, thank you sir!"

He smiles and shakes my hand back…until his boss gives him the same glower he had given us. "Erm. I think you should go now."

Chapter 78: Home

Chapter Text

The moment we are out of the building Rosa and I come together. Under the fluttering banner of the Empire we hug each other tight. All the hurdles had been cleared. All the legalities done. We had made it. We were here. For good or for ill this valley was our place in the world now.

I look to the sky. Sol was much lower in the West than when we'd walked in but we still had some time left. We had already done a full day's march but being this close to the end things as trifling as tired legs and sore feet weren't about to stop me now. Our eagerness and our zeal to see our final destination gives us focus as we walk back through the city. We make a few quick targeted stops just to grab a couple of immediate necessities, among them is a used wooden handcart that was hardly more than a flat slab with squeaky wheels. We pile our belongings onto it. I lift the handle to level the bed then reach a hand out to help Rosa up onto it.

"I can walk." She says.

"My Lady ought to ride in style." I say with a smile as I patiently wait for her to decide. If my legs were tired hers would be worse.

She hesitates a moment then nods with a little grin. She gets up onto the cart and sits at the front lip, her feet dangling off the front just behind where I would be pulling. "A grand chariot it is." She says as she wiggles into place. "Fit for an Empress."

"Let us go see your empire your Majesty."

I grip the cross beam and push. I make my way back through dusty bustling streets to the South gate. We give a friendly wave to Amadeus but continue straight on through. Back down the hill, back across the bridge, and continuing further along the road we had taken here that ran roughly parallel to the river. Traveling generally East the road splits further from the Aciris with a mixture of agricultural and wooded areas now bordering the road on both sides. The clunking clattering wheels and the incessant squeak of the axle bring to mind our short time with Drusilla. Along the way we greet any of our new neighbors with a jovial smile and a few kind words, but never once stop to chat. There would be time for that later.

Whether it was the wagon, my weary legs, or an assumption on the young civil servants part that we owned a horse or chariot it was well over an hour, pushing towards two, and we still hadn't come to our plot. We pass one boundary stone after another but none had the information I was on the look out for. It would have been so much easier if they just numbered them somehow so I at least knew how close were getting instead of detailing the Emperor, local Consul, and date of when the plot was established. The shadows were getting longer and my excitement now bordered on impatience. We hadn't hit the tributary though so I push on with an ever growing need to see my land while it was still light enough to see it.

We are coming down from a wooded rise when I see another marker stone ahead just to the right of the road. I carefully control the cart down the slope and get close enough to read the etchings. I nearly stumble as I see the words I had been waiting for come into view.

"This is it!" I exclaim and bring the cart off of the road to set it down. "We're here!"

Rosa hops off and rushes to the stone. "Oh Quin!"

I hurry up to stand beside her and put my arm around her shoulders as we peer out over our little piece of the Empire. The sight was beyond even my wildest dreams. From this rise we look down over a vast waving field of healthy amber wheat. In the distance, halfway between the road and the river, sat a white red-roofed villa with out buildings gleaming in the evening sun like a pieces of fine ceramic art. I could not have imagined a more perfect plot.

"By the gods!" I gasp, my spirit soaring.

At my side Rosa was far more restrained in her joy. I don't think she appreciated just what it was we were looking at here. She looks down to the marker and then up over the field again. "Master…this can't be right."

"Of course it is right." I laugh. "Fortuna has rewarded us for all of our hardships. Gods be praised! We are ho…"

"Master, there are men working in that field."

"Neighbors no doubt, or their slaves. In the country sometimes when one of us cannot keep up with things everyone around pitches in to keep things going. Uncle Paullus must have been a good friend to them. A proper Ceres man no doubt."

"Master…there's smoke coming from the chimneys. People are living down there."

"Yes." I say as I too notice it, my confidence starting to waver. "Perhaps an arrangement to keep the place in good order."

"Master…"

"Or perhaps they've let the field workers use the villa. It would only be fair for keeping up the crop. We'll have to give them most of the profits this year in thanks, it's only right. What wonderful people must live here to do this for us."

"Master." Rosa tugs on my tunic. "Look."

She points ahead of us. There, about ten strides away, was another border stone partially hidden by a patch of tall grass delineating the next plot.

"But…" I scratch my head. "But…how…"

"We must have missed the first stone. This is far edge of the property."

As one our heads turn back to the land we had just been traveling along.

"No. No, this isn't right."

It was easy to see where the neighbors land ended and mine began. As if cut with a knife the perfectly straight edge of the square field of wheat comes up against a dense wall of trees and bushes. At the river the wood shifts to a flat stony meander. I look back up the road. I had not given this area much attention on the way by as I believed it to be a wild space.

"This can't be it."

"There was a lane back there." Rosa says. "Just over the crest of the hill."

"That's right." I say, hopes shaken but still high. "That's right, there was." I stride to the cart and lift the handle. Rosa forgoes riding to walk along beside me. "These trees must just be a border." I say as I try to peer the greenery to what might lay beyond, to no avail as all I could see is more forest. "My mother and her family are farmers. Paullus came from farmer stock. He's a farmer."

"Yet he moved away?"

"Yeah, to find his own…" I my voice fades we come over the crest to see the lane ahead. "There it is."

Walking at a pace just short of a jog we hurry up to the side road. There was no gate or sign post of any kind, simply a road leading into the bushes. We turn onto it. Peering down overgrown lane my heart was sinking fast. I remind myself that no matter what it was still land and it was still an unexpected boon, but my expectations were being shattered to pieces here. With much less spring in my step we progress along the path and into the forest. Looking left and right I see the woods may have once been maintained but it had been left to go wild many years ago. This couldn't be the right place, yet it must be.

It is not long before we see a large building through the foliage. With the squeaking of the cart's wheels and the song of birds around us we follow the trail around a lefthand curve and come up onto a wide area paved with stone. I stare in disbelief. Before us rises a graying and terribly dilapidated two story villa. The paint was flaking, cracked russet roof tiles lay on the ground here and there around the edge, the wide wooden front door hung crooked off of a hinge, and most of the windows were shuttered and nailed shut. My uncle had deceased two months ago yet the place looked like it hadn't been lived in in a decade. Not only was it in bad shape, it was huge! Far too large for just Rosa and I. While no palace neither was it a simple farm house. This was the type of villa that required servants and slaves to properly maintain even when in good working order. In its day it must have been a sight to behold but as it was…it looked ready to cave in on itself. Between us and it there was a long rectangular shallow pool half full of stagnant green water, in the center stood a partially moss covered eight foot statue of Mercury looking down on us, as if to greet us. I swear the old trickster god was smirking. I let go of the cart, letting it clatter down to rest.

"This is…this is…" Words fail me.

"Beautiful!" A brightly smiling Rosa says in a hushed tone, her wide eyes peering around at the crumbling architecture and the tangled forest. "We're home!"

I shake my head. Rosa hadn't a clue of the magnitude of this revelation. The amount of time and backbreaking labor it would take to clear, break, and terrace the land we'd seen thus far into something productive…I couldn't even guess. And that is to say nothing of the crumbling villa itself. Gods, what did the inside look like? But I hadn't seen the remainder of the property yet. I needed to see the rest to truly assess our situation. The villa sat on a large outcrop, the rest of the land dropping sharply off beyond it. Leaving the awestruck Rosa behind I hurry forward and around the roofed and tiled porch that surrounded the villa on all sides. I see birds nesting in the eaves, I see rotted wooden beams, I see graffiti, and I see a whole hell of a lot of broken amphora and other pottery. By the smell and dark stains on the insides it seemed they had been wine containers, the fact I could smell them at all told me they weren't as old as the rest of this place. I ignore it all and continue on. Coming around to the back the paved area continues out into what was once a magnificent columned terrace that overlooked the land. I storm right past the stone benches and columns toward the knee high balustrade, trying my best to cling to some small bit of hope. Perhaps this was an orchard or a vineyard or a…

"Shit."

The forest did give way to a more open expanse but not the kind I had hoped for. To the right and left stone stairs lead down the steep slope to a low lying area that had once been an expansive garden. Though it was overgrown, from above I could see the layout. A fountain in the center, a winding cobble path through the lawn around it, shrines and statuary about the edges, and even a gazebo near the far end. If there were other features they had been swallowed by the thick foliage of the forest that encroached in from all around. Beyond the gazebo I saw the almost circular curve of the river, confirming my earlier thought that the far edge of the property was a meander bordered on three sides by the snaking waterway. Right away I could see why this estate, as grand as it once was, had eventually been abandoned. The lawn was strewn all over with roots and branches and random detritus, parts of it were choked out by earth that had once been mud washed in during a flood. It appeared that whenever the Aciris spilled its banks the whole garden area would be under water. There was the remnants of a flood wall that bordered the garden where the green met the stony bank but clearly it hadn't been enough. Across the river was the scrubby fallow land of some other local. The shadow of the hill and the trees darkens the land beyond telling me this back terrace faced roughly Eastward, making it ideal to host visitors during hot summer evenings but not so great for growing anything needing a lot of sun.

