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- bridlpth.txt
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- As soon as abeauty opened her eyes from sleep, she could feel a new
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- excitement in the castle. torches everywhere brilliantly illuminated the
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- slaves' hall, and all about her Prines and Princesses were receiving
-
- elaborate preparation.. The hair of the Princesses was beign combed and
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- studded with flowers. The Princes were being polished with oil, their
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- stiff curls combed jus as carefully as those of the young women. But
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- Beauty was hastily taken from bed by Leon who seemed uncommonly excited.
-
- "It's Festival Night, Beauty," he said, "and I've allowed you to sleep
-
- a long time. We must hurry."
-
- "Festival night," she whispered. But she was already being placed on
-
- the table for gooming. At once he parted her hair and started to braid it.
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- She felt the air on her naeck and hated it, and she realized he had started
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- the braids very high on her head so she would look even more girlish than
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- Lady Juliana. A long black leather thong was braided into the hair on both
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- sides, and knotted around the ends with a little bras bell affixed to it.
-
- When Leon dropped the braids they were heavy against Beauty's breasts and
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- her neck was exposed as wel as all of her face.
-
- "Charming, charming," Leon mused with his usual air of satisfaction.
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- "but now your boots."
-
- And slipping her into a pair of high black leather boots he told her to
-
- stand in them while he bent to lace them tightly to her knees and then
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- smooth the leather around her ankles until it was cleaving lake a glove
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- there. Not until Beauty lifted her foot did she realize each boot was
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- fitted at toe and hell with a horseshoe. And the tops were hard and strong
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- so that nothing could hurt her toes.
-
- "But what is happening, what is the Bridle Path?" she asked in a great
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- fluster.
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- "Shhhh..." Leon said, pinching and prodding her breasts to give them as
-
- he said, "some color"."
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- He then glossed Beauty's eyelids and eyelashes with oil and smoothed a
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- little rouge into her lips and into her nipples. Beauty drew back
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- instinctively but his touch was sure and quick and he took no notice of
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- her. But what bothered her most was that her body feld cool and
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- vulnerable. She could feel the sheathing of leather against her calves,
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- and all the rest of her felt worse than naked. It was more terrible than
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- any of the samller adornments.
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- "What is going to take place?" she asked again, but Leon had thrust her
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- over the end of the table and now oiled her buttocks vigorously. "well
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- Healed," he said. "The Prince must have guessed last night you would run
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- tonight and he spared you."
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- Beauty felt his strong fingers plying her flesh and a dread came over
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- her. So they would spank her, but they always did. Only it would be in
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- the presence of many others?
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- Every Humiliationg spank she had received before the eyes of others had
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- cost her dearly, though she knew now shw would suffer any amount of
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- paddling for the Prince, but she had not really been given a hard, thorough
-
- spanking for the pleasure of others since the Inn on the road where the
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- Innkeeper's daughter had spanked her for the soldiers and the common people
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- at the windows.
-
- "But it must come," she thought. And a vision of the Court watching it
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- as some ritual caused her to feel an undeniable curiousity that soon enough
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- gave way to panic. "My Lord, please tell me.."
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- Amid the crowd about her, she saw other girls with braided hair and
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- boots. So she was not alone. And there were Princes being fitted with
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- boots also. Through it all there moved a handful of young Princes on their
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- hands and knees polishing boots as quickly as they could, their own
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- buttocks raw, their necks encircled by a little cord of leather to which
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- was attached a sign that Beauty could not read.
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- But now as Leon brough her up standing again and gave some finishing
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- touches to her lips and eyelashes, one of these Princes was now buffing her
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- boots though he was weeping. His buttocks were as red as it could have
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- been. And she was the sign about his neck said, "I am in Disgrace," in
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- small letters. A Page approached and gave the Prince a sound crack with a
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- belt to hurry him on to another.
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- But Beauty had no time to think of it. Leon had affixed the accursed
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- little brass bells to her nipples. She shuddered almost instinctively but
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- they were firmly attached, and he told her to fold her arms behind her back
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- tightly.
-
- "Now forward, only you are to bend your knees slightly and to march,
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- lifting each knee high," he told her.
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- She started, awkwardly, reluctant to obey, but then she saw all about
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- her other Princesses marching in an almost sprightly mannor, their breats
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- bouncing gracefully as they moved into the corridor.
