Chapter 15

he awoke the next morning feeling very much alive. The memories of the night prior still playing across her soft skin. Still in a daze, she turned over in the luxurious bed and her arm fell upon a warm body next to her. She was startled for a moment. It had been such a long time since she had awoken with someone next to her.

She opened her eyes to look at him. She watched his nostrils flare with every breath he took. His chest raised and fell. The veins along the side of his neck pulsated with the beating of his heart. She would do anything for this man. She felt the familiar feelings of desire course through her but decided to let him rest, knowing that she would do all to assure his happiness.

The sounds of what she recognized as a clock of some type clicked away the time and the song of a bird chirping outside the window caught her attention and she looked to see it, but could not from where she was. So, she decided to very slowly and cautiously slip from the bed to see for herself. She looked at her beloved and watched his movements for any sign that he would awaken as she carefully attempted to slide out from under the bedspread.

First one foot poked out from under the blanket. She felt the cool air of the day and was amazed at herself for noticing. He has brought her awareness to a new level and she smiled to herself and made a slight giggle. Her eyes went to his face looking for any indication that she may have possibly awakened him. Nothing. She continued slipping out of the bed and felt the cold floor beneath her feet. She felt exhilarated from all these sensations that she had never noticed before. Her body was alive and her senses reeled.

She looked over at him once more before she slipped on her dressing gown and walked over to the window. He laid quietly sleeping. He looked so restful, so calm. She had never felt this way about any man. Placing her hands upon the sill, she looked out of the window.

A bluebird sat upon a branch of a tree just outside the window, chirping away. She looked out over the town below. The haze of the morning rose off the ground and the yet to be born sunlight filled the sky with brilliant colors of amber and blues. Soft fluffy clouds reflected the sunlight down upon the earth, giving the morning a wonderful feeling of newness she had not noticed before and was pleased to experience.

"I have always loved the morning," his voice startled her but not as much as she normally would have thought. She felt his arms go around her waist and felt his touch comfort her once more. She was amazed at how quietly he has come up behind her. It had only been but a moment since she last looked upon him sleeping soundly and there was no sound that had indicated he was awake. She jumped slightly as he spoke, "it makes me glad to be alive every time I see the sun rise out over the horizon."

She turned to face him in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, without a sound she kissed him deeply, and then slipped from his grasp and began to giggle as she ran across the room like a playful animal wanting to play.

A grin crossed his face and he pursued her across the room just as she slipped out the bedroom door and down the hall. She had quite a start on him. He darted after her, hearing her giggling as she slipped around a corner, looking back to make sure he was chasing her, and then she disappeared behind the bend.

She passed a maidservant and almost knocked her over as she continued down the hallway. He followed almost doing the same as the maidservant prepared herself better for the coming assault. But he stopped for a moment just before reaching the her to make sure she did not fall. She noticed the large grin upon his face and smiled back, motioning down the hall. "You better get going, Mi'lord, that's a spry one she is," she commented. He kissed her cheek to show his gratitude and dashed off in the direction she pointed.

She found herself running through a maze of hallways. She passed elaborate archways, gleaming armors, and many a door. She stopped for a moment at a large doorway and looked at it's elaborate carvings. It was incredibly detailed. She heard a noise coming from down the hall and saw a shadow upon the wall. It was he, she was sure of it. She began to giggle again and waited until she was sure that he saw her. She didn't want him to think that she didn't want to be found. As he turned the corner she pulled the large handle on the door, opened it and stepped inside, just behind the door yet peeking around in a playful manner. She continued to watch him and his reaction and then ducked inside, giggling the entire time.

He watched the door close just as he realized what room it was and shouted "NOOOOOOOOOOO" but it was too late. She had entered the dining room. He dashed even faster down the hallway to reach her.

She pressed herself up against the door and giggled softly to herself, and turned around and noticed the large picture of a beautiful woman hanging above a fireplace. A large table reflected the picture almost perfectly in the fine polished surface. It was a lovely vision of a woman, smiling and happy. She wore many a jewel around her neck and shoulders. She could tell this was a woman of stature and wealth. But yet in a way, she had a sense of familiarity with her. She could not explain it as she felt herself drawn to the picture. She walked around the table to get a closer look.

Suddenly, he burst into the room, somewhat out of breath and she turned to see him standing there with a look upon his face she had never seen before. His face showed almost every emotion she could identify. Anger, hate, remorse, guilt, fire, and many more she could not put a name to. "Forgive me mi'lord, I did not mean any harm," she fell to her knees before him. Without a sound he took her by her arm and led her back to the bedroom.

Her mind was filled with questions and she did not know what she had done but knew he was not happy. He began to lash her arm above her head to the bedpost. "Mi'lord, please talk to me," she pleaded. His only response was a single word "One."

She began to become confused and frightened as he tied her other arm above her head to the opposite bedpost and she exclaimed, "please Mi'lord, I meant no disrespect." His only response was "Two." He moved away for a few moments and returned and placed a few items upon the bed in front of her. She watched quietly as he arranged the items upon the bed in front of her. A candle which was lit, what appeared to be a multi-tailed whip, a blindfold, several very small clamps, what appeared to be a slender post with shackles at both ends, and a piece of wood that had been polished and carved into the shape of a male member. He had placed them there for her to see, but why?

"Mi'lord?" she pleaded in one last ditch effort to get him to speak, and again he only responded with "Three." She realized that every time she spoke he would increase the count. So she decided to remain quiet.

Her mind reeled, flurries of questions flooded her mind. "What did I do wrong? Did he not wish to be playful? Did that picture have something to do with why I am here? Why is he counting? Am I to be punished?" she thought to herself, afraid to open her mouth. She felt him remove her dressing gown and attach the shackles to her ankles. Her legs now spread wide apart and she felt the need to grasp the ropes that bound her to the bedposts for support to keep from falling over. Her nakedness displayed to him and the cool morning air nipped at her skin.

He placed a blindfold over her eyes and made sure that she could not see and finally she heard his voice like music to her ears, "You may ask me one question and one question only mi'pet, but I warn you, you better make it a good one."

"Only one question," she thought to herself, her mind flooded with questions wanting to pour out of every orifice of her body. When she finally found her courage, she asked, "why are you counting Mi'lord?" Almost as soon as the words completed forming upon her lips, she regretted her decision.

"That is how many hours I will torture you before I will allow you to release your sweet nectar," he answered with what sounded like a smile upon his face. She did not know what to expect from the coming three hours that he had her tied helpless to the bedposts.

She hung there for what felt like an eternity and that's when she felt the cold sting of the multi-tailed whip cross the flesh of her back. Her body twinged at the feel of it and yet she felt strangely excited as she remembered the last time she had felt such a sensation and her body betrayed her.