This was no farm. Not by a long shot. It was a failed luxury estate. No doubt the country home of some patrician from years gone by who likely also once held all of the rich farmland that surrounded this plot. What in Ceres name was I supposed to do with this? What have you gotten me into here dear uncle?

From behind me I hear the clink of broken pottery being kicked followed by Rosa's cheerful voice. "Well, it could certainly use a coat of paint."

"A coat of paint!?" I sigh and bury my face in my hands. "Gods Rosa."

She glides up beside me and takes my arm and rests her head against my shoulder. "Not what you expected?"

"No. Not even a little!" I let out a huff. "We came all this way…for this!?"

"I like it." Rosa states unequivocally as she looks out over our land. "I think it is the most wonderful place in all the world."

"Sure it looks pretty but how do I make living off of it? How do I support us?" My shoulders slump. "Even if I get some work with one of our neighbors…most of my income would go toward the taxes on this place. Maybe I can sell it but…who would want it? This is more burden than blessing. Rosa, this land needed to be able to support itself and as well as us. Gods damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Mmm." She squeezes in tight, holding me close for a long quiet moment, before saying. "A wise man once said that regret and anger won't help a damn thing. All we can do is get on with living."

"Hey." I look down at her. "My Dad used to say that."

"I know." She smiles back up at me and scrunches her nose. "Pretty good advice I'd say."

The tension, the anger, the disappointment all ease as Rosa does that thing that only she can do. I put my arms around her and pull her in tight, more in love with her than ever. Looking again at our property I let the veil of my expectations fall away and see it all again with fresh eyes.

It really was a pretty site. Quite stunning actually, it was probably originally placed here just for this view. The hills and mountains in the distance were spectacular. The forest was lush and healthy indicating good earth beneath it. Though on a hill there was at least some relatively usable land up here if I could somehow clear it. Being right on the river meant easy fishing and, more crucially, that we'd never have to worry about fresh water. We were within a couple hours walk along a well built road of a thriving city. Cleaned up some of these statues and stone might be worth something, it might just help us along in the short term. All around us our neighbors did Ceres' good work upon the soil, that gave me comfort. And, given our nontraditional lifestyle, perhaps a little wooded privacy wouldn't be so bad in the end. Also, maybe most importantly, Rosa liked it. This place had a lot going for it. How many of my fellow plebeians would give everything they had for such a chance as this? This inheritance may be the instrument of my eventual ruin but all I could do right now is follow my father's guidance to do my best and get on with living.

I take in a long breath and smell the fresh forest air. Our forest. I shift my weight just to feel the paved terrace beneath my feet. Our terrace. I gaze down on the verdant garden, bright flowers still speckled the wild green here and there. Our garden. I glance back over my shoulder at the ramshackle villa in all of its long faded glory. Our villa. From the road right on down to the river, from the grain field on one side to the one that bordered the other, this was all ours. Our very own place to build a life together.

"Home!" I say at last, allowing that powerful word to truly and fully sink in for the first time. "We're home Rosa."

"Home." Rosa echoes as she leans into me. "You got us here Quin, safe and sound, just like I knew you would." She sighs happily. "We made it baby."

"We made it." I cup my hands in behind her pointed ears and kiss her, hard, and she kisses me back. I scoop her up off of the ground and cradle her in my arms. "Allow me to carry you across the threshold my Lady?"

She hugs me around the neck with one arm and thrusts her other hand forward. "Take me to our palace my prince!"

Chapter 79: Tonight's the Night

Chapter Text

Rosa's petite body easily held in my arms I carry her back around to the front, stepping carefully to avoid the broken shards of ceramic. It seemed right to enter our new home for the first time through the main door. Standing between the crooked front door and the stagnant pool we look up at the imposing structure. At one point it would have been a gleaming white, faded accents of red horizontal lines could still be made out.

"We won't be wanting for space." I quip.

"Nope!" Rosa giggles. "I might have to carry a map so I don't get lost."

Putting the staggering amount of work it was going to take to spruce this place up again out of my mind I step up onto the small porch and approach the door a bit warily. Peering through the space I could see natural light in the distance but all was dark in between. Reaching out with a foot I push the door, the bottom corner scrapes along the smooth yet bumpy mosaic floor.

"Pretty." Rosa says as the light reveals the multicolored labyrinth design of the floor.

I step through, entering our house with my Lady in my arms, feeling a sense of victory filling my spirit. As big of a milestone as it was for me to take on this place it was Rosa's presence that made this moment special. I couldn't even imagine it without her. I kiss her, and we smile at each other, then let her down onto her feet. The walls of the entrance hall were painted plaster depicting a lovely country garden, perhaps the garden of this very villa back in its glory days? To my surprise, and a pleasant one it was, the interior was in much better condition than the shabby outside of the building. The floor, the walls, the timber of the roof all looked a bit neglected but generally to be in good shape. This was a placed that had been lived in and kept up to a minimum standard at least. Through the open doorway across from us I can see the pillars and open roof of the central peristyle.

With me leading the way we pass through a short hallway with doors to each side, the one on the right had a small plaque indicating that the slave quarters were through there. The hall opens into the spacious peristyle, this room alone is as large as the entire house that I grew up in. It rose up the full height of both stories to an opening in the roof. We find a waist high wall topped with pillars that supported the ceiling. Within the area open to the sky is a small inner garden full of mostly dead ferns and weeds. All around the rest of the room lead to other rooms or hallways. At the second story level were a few shuttered windows that could be opened to look down into this area. More broken amphora and pottery lay here and there along with some wooden furniture, much of it also broken.

From here we look around at the various exits all around us wondering where to go next. Most of the doors were closed but there was one broken open like the heavy front door. I suspected thieves had visited in the months since my uncles death. Having nobody here to watch over it I wasn't surprised. Perhaps they found something of value but looking around at the state of the place I was dubious there would have been much here worth stealing.

We continue our exploration. We find the atrium messy but with the impluvium pool in good repair and half full of clear rainwater. We find the tablinum, the office of the house seemed to have been turned into some sort of gambling den as there are cracked bone dice and parts of other games of chance scattered about the table and floor. We find a hall, grander by far than the one Peisandros hosted us in, with more amphora and tattered furniture. It had a mosaic floor and the walls are covered in frescoes of figures dancing and performing lewd acts, though in the deep dim they were hard to make out. We find the kitchen with long since rotted food and just a few usable implements in it but in good working order. We find stairs up, we find stairs leading down to a cellar which we leave be, we find all of this and more. So many rooms! Most too dark to see. It was simply too much for two weary travelers to explore in a single evening. Besides, Nox had nearly pulled her blanket completely across the dimming sky.

"We'll have plenty of time tomorrow." I say.

"And the next day and the next day." Rosa takes my hand. "And forever."

I liked the sound of that. I squeeze her hand and we make our way back to the front to get our packs. "It looks like this place was a…party house of some sort."

"Mmm. A pleasure mansion or simply a den of iniquity." Rosa nods. "Your uncle was a drunkard and a gambler and an all around hedonist it seems. I think I saw a shrine to Bacchus back there. Gods only know what these walls have seen."

"His reputation precedes me." I say, recounting what the official had said back in the city. "Great."

She pats my arm. "You are your own man. People will learn that soon enough."

We walk back outside and look around the shadowy woods. Through the branches I could just make out the square angle of the side of another building hidden in the foliage. The house wasn't the only thing left to explore. I didn't even truly know how large this plot was never mind what was actually in it. Again, a task for the morning. I bring the cart up to park it near the door and we unload our stuff then head back inside.

"I'm just going to secure this front door. Won't take long." I say.

"Meet you in the kitchen." Rosa replies.

I watch her dark lithe silhouette stride down the hall toward the peristyle, her hips swaying beckoningly. She wore that dress so well, her hourglass shape so alluring in it. The very tips of her growing horns could be seen peeking up to frame her top knot even from behind now. Her blade shaped ears highlighted even more her elegant slender neck. What a woman. What a Lady.

Once she disappears around the corner I heave the thick stout door straight and push it into the frame. The lock had been bent during the break-in but thankfully there was the heavy bolt for securing the entry while the house was occupied was intact. I slide it into its housing and step back. Between the tight fit in the frame, the one good hinge and the bolt it would hold securely enough. The other hinge I would deal with when I had better light and more energy to do it. I knew from our little tour that the other entrances were already locked up tight. Rosa had finally gotten the safe and strong walls she had been dreaming about.