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- She hurried, the heavy boots difficult for her to lift with any
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- decorum, but soon she had fallen into a rhythm and Leon was walking beside
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- her.
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- "Now, darling," he said "the first time is always difficult. Gestival
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- NIght is frightening. I had thought some easier duty would be yours this
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- first time, but the Queen has ordered you especially for the Bridle Path,
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- and the Lady Juliana will drive you."
-
- "ah, but what..."
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- "Shhh, or I shall have to gag you and that will very much displease the
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- Queen as well as make your mouth quite ugly."
-
- All the girls were now in a long room and through narrow windows on one
-
- wall, Beauty could see the garden. Torches flared in the dark trees,
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- throwing an uneven glare on the leafy boughs above them. The line of girls
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- formed right beside these windows, and Beauty was now able to see more of
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- what lay beyond them.
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- There was a great roar as of many people conversing, laughing. And
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- then to her shock Beauty saw slaves all through the garden positioned in
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- various ways for their torment.
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- On high stakes here and there were strapped Princes and Princesses
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- painfully contored, their ankles bound to the stakes, their shoulders bent
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- over the tops of them. They seemed no more than ornaments, the torchlight
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- causing their twisted limbs to glow, the hair of the Princesses falling
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- free in the air behind them. Surely they could see only the sky above,
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- through all could see their miserable contortions.
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- And everywhere benieath were the Lords and Ladies, the light falling
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- upon a long embrodered cloak here, a pointed hat there with a veil trailing
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- airily from it. There were hundreds in the garden, these tables placed far
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- back into the trees, as far as Beauty could see in all directions.
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- Beautifully adorned slaves moved about, pitchers in hand, little gold
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- chains fixed to their breasts, the Princes adorned with gold rings on their
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- erect organs. They hurried to fill the goblets, pass the platters of food,
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- and as in the great hall there was music.
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- The line of girls before Beauty grew restless. Beauty could hear one
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- girl crying as her groom tried to comfort her, but most of the others were
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- obedient. Here and there a groom rubbed more oil into plump buttocks or
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- whispered in a Princess's ear, and Beauty's sense of apprehension deepened.
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- She did not want to look into the yard; it frightened her too much, but
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- she could not prevent herself. And each time she saw some new horror. A
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- great wall to the left, was adorned with spread-eagled slaves, and on a
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- huge serving cart she saw slaves fixed to the giant wheels, turned upside
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- down over and over as the cart was moved forward.
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- "But what will happen to us?" Beauty whispered. The girl in line
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- before her who could not be quieted was now hanging by her ankle from the
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- hand of a strong Page who punished her swiftly. Beauty gasped to see her
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- spanked, her braids fallin to the floor beneath her.
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- "Shhh, it is best for her,"Leon said, "it will exhaust her fear and
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- drain her slightly. And she will be all the more free on the Bridle Path."
-
- "But tell me...."
-
- "You must be still. You will see the others first and understand, and
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- as we draw nearer to your turn I shall instruct you. Remeember this is a
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- specail night of high festivity, but the Queen will be watching. And the
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- Prince will be furious if you fail him."
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- Beauty's eyes returned to the garden. The great cart of steaming food
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- had moved along, and for the first time she saw the distand fountain. Here
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- too were bound slaves, their arms linked as they stood knee deep in the
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- water, surrounding the central pillar, its sparkling flow pouring down over
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- them. Their bodies glistened under the water.
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- The groom beside the girl in front of Beauty laugyhed softly adn said
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- that someone was miserable to be missing Festival Night but it was her own
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- fault.
-
- "Surely," Leaon agreed when the groom glanced back to him. "they are
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- talking about Princess Lizetta," he told Beauty, "who is still in the Hall
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- of Punishemtns, and cursing no doubt to miss the excitement."
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- To miss the excitement! But in spite of her fear, Beauty nodded at
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- this as if it were perfectly natural. A calm descended upon her in which
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- she heard her own heart and felt her body as if there were limitless time
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- in which to know it. She felt the sheathing of the leather boots, the
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- click of her horseshoes on the stones, the air on her neck, her belly. And
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- she thought, "Yes, this is what I am, so I should not wish to miss it
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- either. Yet I rebel iin my soul; why do I rebel?"