I lift my pack and walk toward the kitchen. Turning the corner I could see flickering fire light coming from within. Walking in I see Rosa had started a small fire in the stove. She had also lit one of the handheld oil lamps we had purchased back in Grumentum and set it on one of low counters that ran round the walls of this room.

I look about the room. "At least the kitchen is…"

The words die in my throat as Rosa slowly turns around and hits me with a sultry dominant gaze that could melt iron.

As if by instinct now my voice raises and I let out a soft submissive whine. "Ohhhhh! My Lady!"

Standing, paralyzed by her glimmering magenta eyes, I wait for her command.

"Is the door locked?" She asks in that Lady voice that instantly sent fire to my loins.

"Yes…my Lady." I whisper.

There was something different in her gaze tonight. A hunger that had been carefully caged inside of her all this time was now set free. She takes one step toward me, moving with a silky feline grace, and reaches up to release her hair and pull the pin from it. Her long wavy violet to pink locks tumble down over her shoulders and down her back. Without a thought she drops the pin, it tings off of the tile floor and skitters to rest, and takes another step forward. Every ounce of her smoldering attention was locked on me.

I wanted so bad to kneel or even throw myself to her feet but I hadn't yet been told to do so. Without actually bending I shrink down as small as my big frame would let me. I still towered over her yet thanks to her bearing and expression I felt as tiny and helpless as a newborn puppy. Seeing her in her full majesty made me so happy…and so fucking horny!

Another step closer and she in arm's reach. With fire in her eyes yet the gentleness I knew her for she reaches up and tenderly strokes my cheek. I rub my cheek into her soft palm greedy for her touch. Her other hand comes to my hip and, as if leading me in a courtly dance, directs me to the side. I move with her as easy as could be. She turns me and pushes me back against the counter then continues to lightly push. Following her lead I rest my butt back on the counter then slide back to sit upon it. The hand at my hip slips around to my lower back to indicate just where she wished me to sit, not right at the edge nor too far back.

She glides right in between my legs and presses herself in against my groin, through her dress I feel her own much larger cock is just as aroused as my own. As natural as breathing I wrap my legs around her, pushing myself into her as I offer my body for her pleasure. I slide my arms up the wall behind me and hold them as if they were bound there. Back in the city when she told me she would take me tonight it wasn't a tease. I knew, with no doubt at all, that I would feel my Lady this night.

Chapter 80: Loving Lady

Chapter Text

Rosa shrugs off her shawl and lets it glide from her shoulders to the floor. She then unfastens my belt and pulls it from me and leaves it on the counter to my left. Very, very subtly she rocks her hips in a slow rhythm, gently grinding her cock and balls into mine. Sliding her hands up under my tunic she starts to push it up my body while simultaneously feeling my torso with her soft slender hands.

"Take it off." She says softly.

I help her pull my tunic up and off of me then rest my shoulders back against the cool plaster wall again and return my arms to above my head. Rosa drinks in the flesh of my torso in the warm illuminating flame of the lantern. She knew how to look at a boy and make him feel like the prettiest thing in the world, at least she did with me. Cupping my pecs, one each hand, she rubs along the bottom sides of them then across them back to ward the center. She gropes them, feeling the thickly muscled flesh, then softly pets them to feel the hair and the skin. She runs her hands over my tight abs and along my side. She traces my wide shoulders and feels up across my biceps then around to rub them down my sides right to my hips. It was as if she was sculpting me from a piece of wet clay. She luxuriates in experiencing my body, both with her burning gaze and her gentle hands.

"Who is my sexy boy?"

"I am." I whisper.

"Mmm." She smiles, down below I feel her harden further. I could even see the bulge through her dress now as it grinds into my own tenting breeches. She rakes her fingers lightly down body sending tingles out across my skin. "Do you just want to cuddle? Or are you a slutty boy tonight?"

"Slutty!" I sigh. "Ohhhh, I feel slutty tonight my Lady." I tighten my legs around her and hook them around her lithe body. "Please use me."

"I thought so. Lady's got something very special for you tonight." She grips her hard shaft, showing the outline of her long thick dick through her clothes. "Something special just for her good boy."

"Mmmmm." I mewl lewdly as I press against her. "Fuck meeeee."

She leans in to give me long tender kiss where my chest meets my abdomen. "Soon baby." Another linger kiss. "Soon."

"Nnnn." My head is swimming with submissive bliss already and we had hardly begun. "Ohhhhh."

"Yesss. Let me hear your lovely voice." She extends half a foot of her long tongue and runs it across my pecs from one nipple to the other, there she flicks and tickles my nip with her tip. Between my legs she continues her easy but constant grinding. My manhood is as hard as oak and strains against her, my ass hungers for any touch. She giggles. "My cutie. You are so eager tonight."

"I need you my Lady." I say in a hushed voice.

Her eyes flare with rising desire. Reaching up she caresses my cheek with her palm and places the pad of her thumb against my partly open lips. I kiss it then purse my lips around it to suck it. Her other hand comes to my other cheek. Holding my face she stares into my eyes and says. "I love you."

"Hmmmm!" I release her thumb. "I love you my Lady!"

Pulling me in while rising to her tip toes she kisses me, tenderly at first but becoming more passionate as it goes. Her tongue slides into my mouth, curling around itself and filling the cavity from cheek to cheek. I suck it and thrust my tongue between its writhing coils. And still our groins grind together and it was feeling soooo good.

The kiss parts, several inches of her long tongue gliding through my wet lips as she pulls away, and dips down to return to kissing and licking my chest and stomach. Her tongue danced across my flesh. And still our members rubbed, a bit harder now and a bit faster.

"Nnngh…I'm gonna cum." I whisper meekly, feeling terribly embarrassed on how quickly the feeling had come upon me. Try as I might I couldn't stop the rising pressure. Having my legs wrapped around her as one about to receive would do, having her pin me against the counter and wall, and knowing what she was going to do to me had my libido soaring. "I'm sorry!"

"Shhhh." She slows up to let me gain control of my body again, doing it so that it wasn't abrupt and wouldn't break our natural flow. It is difficult but I manage to hold it back. She kisses my body and hugs me tight. She sucks and nibbles my nipples and the slow rocking ends. Once she was sure I wasn't going to climax she says softly. "Not yet my boy."

"Yes…my Lady." As the pressure fades I felt kinda proud of myself, the embarrassment swatted away by my Lady's gentle control and understanding. I arch my body and push my nipple harder into her sucking mouth. "Ohhh."

"Mmm. Good boy. Such a good boyyy."

She pulls away, pushing my legs apart with just the hint of a touch. A hint was all I needed to obey in my current subby state of being. I unhook my legs and spread them for her. The tip of sinuous tongue still tickling and probing my belly button my Lady unfastens my breeches. She lifts the waist to peek in and my dick springs forth, bobbing up and down as if repeatedly bowing in worship. Mouth wide, she smiles her cute fangy smile. Like a striking adder her tongue zips down into my pants and with a single swipe slurps the copious smear of precum that wet my skin. She pulls her tongue back and smacks her lips. "So excited."

"Yes my Lady."

With that she pulls my breeches and underbreeches from my hips. I straighten my legs as she steps back and strips them off of me. Before I can lower my leg she holds one foot up in one hand and starts to unlace my sandal with the other. She takes it off and tosses to the corner. Holding me there she starts to tickle the hairs along my shins as she takes a moment to admire my now naked body. Her eyes slowly pan up, taking in every inch of me. Her dress could do nothing to hide her massive erection at this point.

When her eyes at last reach my crossed wrists that I held above me against the wall she nods. "Do not fret my boy, you'll feel your ropes soon."

"Thank youuuu." I coo in my high lilting boyish voice.

"Ohhh Quin."

Leaning down she kisses my toe, then the top of my foot, then ankle, shin, and knee. Turning her head she drags her soft lips across the top of my thigh working ever higher. All at once her mouth hops over and engulfs my entire sack. My legs kick out into air and my body jolts as sucks my balls…hard!

"OH!"

Just as suddenly they pop from her lips and she continues on, smooching down the other leg she lifts the foot to hold it and remove my other sandal. Leaving me completely nude she lets my foot down and looks over her boy once more. I felt so…exposed and vulnerable. But because it was her that felt wonderful. My cock twitches and jumps with a will of its own as my demon Lady ogles me. I bring my knees up to my sides, as high as I could bring them, wanting to show her that I was ready and eager to give her my ass. I bat my eyes and make cute needy whimpers because it felt good and I knew she would like it.

"You are becoming too good at that." She teases while also lightly stroking her dick through the dress. "You're figuring how cute you are."

"I'm a good boy." I smile.

"Yes you are!" She says. "And a brave boy. And a pretty boy. And an obedient boy. And a slutty boy."

"Yes!"

"Look at you. Spread open for your Lady. Such a sexy body. Such a beautiful cock. Such a pretty mouth. Such an inviting ass. You are my every fantasy come to life my boy."

"Mmmmm." I had no words to express my joy.

"I want to take care of you Quin. I want to spoil you so bad. I want my boy, MY boy, to be the happiest boy in the world."

"Thank youuu." I was near tears I was so happy.

"Come on baby, come suck your Lady."

In the blink of an eye I am off of the counter and scrambling on hands and knees toward my Lady. I get to her before she'd even had the chance to lift her dress. I whine like a hungry pup begging for a teat as I watch the hem of her dress lift to show me her smooth shapely legs. The moment it slides up to reveal her rock hard penis I am on it.

Holding the shaft in both hands I latch onto the knob and start sucking ravenously. "Mmm, mmmmm, mmmm!" I hum and mewl as I give mouth pleasure to my Lady, the pleasure as much mine as hers.

"Oooo. That's nice." Holding her dress against her tummy with one hand she pats my head lovingly with the other. "You're doing great."

"Hmmm!" Her praise spurs me to suck her harder and deeper. The efforts of the day made her cock salty and her aromatic ball sweat fills my flaring nostrils. It only made it more arousing. Pulling back her foreskin I suckle her knob and gaze up at my larger than life mistress.

"Ohhh, I love it when you suck my cock. You're so good."

"Hmm."

"You like sucking my cock baby?"

"Mmmm!" I hum my enthusiastic agreement.

"You like eating my pussy?"

"Hmmmm!"

"What about sucking on my little titties?"

"MMMMM!"

She grins proudly as she teases her fingers through the front of my hair. "Good. I'll be keeping that mouth very busy from now on."

"Hm! Hm! Hmmm!" Suckle, suckle, suckle. My excitement comes through in my eager blowjob.

"Play with yourself my boy." She whispers. "Let me hear you."

"Mmmm!"

I bring my right hand off of my Lady's thick dick and reach down between my legs. It shoots right past my cock and balls to come to touch my hungry anus. I rub my entrance with my middle finger, my hips immediately rocking with my rubbing, as I continue giving head. Even without lube I start to push and probe, my sphincter opens against even a soft touch as it yearned to be stretched by her Amazon cock.

My Lady and I had done so much together these past two weeks. She had touched me for my first sexual experience in the tall grass near Rome. She had rubbed her cock on mine under that carob tree as we cuddled naked together. She had given me my first taste of bondage, introduced me to the heady joy of submission, let me suck her tits and fingered my bum to orgasm in that tiny slave hut during the storm. After our date in Beneventum she began training me, I felt my wonderful ropes as she had her way with me during her play, she taught the pleasure of denial before I came in a way I never had before then came the old way too later on, and I felt her incredible tongue and mouth as she pleasured me orally in both ways. She taught me to beg, as if my very soul depended on it, and let me suck her cock the first time behind that wrecked wagon in view of the Appian. She let me serve her in front of Peisandros' and Aemelia. In that dim water carved cave she teased my disembodied manhood, she had me taste the sweet nectar of her pussy until she cried out in passion, she tested her control and she watched as I fucked myself for her amusement. And, of course, in the harpy's lair we made sweet love to each other in the traditional manner of man and woman.

But in all of that…I had yet to feel her cock inside of me, down there. She said she was readying me for it, but I suspected she had been saving it as a reward for the journey completed, and I was more than ready for my prize.

Chapter 81: Well Earned

Chapter Text

"Mmm. Mmmm. Mmmm." Happy little whimpers escape me as my head bobs forward and back while I give head to my Lady. Her bulky shaft slides through my wet lips, in and out. The end of her cock fills my mouth to capacity on each deep stroke. Whether it was her pussy or her dick being able to pleasure her with my mouth brought such deep satisfaction to my submissive heart.

"Ohhh, that's a good boy." She pets my hair as she gazes down, watching me service her dick with a contentedness equal to my own. "You look so good down there. On your knees, making your Lady feel soooo good, doing what a boy is born to do. If only more men had the courage to surrender to this side of themselves, if only more could find the joy that comes in giving themselves to a woman, if only more women found their inner power and brought their men to their knees and helped them to find this joy and accepted them for the wonderful boys that they are, the world would be a better place I think."

I slurp off of her tip and whisper between wet kisses. "I agree my Lady." I nuzzle her, wiping her big hard penis across my face just for the pleasure of it.

"Yesss." She combs her fingers through my hair and pushes her cock back into my mouth. Pushing deep, right to my throat and the very border of where I would start to gag. I let out a soft grunt as I struggle with her size and continue fingering myself, she holds there a long moment then slowly pulls out. "Worship me. Kiss my feet."

Now in the full grips of my obedient euphoria my lips are on the top of her left foot almost before the command had left her mouth. I smooch and lick and smother her delicate foot with all of my adoration. One foot and then the other is attended to as I declare my everlasting worship of her feminine superiority.

"Kneel."

I snap to attention and sit up in a rock solid Kneel position. Keeping my head down I look up at her with just my eyes. From this low angle, her face surrounded by darkness and lit by the flickering yellow light of the stove and the lantern, her tapered ears and sharp horns and pointy fangs made her appear otherworldly.

"You are my everything." I whisper.

"And you are mine." She says, stepping back and allowing her dress to fall back down. She gazes down upon me, lovingly and with a deep and abiding joy glowing from deep inside of her. "Before I take you, I have something for you."

She finds her pack and pulls from it a bag we had picked up back in town. Opening it she searches then pulls a long slender ribbon of knitting. I squint to try to make it out in the dim light. What it was it was very delicate, a line of lace only as wide as a pinky finger with a bit of string dangling from each end. When she turns toward me and I can make it out better in the lamp light I instantly recognize that special red color, the same as my rope.

"You do not have to accept it. I will have tonight either way." She kneels down on one knee and spreads over her hands to show me the exquisite bit of lacework. "I made this for you." She says. "You have more than earned it. It isn't much but it was made with love. Someday, hopefully soon, I will make you a proper collar…"

"Collar!?" I gasp. Did she say collar? She couldn't have…could she? Was I worthy of it? Had I earned it? Oh gods! Was this happening? My heart glows and my eyes fill with tears.

"Do not interrupt." She says with gentle firmness.

I bow my head once in understanding as the tears begin to flow.

"You are my boy, my man, my Master, and my soul mate." Her voice is full of warmth. "I don't think I have to tell you what this represents. I think you understand already."

I nod, I sob, I nearly explode with joy as I look at the beautifully intricate lace collar made by Lady's own hands. It was the prettiest, most precious, thing I'd ever seen…knitted in secret by the most gorgeous, wonderful, incredible woman in all the wide world….and it was for me!?

"If you accept this freely we will be one. A Lady and her boy. A dominant and her submissive. A bond beyond friendship or kin or even marriage." She says in a calm solemn voice. "Like the threads of this lace our lives have been intermingled by fate, woven together with love and effort, and bound as one." She takes a deep breath and takes the collar in her fingers to hold it out between her hands in front of me. "I would be…so honored if you would wear my collar. I offer it to you Quintus Quintilianus. Will you accept?"

"You…made…this?" I blubber between shallow gasps of breath.

"Shhh." She strokes my wet cheek tenderly. "Yes my boy. Thankfully you are a sound sleeper."

"You…made this…for me?"

"Of course." The glimmer of tears now in her eyes as well.

Tears roll down my cheeks as the monumental moment utterly overwhelms me. "I don't…know what to say."

"Say yes my boy." She kisses my forehead. "You already have my love Quin, will you wear my collar? May I collar you?"

"YES!" I cry out. "OH YES!"

Rosa beams with love as she bring the collar to my throat. I hold my head high and proud as she wraps the dainty knitted collar around my neck then ties it off at the back. It felt so soft against my skin. The very mild pressure around my neck is Rosa's dominance itself embodied in the physical world. It is done. She pulls back and looks at me sitting so happily in her collar. I weep openly and uncontrollably from the all consuming happiness that surrounded me and filled me and connected me with this goddess of a woman.

She throws her arms around me and kisses me.

"I am soooo…happyyy!" I cheer.

"Me too baby." She says as she kisses me again. "You've made me the happiest Lady in the world."

We hug and smooch and nuzzle and giggle for a short time, just giving ourselves to the moment not as boy and Lady but simply as two blissful young lovers, before she laughs and wipes my tears then backs away to stand again as my Lady.

She still had huge erection pushing out the skirt of her dress and my own was as hard as the cool kitchen floor it rested against. Our moment of true love had only heightened our fiery lustful need for each other.

"You have your rope?" She asks.

"Yes my Lady!" I nod. "In my pack."

"Table."

I get on my hands and knees to assume that position.

"Get your rope and follow me."