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- "O, I despise that miserable Lord Gerhardt, why must he drive me?"
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- asked the girl before her in a low voice. The groom said something that
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- made her laugh. "But he's so slow," she said, "savoring every moment. And
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- I like to run!" The groom laughed at her. She went on, "and what do I get
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- out of it?-the most miserable spanking. I could take the spanking if I
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- could only cut loose and run..."
-
- "you want everything!" said the groom.
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- "And what do you want? Don't tell me you don't like it when I'm
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- covered with welts and almost blistered!"
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- The groom laughed. He had a cheerfull face, and was small of build
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- keeping his hands clasped behind his back, though his chestnut hair fell
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- down over his eyes slightly.
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- "My dear, I love everything about you," he said "And so does Lord
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- Gerhardt. Now say something to comfort Leon's little pet, she's so
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- frightened."
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- The girl turned and Beauty saw her pert face, eyes slanting at the ends
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- somewhat like the eyes of the Queens, but they were smaller, with no
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- cruelty. She smiled with full little red lips. "don't be frightened,
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- Beauty," she said, "but you have no need for comfort from me. You have the
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- Prince. I have only Lord Gerhardt."
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- A great current of laughter passed through the darden. The musicians
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- were playing loudly, with much strumming of their lutes and tapping of the
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- tambourines, and then Beauty quite distictly heard the thunder of hooves
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- approaching. A rider shot past the windows, his cape flying out behind
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- him, his horse bridled in silver and gold which made a streak oflight as he
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- rushed forward.
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- "O, at last, at last," said the girl in fron of Beauty. Other riders
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- were coming, and they were making a line all along the wall that almost
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- blocked Beauty's view of the garden. She could not bear to look up at
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- themj, but she did and saw they were splendid Ladies and Lords, and each
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- hel the reins of the horse in his or her left hand, and in the right a long
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- rectangular black paddle.
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- "Now, into the room," said Lord Gregory, and the slaves who had waited
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- in a long line were ushered into the next chamber where they stood
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- directlyu facing the arched door to the garden. Beauty could see now that
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- a young Prince was first in line, and she saw that mounted Lord, his horse
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- pawing the dirt before the archway.
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- Leon moved Beauty a little to the side. "Now you can see better," he
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- said. And she saw the Prince clasp his hands behind his neck and step
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- forward.
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- A trumpet sounded, catching Beauty off guard so she gasped. And a cry
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- rose from the crowd behind the archway. The young slave was forced out and
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- at once greeted by the black leather paddle of the Lord on horseback.
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- Immediately the slave commenced to run.
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- The mounted Lord rode right beside him, and the sound of the paddle
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- came loud and distinct as the murmur of the crowd seemed to rise and mingle
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- itself with the faint ripples of laugher.
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- Beauty was aghast as she saw the two figures disappear down the path
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- together. "I cannot do it, I cannot," she thought. "I cannot be made to
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- run. I will fall. I will fall to the ground and cover myself. To be
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- tied, to be bound in fron of so many was dreadful enough, but this is
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- impossible..."
-
- But another rider was already in place, and a youn Princess was forced
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- suddenly forward. The paddle found its mark, the Princess let out a little
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- cry and was immediately running desperately fast along the Bridle Path, the
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- rider after her, spanking her fiercely.
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- Before Beauty could take her eyes off them, another slave was on the
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- way, and her eyes blurred as shw saw far ahead a dim line of torches
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- outlining the path that seemed to go on and on through the trees, past an
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- endless vista a feasting Lords and Ladies.
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- "Now, Beauty, you see what is required, and don't cry. If you're
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- crying it will be harder. You must put your mind on running fast, kieeping
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- your hands on your neck. Here, place them there now. And you must lift
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- your knees high, and try not to squirm to escape the paddle. It will
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- catch you no matter what you do, but I warn you, no matter how many times I
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- tell you that, you will find yourself trying to run away from it. That is
- the tr4ick, but remain graceful."
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- Another slave was running, and then another.
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- And the young girl who had crided earlier was upended again, dangling,
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- as she was spanked.
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- "Dreadufl of her," said the Princess in front of Beauty. "She'll be
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- spanked hard enough in a moment."
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- Suddenly there were only three slaves before Beauty and the archway.