"Yes my Lady." I crawl to where I put my pack and open it up. It does not take me long to find my treasured rope. Not having been ordered to rise up I pull it from my back then bring to my mouth to bite down on. With it held in my mouth I return to my Lady.

She grins and ruffles my hair. "You are adorable." In one hand is the lantern, in her other a small sack. "Follow."

With that she strolls from the kitchen. Staying on my hands and knees I follow along just behind her. She leads me to the stairs up, being very careful to give a wide berth to any of the broken ceramic, and climbs them. She moves slow so that I could stay with her, occasionally pausing to ask how I was doing. I make muffled noises to say I was great and on we go. She takes around the central hall that bordered the atrium and toward the master bedroom.

Chapter 82: Long May She Reign

Chapter Text

Rosa swings open the double doors of the master bedroom and leads me inside. The darkness of the expansive room swallows the meager light of a single lamp. The bed and furniture cast spooky wavering shadows on the white and red walls. She leads me to the center of space where a sumptuous rug as wide across as I am tall with a maze like pattern reminiscent of the entrance hall cushions the pressure on my knees.

"Kneel."

Needless to say I do so. Sitting up, my coiled rope still clutched in my teeth, I watch my Lady move to bed and set down the bag she'd brought with us on a small table near the bed. From it she pulls a bottle of lamp oil and the bundle of wicks we'd purchased in Grumentum and starts to move around the room. I have to hide a giggle, she looked kinda funny walking around with a big erection bobbing up and down inside of her dress. One by one she lights the various other lamps lining the walls of the room and before long the light pushes back the shadows and the gloomy atmosphere brightens. The red of the lower portion of the walls gave the lamp light a warm tint while the glossy white upper portions provided clear illumination right through, allowing us to see in here as clear as if it were day. Along the way she closes and locks the doors we came in by.

The room revealed to us still echoes with the opulence it would have had in its heyday. It was dusty, the colors faded and paint cracked here and there, and it had clearly been rifled through during the robbery as the furniture that was here had open drawers and cupboards and had been moved about or knocked over. In the center of the subtly domed ceiling, which was painted like the heavens transitioning from morning on one side across to deepest night at the other, there protruded a thick iron ring where some sort of chandelier would have hung. The double doors we entered were behind me with another set directly opposite to the front of me. Thinking about the layout of the villa I surmise that this other exit must lead out onto a balcony that sat atop the columned terrace at the back. There were long windows on both side walls, boarded up, along with a shuttered window on each side of the balcony door.

Dominating the layout of the room is the enormous bed that came up to Rosa's waist just to my left. It was actually part of the construction of the room as a sort of raised platform with steps leading up to it from the sides but dropping off to the floor from the foot of it. At the head of it was a long depression built into the wall with three stout pillars along its length. The enormous stuffed mattress had been half pulled away revealing the bands of interwoven metal used as support beneath. I had never seen a bed like it. It was the type of thing an orgy could be had on, the pair of us were going to be swimming in that extravagantly impractical bed. The furniture that remained, all of it old but of high quality, had a matching theme with carvings and reliefs of criss-crossing labyrinthine lines paired with symbols here and there of a bulls head. Whoever commissioned these pieces must have been partial to the legend of Minos. The knobs and corner accents of the furniture had all been stripped, I guessed they must have been made of some precious metal and pried off by the thieves. The room certainly didn't have the decor I would have chosen, it was far too luxurious for a simple man like me, but at least it was mostly in good shape.

With the lamps lit Rosa returns to the table she started at and sets down the one she'd been carrying. She returns to stand in front of me.

"Drop your rope." She commands but makes no motion to take it.

With a little jerk of my head I toss it so that it lands at her feet.

"I love your body." She says bluntly, her eyes taking me in like a diner about to partake of a sumptuous meal. "Such a fuckable sexy boy."

I give her a bashful smile as my cock flexes hard. "Thank you."

"You have no idea how much I've wanted you since that very first night outside of Rome."

"I'm a slutty boy!" I blurt, my fiery desire momentarily getting the better of me. "Take me! Please? Pleeeease?"

She chuckles. "Patience my love."

"Yes my Lady." I bow my head.

She invites me to rise. "Undress me."

"Yes my Lady."

I get to me feet but keep my head bowed to show my deference to her. With shaking hands I untie her rope belt and pull it from her lovely hips. Treating it like it was made of gold and jewels I carefully fold it over a few times then go to set it the empty wardrobe that hung open. I return to her, bending low I carefully take the skirt of the single piece garment and lift it. With her dancer's fluidity she bring her arms up above her head and allows me to pull the dress right up and off of her fine soft body. I cannot stop a shuddering sigh from escaping my lips as I look upon her in all of her naked glory. She still had bruises and scrapes and that cut on her leg from our battle with the monster, but none of it dimmed her sublime beauty in the slightest. I take in her soft, pale, sumptuous flesh. A vision of womanly perfection that I could NEVER tire of seeing. Her pouting breasts with their slightly upturned pink nipples, her shapely legs, slender delicate feet and hands, the points of her horns and ears, a face that could be unbearably adorable one moment and scorchingly erotic the next, luxurious flowing hair, a peach of a butt, and of course her prodigious cock and balls, all of it boldly on full display for her loyal boy.

"Ohhh, my Lady!" I whisper. I felt like I might burst into flames at any second such was the heat of my passion.

"Hurry now."

I bow. Again I fold up her dress as if it were the finest silken gown of Cleopatra herself and place it beside the belt, giving her clothes pride of place within the wardrobe. I would happily use the smaller cubbyholes for my own items. Outside of these walls I may her master legally but in here, in this room particularly, there was only one true master. This is my Lady's domain and long may she reign!

I walk back to her consumed with submissive lust, ready and eager to fulfill her every command.

"Pick up your rope."

"Yes my Lady." I bend down and take my special rope, my heart flutters knowing I would feel it's soothing bite soon.

"I've softened a bit. Get me hard again sexy boy."

"Yes my Lady." I lower to me knees and without a moment's hesitation latch onto her and feel that deeply satisfying pleasure of having her cock in my mouth again. I suck her hard in no time at all.

"Suck my titties."

"Mmm! Yes my Lady." I kiss up her body and nuzzle into her left breast to suckle and slurp the supple flesh hungrily. As I do this she reaches down to stroke my marble hard cock. "MMM!" I lick across to her other breast and give it the same treatment as my Lady watches me with loving lusty eyes and continues to rub me. "Hmmmm." I hum softly.

"Good boy. Such a good, good boy." She kisses my temple. "I love my good boy."

"Mmmmm." My heart is aglow.

"I love my good boy so much." Her other hand pets my hair then traces her fingers down my back. "I never, ever wish you my precious boy."

"Mmmmm."

"But…it's going to hurt at first." She says in such a soft voice. "I'll be gentle, I'll go slowly, but there is no way around it I'm afraid. Sadly I am too big for this to be easy."

I let her breast pop from my lips. "I am ready. I'm not afraid. I need you my Lady." Fear was the furthest thing from my mind, my ass actually ached to be filled right now.

"If things feel wrong at any point, if the pain is sudden or too much, you must tell your Lady. You will not disappoint me or leave me wanting. I will be proud of you either way Quin, so proud." She smiles. "This is a command my boy."

"Yes my Lady." I lap at her nipple. "I will tell you."

"Good. Come along my boy." She says with a final tender kiss. "I cannot wait much longer."

Still keeping my cock in her grasp she turns and pulls me along behind her toward our grand old bed.

Chapter 83: Making Love

Chapter Text

To my surprise she doesn't lead me toward the half that the huge mattress still covered but the other side with it's bare bands of woven metal. She has me stand as she goes to retrieve one of the various blankets that remained. She folds it over itself several times to form a rectangle about two and half foot by three and half foot and lays it out over the supports. Returning to me she strokes my cock a few times and kisses my chest before taking the rope from me. She unfastens the rope to let it's strong supple coils spill out across the floor. Taking one end she feeds it down through the metal bands, choosing a spot along one of the thicker beams that ran the length to anchor the thinner bands. She folds back the blanket. Thanks to her small hands and slender wrists she is able to reach through the spaces between the woven metal and eventually feed the rope across to another of the supporting beams then pulls it back up through. She draws half the length through then folds the blanket back down again.

I stand watching her, excited because I knew all of this was for me. I am such a lucky boy.

She pats the blanket. "Lay down here my boy."

"Yes my Lady." I hurry forward. Sitting on the edge of the edge of the bed platform I carefully lay back to rest on the folded blanket with my legs still off of the bed.

"Comfortable?"

"Yes."

"Good." From the right she leans over me and adjusts a few things as I lay there smiling up at her. "Yes." She says as she rubs my arm. "This will do nicely for tonight."

I let out a soft sigh as I feel fibers of my red rope wrap around my arm. I don't even look to see what she was doing, my eyes are locked on my Lady's caring face as she concentrates on binding me, though I do delight in the feeling of being tied down. Ohhhhh, it had been too long since I felt this.

"I'm so happyyyy." I coo boyishly, not even really meaning to say it out loud.

She kisses my cheek. "Be still now baby."

She binds my arms at the elbows and the wrists then uses the remaining lengths to cross over my chest and shoulders and really anchor me in place. When done she goes around to make sure the blanket was still beneath me, not wanting my flesh to be in direct contact with the unforgiving metal beneath. My legs were still free though I that was by design.

Backing away from me she says. "Try to escape."

I flex my chest and try to pull my arms up off the bed…and nothing even budges. I try again, harder, and a low creak is all I can muster out of the solid frame. I was trapped, bound, completely at my Lady's mercy. My muscles go slack and I moan. "Ohhhhhhh!"

My Lady giggles. "That's my boy."

I laugh with her, overcome with the happiness inside of me. I wriggle again just to feel my bondage. "I love youuuuu!"

"Love you too baby. Never doubt it." She then pats my knee and quips. "Now don't go wandering off."

"As if I could. He he he!"

I struggle helplessly in my bondage feeling as snug and safe as I could ever remember. Rosa moves back to the bag she had brought with us and removes another little pouring flask of oil. It was the special almond oil Rosa had purchased during our shopping. Silly boy that I am I thought it was for cooking at the time. She pops open the tiny stopper and sniffs, then lets out a breath and smiles. She returns to me, I spread my knees for her without her even having to direct me. Moving right up she lets her hard heavy cock glide alongside mine as she snugs up against me. Without even having to bend her knees she was already at nearly the perfect height.

"This bed will do very nicely." She says as she sets the oil to the side. I could smell a very subtle and very pleasant hint of lavender in the air.

I bring my knees up high and wide, eager to be taken, and bat my eyes with lewd innocence up at her. Seeing and feeling her cock flex hard told me my sexy look was working, my own manhood flexes in response and butts against hers. My Lady rubs her hands up my butt and the back of my thighs. She leans down and kisses my chest as she hums a sweet little song. She licks and nibbles my nipples. She nips my tummy and sucks the flesh. She lavishes me with caring love and affection, all the while her big beautiful cock slides over and across my own.

"Beautiful." She whispers softly.

She pats my balls and plays with them, then she mashes hers into mine and fondles both together. Gradually she brings her hands up to stroke our cocks as one, mine looking like a baby version of hers nuzzled against its mother. With my head lifted as high as it would go I watch her play with me and it hits me how far up her tip came on my belly, actually touching my belly button. Gods she would be deep! And seeing her girth next to mine, it was humbling. As wanting as my ass was I felt a little scared, but a lot more horny. Still she is humming her song, a gentle lilting melody that could sooth a hungry lion. Rosa just made submissive sex feel so…wholesome and right and natural. For a man with my upbringing this feeling was more precious and valuable than the crown jewels of the Emperor.

"Ohhhhh!" I moan. "I love youuuu! I love youuuuu!"

"Mmm." She continues to smile. Leaning over she picks up the vial by its little handle. With our cocks side by side she slowly drizzles the glimmering liquid back and forth up their lengths. Lavender fills the air as the warm sumptuous oil oozes over us. The oil continues it's thin drizzle as she pulls it back across them and then right up her belly and across her chest. Setting the bottle aside she then rubs our cocks together with one hand, being sure to slather every inch with the wonderful liquid, as her other hands rubs the oil on her body across her chest and belly. I watch in wonder as her soft pale body gleams and shimmers in the light. She squeezes a breast and lets it slip from her fingers and jiggle to rest, letting out a very unLadylike giggle in the process. Her playful side was never that far from the surface.

"My Lady!" I fawn at her overwhelming beauty.

She pinches her other titty, again it slips right through her oily fingers. She rubs her slick sexy body, twisting and showing herself to me as she played with her tits. Bringing both hands to our cocks she massages the oil all over them and our balls, making them slip and slide over each other. She strokes them together for a few long slow strokes before her right hand glides down past my balls and feel two fingers start to rub oil against my entrance.

"OHH!" I gasp and instinctively tilt my hips up toward her. "Yessss."

"Mmmm. My pretty boy."

She rubs, and rubs, then enters me. Her two middle fingers tight together glide into my ass. At last! It felt sooooo good!

"Ohhhhh!"

"Oh, that was easy." She says. "You are a slutty boy tonight, aren't you?"

"Yes my Lady. I am your slutty boy. Use me! Ohhhhhhh."

In and out her fingers go, curling upward and rubbing hard on the way back out each time. My head flops back and I stare up the painted dome ceiling moaning like the needy slutty boy that I am. I rock my hips with her, pushing back against her, to try to goad her for more. It works. Soon a third finger enters me and my tight butthole stretches a bit more.

"OHHHH!" It is sexual ambrosia!

"Bring your legs together." She commands and I instantly obey, wrapping my legs around her and pinning her arm awkwardly against her. "No!" She chuckles. "Up above you silly boy."

"Yes my Lady."

I pull my legs so that my feet reached up toward the ceiling then bring them together. The result was that my Lady's big dick was now sandwiched between my upper thighs. With her free arm Rosa grabs my legs, holding them together and hugging them in to rest against her shoulder. She kisses my calf. "Good boy."

In this position she begins to slowly thrust, as she does so her slippery cock glides back over my dick and through my tightly pressed legs. At the same time her fingers pull back. As she pushes forward her knob slides back through my inner thighs and over my cock and balls as her fingers delve as deep as they can go.

"OHHHH!" I can't stop my lusty moans.

She rests the side of her head against my calf, I feel the hard texture of her horn on my skin, and she continues on. She thrusts, long slow thrusts, between my legs and along my manhood as her fingers work my hole and ready me for the real thing. I peek down to see her knob recede through my legs then push back through again. Soon, soon that would be inside of me.

"Ohhhh Lady." I plead, I BEG. "I want to feel youuuu! Pleeeease!"

"Aw, baby." She kisses my leg again. "Such a demanding boy."

"I'm sorry but…I want it so bad." I squirm. "I want you in me. I want to feel you. I want you to feel me. I need you my Lady, I need you!"

"And I need you." With that the fingers pull out and I let out a whimpering little moan. She pulls her cock back through my legs. "Spread for me. Open up. Feet on my shoulders, but don't push me away unless you need to."

I do everything she says. I part my legs and very lightly rest the soles of my feet on the fronts of her slender shoulders. My lips parted I breath heavily as I watch her apply more oil to her Lady sized member until it positively shone. Reaching around the folded blanket that acted as my cushion I put my fingers through the metal bands and grip hard as I ready myself for this special moment. Embraced once more in my subby bliss my mind hovered in this strange middle ground between desperate anticipation and a deep abiding calm. I found my place in the world and this was it. It felt as if every minute since my birth had been leading me to this magical moment. This valley, this villa, this room, bound to this bed, with my Lady above me.

I tremble as I feel something thick, thicker by far than anything I'd had before, bunt up against my entrance. My Lady holds her cock there, firmly pressed against me but not any harder.

"Are you ready my love?" She purrs.

"Yesssss!" As I hiss out that single word I could feel myself open for her like a blooming bud, the muscle of my sphincter relaxing simply through my desire. "Take meeee."

The pressure against my anus gradually builds and builds and I feel her tip slowwwwly start to make progress. And then…all at once…I feel her! Her whole tip had popped in at once!

"Hah!" I flinch and let out a pained gasp as I feel the bulk of her hard shaft stretch my ass to its limit. She was so thick! "Ahhhhhhh."

"Shhhhh." She pets me. "Relax baby. Breathe. Relax."

"Nnnnnngh." I grit my teeth and grip the metal with all of my strength as I try to force my tense body to relax. "Gods! I feel you! Ohhhh gods!" I knew she was just a couple of inches in but the knowledge that she was inside of me right now brings with it joy and pride and raw sexual pleasure. The ache of my struggling sphincter was a trifle in comparison. "Haahhhhhh! I feeeeel youuuu!"

"You okay?"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Ohh! Ohhhh! OHHHHHH!" My eyes roll back in my head as the hulking girth of my Lady's long cock enters me inch by mind-shattering inch. The sensation of her pushing deeper and deeper inside of me, filling my ass and my guts like I never imagined possible, is simply indescribable. It feels like a agonizingly blissful eternity before I feel her soft pubes brush against my screaming anus. She was in! Her flesh was within me! She was all the way in! Oh gods I was so FULL!

"Oh wow! You are so tight!" She holds there and pets my lower tummy, right where she was inside of me. "How you doing baby?"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" All I can do is make little grunting noises between my shallow panting breath. Each tiny movement, even a breath, felt like I burst open at the seams. "Oh gods! Oh Lady! Oh fuck!"