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- "O, but I can't..." she cried to Leon.
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- "Nonsense, my darling, follow the path. It will unwind slowly before
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- you, you will see its turns well in advance, and stop only if you see the
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- slave before you stopped. Now and then the line is stopped, for as the
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- slaves come before the Queen, they must stop for praise or condemnation.
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- She is on a great pavilion to your right, but don't glance at her when you
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- step out or the paddle will catch you off guard."
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- "O, please, I shall faint, I can't, I can't..."
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- "Beauty,m Beauty," said the pretty Princess in front of her, "just
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- follow my example."
-
- And Beauty realized with horror there was no one left but this girl.
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- But then that one who had just been spanked was placed before her, and
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- ushered out to the waiting paddle. The girl was frantic, sobbing, but she
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- kept her hands on her neck, and soon she was running besider her laughing
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- rider, a tall young Lord who lifted his arm wasy back as he spanked her.
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- Suddenly another rider appeared, the elderly Lord Gerhardt, and as
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- Beauty watched in terror, the pretty Princess ran out to receive the first
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- blows and run with graceful lifts of her knees beside him. But for all her
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- complaints, the Lord's horse seemed to move terribly fast and the paddle
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- was loud and merciless.
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- Beauty was forced to the threshold of the garden. For the first time
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- she stared at the true immensity of the Court, the dozens upon dozens of
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- tables that sprawled out on the green and appeared in great numbers in the
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- forest beyond it. Everywhere were servants and naked slaves. It was
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- perhaps three times the size she had judged from the windows.
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- She felt tine, insignificant, for all her terror. Lost and without a
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- name or a sould suddenly. "what am i now," she might have thought, but she
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- could not think. And as if in nightmare, she saw all the faces of those at
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- the nearest tables, Lords and Ladies twisted to see the Bridle Path, and
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- far to her right loomed the pavilion of the Queen, canopied and festooned
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- with flowers.
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- She was gasping for breath, and when she looked up and saw the splendid
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- mounted figure of Lady Juliana, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude
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- that is was she, though she knew Lady Juliana would spank her perhaps all
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- the harder to do her duty.
-
- The lovely Lady's braids were done with the same silver that threaded
-
- her shapely gown. She seemed made for the sidesaddle in which she sat and
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- the handle of her paddle was laced to her wrist. She was smiling.
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- There was no time to see more, to think more. Beauty was running
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- forward, feeling the crunch of the Bridle Path under her horseshoes,
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- hearing the stomp of hooves beside her.
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- And though she thought it was not possible to endure such degradation,
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- she felt the first cracking blow to her naked buttocks. It was so foreful
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- it almost knocked her off balance. The stinging pain spread out from it
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- lie a warm fire and Beauty realized she was rushing forward.
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- The stomp of hooves deafened her. And the paddle caught her again and
-
- again, almost lifting her and forcing her forward. She realized she was
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- crying out loud through her clenched teeth, her tears making ablur of the
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- torches that clearly defined the path before her. ASnd she was running,
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- running fast towards the enclosing trees, though she could not escape the
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- paddle.
-
- It was as Leon had warned her; it caught her over and over and each
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- time there was some hideous surprise because she was trying to outrun it.
-
- She could smell the horse, and when she widened her eyes and gasped for
-
- breath, she saw everywhere on either side of her those torchlit and
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- abundantly decked supper tables. Lords and Ladies drank, supped, laughed,
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- turned to glance at her perhaps, she did not know, she was sobbing and
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- running frantically from the blow, shich came harder and harder.
-
- "O, please, please, Lady Juliana," she wanted to cry out, but she did
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- not dare to ask for mercy. The path had turned and she was following it
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- only to see more and more Nobles banqueting and dimly before her the figure
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- of the other rider and slave who had greatly out distanced her.
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- Her throat was buring as much as her sore flesh
-
- "Faster, Beauty, faster, and lift your legs hight," Lady Juliana sang
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- out over the sind. "ah, yes, better, my darling." And there came another
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- shock of pain, and another. The paddle found her thighs with a hard
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- uplifting slap, and then seemed to scoop up her buttocks.
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- Beauty gave an open-mouthed cry because she could not stop it, and soon
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- she heard her own wordless pleas as clearly as the horse's hooves pounding
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- the cinders.