"Does it hurt?"

I nod yes.

"Do you need to stop?"

I shake my head no. The pain wasn't sharp or piercing, but an overall ache that was very slowly ebbing away. "Gentle!" I gasp. "You're…stretching…me. Oh!"

"Of course my boy, I'll go slow. You are doing so good."

"Yes…my Lady."

Gingerly she pulls back, studying my straining hole as she slowly pulls halfway out. "Oh Quin! Look at you gripping your Lady's cock. Fuck baby, you feel so good."

"Ohhhhhh!"

She holds a moment…then pressing back to fill ALL of me all over again. "Goooood boyyyy."

"OHHHHH!" Even if I wanted to I could have held back my cries of passion. "Yessss!" As she goes balls deep my whole body is quivering and little whimpering noises squeak out from my throat. "So deep! So thick! Ohhhhhh gods! Ohhhhhhh gods!"

Her fingers felt great. My own member felt incredible. Her superhuman tongue felt amazing. But this was a whole other level. The brute size and hardness of her cock touched new places and put pressure everywhere. As she in and out not only did the feeling of being stretched and gripping against her shaft feel wonderful she also pushed hard against that special spot in my bum that she had introduced to back in that slave hut. Literally forcing good feelings from me through sheer ass stretching size. The feeling overwhelmed everything else. It made me feel so completely and exquisitely lesser than her in a sexual way, like a bound boy ought to feel beneath his Lady.

"Hnnngh! Ohhhhh! Rosaaaa!" I moan like a slutty boy with each deep stroke.

"That's it baby. You're doing so good. Yessss, open up for me. Your ass is so fucking good baby!"

"Ohhhhhh!" With each long careful stroke came more pleasure and less pain as my ass gradually adapted to the gentle reaming.

Now that she knew I could handle her she directs me to lower my legs and bring them around her. I do so, wrapping my legs around like a woman would to a man in a traditional Roman couple. It made me feel…beautiful…special…it made me feel like the precious boy she always said I was. And I saw that same feeling in my Lady's sparkling magenta eyes. She begins to pick up the pace. Making love to me in smooth graceful thrusts she watches me as I watch her.

Her hands grip at my stomach and occasionally stroke my cock or grab my balls. "You Quin. Only you. This cock belongs to my boy now. This cock, this pussy, this body. I am YOUR Lady Quin. Only for you."

"Ohhhh Rosaaa. I'm your boyyyy!"

"Yesss! I only want you. My only boy. My beloved boy."

"Hmmmm!" I hug her tight with my legs as I try writhe only to feel the sublime embrace of my ropes hold my in place. "Ohhhh yessss!"

Faster she fucks me, harder too, but still with that tenderness I knew her for. We gaze into each other's eyes as we make love, our bond deepening and strengthening with each passing second. Never had I trusted anybody so completely. Never had I felt love like this. If I could trust her with this vulnerable side of myself there was nothing I couldn't share with her. It was a humbling and empowering feeling all at once.

"I love you." I whisper, wishing I had more words to express my feelings with so as not to sound repetitive. But with this words simply failed to do my emotions justice. "I love you."

"I love you." She says back with a pure beaming joy.

Every stroke pushing right to hilt to let me feel every blessed bulky inch of her Amazon cock Rosa takes me. Between my rope induced haze, my love for her, and the erotic high of our intercourse it isn't long before warm waves of pure unfiltered pleasure radiate out from my loins as I cum on the inside, in the way where I didn't spill my seed.

"HNNNGH!" I buck and wriggle, my legs shaking controllably, as my ass sings to her tune. "Haaahhh!"

"Ohhh sweet boy! Look at youuuu!" There is such love in her eyes, such pure love, as she peers into the deepest depths of my soul. A love only matched by that I held in my heart for her. "I love you!" Each time she said it the words only got sweeter.

"Ohhhh!" The climax goes on and on as Rosa continues making hot passionate love to me.

She drops down, grabbing hooking the part of my rope that crossed over my chest, and uses it to pull as she thrusts to add more power and speed to her love-making. I angle my pelvis to give her total access.

"Ungh! Ungh!" She grunts as she fucks me harder and harder. My dick and nuts bounce about, precum smearing everywhere. Her tits jiggle and she snarls through clenched teeth, giving me a peek into that feral demon side of her she only let out now and then. Her hips slap against my ass as she bottoms out again and again and again as she lets me feel her at full fury. "Rrrrr! Fuck baby, you feel so fucking good! Gods I love fucking your ass!"

"Use me! Fuck me! OHHHH!" I wail in ecstasy as I am seized with a white hot bolt pleasure. "Cum, cum, cum!? PLLLEEEAASSSEEE!!!"

"Nnnf! Yes, you may. Cum for me baby. Cum for your Lady."

"NNNNNNNGHHHHH!!!" The words had barely left her lips when my cock twitches between our sweaty heaving bodies and a huge rope of cum blasts out, shooting all the way up to hit her hands where she held me by the rope. My body quakes violently, rattling the metal supports beneath me, as I cum harder than ever before. Rosa's deep hard fucking lending its power to pump and push the hot jizz from my balls and onto my tight belly. Wad after wad after sticky oozing wad spits forth as she fucks the jizm out of me. Heaving with all of my strength against my immovable ropes I cum so hard, I cum so much, I cum so good! "HOOHHHHHH!!!" My howls echo off of the walls.

"Look at you cum!" She cheers between her hard huffing thrusts. "Ohhhhh! Good boy! Goooood boyyyy!"

I cum and I cum, both my ass and my member at once. I cum until there wasn't a drop left to shoot and still I keep cumming. "Hnnngh!"

Rosa keeps on fucking me, holding nothing back now. Her growls lose the sound of a human voice to become the snarls of a wild predator. Her pointed ears, flush with a blush like her rosy cheeks, angle up sharply. She bears her fangs and occasionally parts her teeth to whip her tongue out across my chest. Her intense eyes burn with rising primal passion, seeming to glow with an inner fire of their own. "HRRRR! RRRAAAARRR!"

She was wild, frenzied, on the cusp of losing control. Had I not been her boy in the full flight of my submissive haze I would have be afraid. But I was her boy, and this display of demonic fury only made me want her more. My only desire was for her to use me up until she was satisfied. My ass was hers, my whole fucking body her toy to play with anyway she wanted to.

"OHHHH! YESSS! YESSSS!" I cry out.

"RRRRRRRRR!"

Her snarls and grunts become more desperate and more frantic as she somehow finds extra strength to fuck me even harder. My cock, already half soft and flopping and bouncing around in a pool of its own mess, continues oozing non-stop to the anal barrage. Her shiny breasts bounce to the rhythm of our sex. My ass was almost numb with pleasure as she slams into me at a furious pace. Plunging in and out of my boy hole she uses it like she owned it, which she very much did. Even now I could not get over how deep she went. She was so fucking hard too. Oh it is glorious!

"Ohhhhhh!" My high warbling voice is a wail of pure slavish submission.

She RAMS into me, somehow pushing even deeper inside of me, and lets out a roar so savage that it would have sent the harpy into flight for fear of it. "RRRRRRAAAAWWWW!!!"

"GNNNGH!" My eyes bulge as I feel her huge cock pulse deep, DEEP, inside of me. My breath held, my mouth agape, I feel her throb, throb, throb inside of my ass as she filled my insides with her hot Amazon cum. My butt climaxes with her, milking her dick with it's own hard rhythmic gripping.

"RRRRMMMMM!" Her fiery gaze drills down into me as she grunts and snarls spasms in sharp little thrusts to stay as deep as she could as she shot her load.

By the gods she was magnificent!

Slowly, slowly, I see her senses come back to her as the hard throbs gradually get softer and further apart. The fang bearing demon is replaced with the gentle caring look of my Rosa. Total euphoric satisfaction washes over my Lady as her muscles relax. "Ohhhhhhh…wow!"

All I can do is whimper. Through shuddering breaths I mewl and coo happy little noises. I was so happy, so fucking happy! I felt like such a perfect little slut for my Lady. I made her feel good! She used my body, she fucked me and came inside of me! It was heaven for a boy like me. I could feel the load that filled me and coated her dick and dribbled from my hole and felt such pride.

"My boy!" She pants hard as she finally comes down from her climax. "My boyyyy!" She drops down on top of me and hugs me tights, as best she could given my bondage. Nuzzling into me she moans into my chest. "Ohhhh Quin!"

I close my eyes, tears of joy rolling from the corners down my temples, and savor my Lady's weight on top of me and her still twitching cock inside of me.