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- er throat constricted, even the soles of her feet burned, but nothing
-
- hurt as much as the quick, strong paddling.
-
- Lady Juliana seemd possessed of some evel genius, catching Beauty from
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- one angle and then another, lifting her up again with the blows, smacking
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- her hard and then three or four times in rapid succession.
-
- The path had made another turn, and far ahead Beauty saw the walls of
-
- the castle. They were returning now. They would soon reach the Queen's
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- canopied pavilion.
-
- Beauty felt as if all the breath had gone out of her, yet mercifully
-
- Lady Juliana slowed her pace as did the riders before her. Beauty ran
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- more slowly, knees high, and felt a great relaxation course through her.
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- She could hear her own choking sobs, and feel the tears slipping down her
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- face, and yet a puzzling sensation was passsing over her.
-
- She felt suddenly calmed in some way. She did not comprehend it. She
-
- felt no rebellion suddenly, though the obligation to rebel prodded her.
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- Perhaps she was only exhausted. But she knew only that she was a naked
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- slave of the Court and anyting might be done to her. Hundres of Loards and
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- Lakies watched her with amusement. It was noghing to them, as she was only
-
- one of many, and it had all been done a thousand times, and would be done
-
- again, and she must do her best to take her place tethered to that beam in
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- the hall of punishemtns suffering for the amusement of no one.
-
- "Lift your knees, my precious darling," Lady Juliana said to her as
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- they wer moving slowly now. "And o, if you could only see how exquisite
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- you are, you have done splendidly."
-
- Beauty tossed her head. She felt the heavy braids fall against her
-
- back, and suddenly when the paddle struck her she felt herself move so
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- languidly with it. It was as if this strange relaxation were softening her
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- all over. Is that what they had meant when they said the the pain would
-
- soften her? Yet she feared this relaxation, this despair....was it
-
- despair? She did not know. She had no dignity in this moment. She saw
-
- herself as Lady Juliana must surely have seen her, and it seemed sh almost
-
- preened as she imagined this, tossing her head again, pushing her breats
-
- out proudly.
-
- "That's it, lovely, lovely," Lady Juliana called out. THe other rider
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- had disappeared.
-
- The horse picked up its pace; the paddle struck Beauty violently again
-
- and drover her throught the clustered tables as the crowd grew thicker, the
-
- castle coming closer, and suddenly they had stopped before the pavilion.
-
- Lady Juliana turned her mount the the side, and with small prodding
-
- spanks brought Beauty beside her to attention.
-
- Beauty did not look up but she could see the long garlands of flowers,
-
- the dim white vision of the canopy ballooning gently in the breeze, and a
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- host of figures seated behind the festooned railing fo the pavilion.
-
- Her body seemed consumed with fire. She could not catch her breath,
-
- and then she could hear the conversation above, the Queen's pure icy voice
-
- and others laughing. Her throat was raw, her buttocks pulsing with pain,
-
- and now Lady Juliana whispered:
-
- "She's pleased with you, Beauty, now kiss my boot quickly and drop down
-
- on your knees and kiss the grass before the pavilion. Do it with spirit,
-
- my girl."
-
- Beauty obeyed without hesitation, and as if it were water washing
-
- through her, she fel again the calm, that sense of what was it? Release?
-
- Resignation?
-
- "Nothing can save me," she thought. All the sounds about her mingled
-
- in a din. Her buttocks seemed to glow with pain, and she imagined a great
-
- light emanating from them.
-
- And then she was back on her feet, and another hard blow sent her
-
- crying into the dark cellar chamber of the castle.
-
- Slaves everywhere were thrown over barrels, their sore bodies being
-
- washed quickly with cool water. Beauty felt its flow over her abraded
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- flesh, and then the soft toweling.
-
- At once, Leon had her on her feet. "You've pleased the Queen
-
- marvelously. Your form was magnificent. You were born the the Bridle
-
- Path."
-
- "But the Prince..." Beauty whispered. And she felt dizzy, and
-
- mistakenly envisioned Prince Alexi.
-
- "Not tonight for you, lovely one, he is quite busy with a thousand
-
- amusements. And you must be plced where you can serve and rest, as the
-
- exertion of the Bridle Path is quite enough in one night for a novice."
-
- He unfastened her braids and brushed out her hair in ripples. She was
-
- breathing deeply and evenly now and bent her forehead against his chest.
-
- "Was I truely graceful?"
-
- "Pricelessly beautiful," he whipspered ,"and Lady Juliana is thoroughly
-
- in love with you."
-
- But now he ordered her down on her knees and told her to follow him.
-
- She was suddenly out in the night again, on the warm grass with the
-
- noisy crowd all about her. She saw the table legs, the gathered gowns,
-
- hands moving in the shadows. There was a shriek of laughter nearby and
-
- then she saw before her a long banquest table covered with sweets, fruit
-
- and pastries. Two Princes attended it and decorative pillars stood at both
-
- ends to which slave girls were affixed, their hands above their heads,
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- their feet chaned slightly apart at the bottom.
-
- One of these was removed as Beauty approached and she was quickly
-
- fastened in the girl's place, standing firmly, her head and swollen
-
- buttocks pressed back against the pillar.
-
- She could see the whole feast around her, even with her lids lowered,
-
- and she felt herself quite firmly bound in place, unable to move, and it
-
- did not matter. The worst was over.
-
- Even when a passing Lord stopped to smile at her and pinch her nipples,
-
- she did not care. She was amazed to see the little brass bells had been
-
- taken away. She was so wweary she hadn't noticed.
-
- Leon was still nearby, at her ear, and she was about to murmur some
-
- question as to how long she would be here, when quite distinctly in fron of
-
- her she saw Prince Alexi.
-
- He was as beautiful as she had remembered, his auburn brown hair
-
- curling against the hollows of his handsome face, his soft brown eyes fixed
-
- on her. His lips spread easily in a smile though he drew up to the table
-
- and gae his pitcher to be filled to one of those in attendance.
-
- Beauty stared furtively out of the corner of her eye. She saw his
-
- thick hard sex and the lush hair around it. The vision of the Page,
-
- Felix, sucking it filled her with sudden passion.
-
- She must have moaned or stirred because Prince Alexi, glancing up at
-
- the distant pavilion before he bent over the table to gather some sweet,
-
- suddenly kissed her on the ear, brushing Leon aside as if he were nothing.
-
- "You behave yourself, you wicked Prince," said Leon, but it was not
-
- playful.
-
- "I shall see you tomorrow night, my dearest," Prince Alexi shispered
-
- with a smile. "And don't be frightened of the Queen for I shall be with
-
- you."
-
- Beauty's mouth quivered on the verge of a cry, but he was gone, and now
-
- Leon had drawn up to her ear again, cuppin his hand as he shispered:
-
- "you're to see the Queen tomorrow night for a few hours in her
-
- Quarters."
-
- "O, no, no.." Beauty wailed, tossing her head from side to side.
-
- "Don't be foolish. This is very good. You could not wish for better,"
-
- and as he spoke, he slipped his hand between her legs and pinched her lips
-
- gently.
-
- She felt he4rself grow warm there.
-
- "I was on the pavilion while you were running. The Queen was impressed
-
- in spite of herself," he went on, "and the Prince said you had always
-
- showwn such form and spirit. And again, he pleaded for you, and that the
-
- Queen should not censure his passion. He agreed then not see you tonight
-
- but to have a dozen or so new Princesses paraded before him..."
-
- "Don't tell me any more!" Beauty cried softly
-
- "No, but don't you see, the Queen was enthralled with you and he knew
-
- it. She watched you closely as you ran, impatient for you to come to the
-
- pavilion. And it was she who said perhaps she should taste your charms
-
- herself to see if you were not as spoilt and vain as she had supposed. She
-
- will have you in her Quarters tomorrow night after supper."
-
- Beauty cried softly, too spiritless to answer.
-
- "But, Beauty, this is a great privilege. There are slaves here who
-
- serve years without ever being noticed by the Queen. You shall have your
-
- full opportunity to enchant her. And you shall, my dea, you shall, you
-
- cannot fail to do so. And the Prince has been clever for once. He has not
-
- worn his heart for all to see it."
-
- "But what will she do to me!" Beauty whimpered. "and Prince Alexi, will
-
- he see all of it? O, what will she do?"
-
- "O, she shall only make a plaything of you, of course. And you shall
-
- try to please her.
-