Chapter 84: A New Dawn (End)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

My Lady moans softly in the warm afterglow of her orgasm. I lay there, sharing in the blissful haze of our sex, holding her tight in my legs and feeling her erection slowly begin to soften inside of me. She lays on top of me for a long while as she caresses my damp skin and kisses my chest and neck. Lust had been fueling us forward but the fatigue of a long day on the road and a grueling two week trek was swiftly setting in.

"You did so good baby." She whispers between kisses. "You made your Lady feel so happy tonight. I'm so proud of you."

"Mmmm." I hum happily and give her dick a squeeze. "Love youuu."

"Love you too baby, love you more than anything." She nuzzles my cheek. "You let me take care of you now."

"Yes Ma'am." I smile dreamily.

Slowly she pulls her half flaccid penis from my well fucked ass. The long careful pullout felt fucking incredible. Her dick flops out heavily all at once as it reaches the tip and some of her hot cum spills from my twitching entrance.

"Ohhhhhh." I sigh at the sudden emptiness, for a moment I could actually feel myself exposed to the open air before my struggling anus slowly closed in. Simultaneously it is distressing and relieving. Distressing because I wished I could have her inside of me forever, relieving because for as ready as I was and as gentle as she was and as wonderful as it had been my butt had taken a heck of a pounding. It ached, but it ached soooooo damn good.

I let go of her and let my legs tumble to floor. Laying there like a human puddle I luxuriate in my pleasure. My Lady cleans herself up as best she can with what we had on hand, never moving far from me and making sure to touch me often to let me know she was there. She then cleans me up, taking time to lovingly clean my floppy dick and scrotum, wiping the oil and Lady jizz from my bum and then the big sticky pool of my own cum from my stomach. She touches me so nice, like always, her soft warm hands working their magic. I lay watching her attend to me absolutely smitten with my demon Amazon Lady. I could not even imagine living without her looking after me anymore. She sees me looking and gives me a cute blink of her eyes, flick of her ears, and a scrunch of her nose.

Unhurriedly she unties and rubs my limbs where the rope had left its imprint upon my flesh. She helps me to a sitting position and does not protest when I fall into her and start to nuzzle and suckle at her supple breasts. The taste of sweat and oil fills my mouth as the aroma lavender seeps through my senses. She hums that lovely song again and runs her fingers through my hair. When I was done she helps me to my feet and leads me to the half of the mattress that slumped down to the floor. There she lays me down and runs hers soft hands all over my body whispering things about how she's got me and how's she going to care for me and about how good a boy I was and all sorts of wonderful things to nurture my boyish spirit. She wasn't letting me pull away from my submission this time, perhaps wanting to sleep with her boy tonight, and that was okay by me. I coo happy noises and say silly things under my Lady's adoring gaze.

She brings me the blanket that she had folded earlier and tucks me in safe and snug.

With a warm tender smile she whispers. "Kiss me." This time she doesn't offer me her cheek though. I purse my lips and she kisses on my mouth. A long soft lingering kiss. Our lips part and she says. "Good boy."

She leaves me a moment to move about the room to snuff out all of the lamps but the one she had carried in with us. In my comfy cocoon I watch my naked Lady move about the room. The shadows grow deep once more in the flickering flame of a single oil lamp. Knowing what the room looked like now in full light the wavering umbra was far less eerie, the dim illumination bringing calm for the slumber ahead. Rosa collects up the rope with the respect it deserved and puts it into the wardrobe. She then returns to me and sits at the edge of the mattress, setting the lamp beside. One last look around to make sure all was set she leans down and blows out the flame. The room descends into near perfect darkness, though a the barest hint pale while moonlight crept in around the shudders and the exterior door.

Rosa slips in under the cover with me. Our minds are one as she reaches for me as I move to her to rest my head on her chest. I relax completely, body and soul, and bask in my Lady's sweet care as we lay flesh to flesh. She hugs me hard, holding me as if protecting me in a loving embrace. Once more she hums her song, I hear it resonate in her chest along with her strong steady hypnotic heartbeat, as she strokes me and pets me and sings me to a deep peaceful sleep.

It only feels a moment but the next thing I knew I was blinking my eyes open to see the sun's golden rays peeking through the spaces. It was a funny thing, going to sleep in submission and awakening as my old workaday self, but damn did it make for a good night's rest. My muscles were tired from the long day's travel yesterday and my ass had this incredible glowing soreness about it that reminded me of how good I'd been fucked the night before. My skin is tacky from our sex and the air smells of the faint musk of cum and sweat mixed with the souring smell of the scented oil, more reminders of our first incredible night in our own room.

I let out a joyful sigh as I stare up at the domed ceiling and let the fact that I owned that ceiling along with this house and land sink in. We made it. We were home. Home at last. It seemed more a dream than reality yet here it was all around me. My uncle's will had made this place my property but it was the love of a woman that made it a home.

I turn my head to look down at my precious slave girl curled up into the crook between my arm and my chest. So cute. My mind drifts back to the busy streets of Rome and that slave market where I had stopped just to gawk a moment. I remember seeing her the first time up on that platform so scared and desperate, the citizens of the Capitol leering at her and spitting at her due to her Amazon heritage. If only they knew what I knew now. Fortunes would have offered bidding for this perfect woman among the elite of Roman society. Instead this humble farmboy with money in his pouch for the first time in his life stepped up to make what he thought was the biggest mistake of his life.

It felt like an age ago now. I had come much further than simply the hours and miles I had walked since that fateful day in Rome. I had been transformed by my experiences on the road. The moments big and small, the people kindly and cruel, the meals humble or sumptuous, the sights and sounds and smells, the hard living, the horrors, the wonders, and most of all getting to know my constant companion along the way had changed me that sheltered young man straight off the farm. In every way I am a different man than the one that entered Rome. What would my life be like right now had I not stopped at that slave market or simply kept on walking once I left that day? Having her at my side felt so right. The flip side to the boy I was last night, the man I am this morning couldn't even imagine a life without having Rosa to cherish and protect and care for. I love this woman with all of my heart.

Perhaps unconsciously sensing that she was being watched she crinkles her nose, pouts and turns over with an adorable little burble. She turns away from me, taking half the blanket with her to bundle against the cool of morning. Behind one of the dressers that had been moved from its place I could see the corner of a fireplace and I debate lighting it up to warm the room but I knew the heat of the South Italy summer would soon be beating down and decide against it. I slide to my side and remove myself from the coverings then make sure my balled up little Lady was tucked in tight. On another morning I might have just laid here but today was my first true day as a landowner and by Ceres and all of the gods above and below I had so much work to get started it would probably take me the day just to decide what to do first. Scooting off the end of the mattress I gingerly get to my feet.

"Ohh." I rub my aching bum with a smile. I already knew I'd be feeling the echoes of my Lady's love all day long.

I consider getting dressed. Fuck it, nobody was going to see me. That simple decision alone was a demonstration on just how far I'd come since meeting my Lady. Walking to the stout wooden exterior door I unlatch the sturdy lock and crack the one door open. Peeking out I see a long open balcony in a similar shape to the terrace beneath it as I had guessed. A very short balustrade bordered the whole space and the only furniture was a pair of stone reclining sofas positioned to face out onto…

"Gods!" I gasp in a hushed tone.

The view, already magnificent last night, was a stunning wonder on a morning like this. Being up even higher only accentuated it. I squeeze between the doors and step out onto my balcony and walk out a few steps to become immersed in the surroundings. A thick fog had set in over the night and still clung to low areas on either side of the river turning my garden far below into a hauntingly lovely ethereal realm. To my left and right the verdant wild forest that filled the majority of my property smelled fresh and alive, the soft breeze creating a pleasant sigh through the leafy boughs. Tiny specks of light zip about between the trunks as the nymphs frolic and play. Beyond the river and the vast valley painted with golden crops, lines of fruit trees, and blotches of green woods I could see the splendor of vibrant oranges and pinks as the sun rose behind the distant mountains and sent rays of celestial radiance across the brightening heavens. High above the glow gleams off of a great coppery brown eagle that soars over the villa in long lazy circles.

I stand it awe of it all as the morning breeze caresses my naked body. This was not the property I had dreamed of but the breathtaking beauty of it could not be denied. Unlike the open fields I dreamed about this was no blank canvas. It had been created with an artist's eye more adept than my own. But as incredible as this all was this painting was the work of another man with the ideas and values of luxury living in mind. It may take me a lifetime but I would leave my mark on this land and make it my own. The journey here had been a monumental undertaking but the real work had not yet begun. I could only imagine the challenges that now lay in front of us. Rosa and I settling down here would be a whole other adventure.

"Masterrr." Rosa's impudent pouting protest drifts out from the partially open door behind me. "Come back to bed baby. It's too early."

I smile. I take deep breath to smell the lush forest air of our home. I take in the majestic view one last time. Our next adventure could wait a little bit longer.

I turn and enter back into our shared home as I say. "Yes my Lady."