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Subject: {ASSM} Amanda's Choice 14/19 (nosex spank)
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Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:10:05 -0500
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<1st attachment, "Chapter14.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Amanda's Choice
Summary: A 14-year-old girl with a troubled home life is swept away to
another world by an older female lover, where she must make the
ultimate choice between love and freedom.

Part: 14 of 19
Keywords: nosex, spank

Note: Story codes are for this Chapter. See Chapter 0 for complete list
of codes

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2005

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/AmandasChoice/Chapter14.html



---------------

Yanna rose from her slumber at exactly the right time, as she did every
morning. Outside, the dark of night was just giving way to the twilight
of false dawn, distant clouds glowing deep purple at the first rays of
light over the limb of the world.

As she did on many such mornings, she made her bed like a good slave,
and padded to the doorway, peeking around the side of the curtain. Her
master slept soundly and silently, his sides slowly rising and falling
with his breath, the door to the path that led around the back of the
Healer office open to let in the breeze.

And as she did on many such mornings, Yanna promptly returned to her
bed, reaching under it and extracting the powdered herb she had
acquired from her Mage associate. Another full morning of tainting
Master Roquan's Kaylaxxa to induce random and unexplainable bits of
disobedience from his slaves.

And as she did on many such mornings, she concealed the pouch in her
hands as best as possible in case her master awoke as she tiptoed
across his room, aided immeasurably as always by the already open
outside door. As she reached the entryway to the outside, she paused
near his dresser, upon which sat the various items he used for personal
grooming, including the small brush he used for his beard.

But unlike many such mornings, she nudged the brush with her elbow and
let it clatter to the floor.

Behind her, the Healer snorted and shifted in bed just as Yanna walked
out.

Yanna walked briskly along the path, back to the same routine she did
every morning that she chose to do this. Today would have been ideal
anyway, as it would allow her to taint the the vials slated to go
Abroad. Getting Tanyee had been a lucky coincidence. She had been
contracted out days after receiving a tainted Kaylaxxa vial, so it
worked out wonderfully. This, however, would have been a triumph of
stealth and cunning.

A pity it had to be this day.

Yanna let herself into the office and wasted no time, ignoring the new
experiment that gurgled and bubbled in the corner of the lab. She
headed into the treatment room, the encroaching light of dawn just
enough for her to see. She crouched by the first of the vials and
popped it open, laying the stopper by the side. She then drew the pouch
before her and opened it, reaching in to take a single, small pinch.

A hand suddenly grasped her wrist and stopped her, holding it with
unexpectedly strong force.

Yanna uttered an appropriately dramatic gasp.

"Oh, Yanna," Vanlo said with a sigh as he plucked the pouch from her
other hand. "You've been a naughty girl, haven't you?"



For the first time since the Healer had been servicing the D'ronstaq
Manor nearly ten years ago, Vanlo witnessed Roquan lose his temper.

"All this time, I was thinking what other Overlord would do such a
heinous act!" Roquan shouted as he paced his bedchamber. "All this
time, I thought how might an Overlord sabotage me in such a manner!
Never in all my years of being an Overlord would I have expected one of
my own /SLAVES!/"

And at this, he took the goblet he had drained of wine not moments
before and threw it across the room.

Vanlo watched impassively. He was simply happy that the Overlord had
chosen now to give into his fury, rather than when he was trussing up
the now rather terribly frightened Yanna. Vanlo could still hear her
whimpers in the outer chamber despite the curtain and despite the gag
in her mouth. He had seen Roquan eye the instruments of punishment on
the wall, including the largest of the paddles, the one with the small
lead weight attached to the other side to give it more impact. Had he
used that on Yanna with this level of rage, he might have very well
fractured her hip.

Roquan paused, red-faced, forcing himself to take a deep breath, as if
realizing that throwing the goblet was a step too far for an Overlord
in the presence of others. He turned away from Vanlo momentarily until
he had managed to calm himself down somewhat. When he turned back,
clasping his hands behind his back, he looked no less infuriated, but
much less irrational. "My apologies, Master Vanlo," he said in curt,
clipped tones. "There is no reason for you to have witnessed that."

"Your anger is most understandable, I assure you," Vanlo said in a
somber voice. "I applaud your show of restraint with Yanna."

Roquan took another deep breath, his eyes blazing. "We will come back
to her in a moment," he said darkly, yet even he knew he needed to cool
off before he could even think of punishing Yanna. He instead drew his
attention to the table, where the small pouch that Vanlo had
confiscated now sat. "And I apologize for needing you to explain to me
again what it is you found. I was not in the right frame of mind
earlier."

"Also understandable, your Lordship." Vanlo crossed the room and picked
up the pouch, opening it. "If my assessment is correct, I believe this
is Jonalla root."

"Which is?"

"An ingredient used by Healers in some draughts that are instrumental
to treating extreme cases of mental illness," Vanlo explained. "At
least, when used with other ingredients and prepared properly."

"And if used improperly?"

"Then it can have detrimental effects on the mind. In large quantities,
homicidal rage."

Roquan looked shocked at this.

"And in far smaller quantities," Vanlo said, removing a small pinch
with his fingers and letting it fall back, the black crystals
sparkling. "It can cause momentary bouts of rebelliousness and
unexplained recalcitrance."

"Vanlo, how can a slave obtain such a thing?"

Vanlo considered, musing silently as he let another pinch fall through
his fingers. "Hmm. I fear we have a dilemma here, your Lordship," he
said. "A slave of ordinary means cannot. This herb is strictly
controlled by the Healers' Guild. Even I would have trouble procuring
it, unless I resorted to the black market. And a slave would not have
direct access to either the guild or the black market."

Roquan sighed in exasperation. "Then how by the gods would she have
acquired it?"

"The only explanation I can offer," Vanlo began in a low voice. He
closed the pouch as best as he could from the lack of a drawstring, and
turned it around, stretching the material with his fingers such that
the monogram was clearly visible. "Is that someone gave it to her, and
put her up to this."

At first, Roquan blinked incomprehension, his eyes seeing the monogram,
but refusing to take it a logical conclusion. Yet there was no other
explanation for what he was seeing, and slowly his mind was forced to
accept it. Stunned, he reached out and took the pouch from the Healer,
staring at the monogram.

Roquan looked up. "Do you realize what you are saying, Vanlo?" he
demanded through clenched teeth.

"I say nothing," Vanlo said firmly. "I only tell you what is in the
pouch, and you can see the pouch for yourself. It is not my business to
make any further conclusions."

Roquan turned away, still staring at the monogram. "I've known Rennis
for years. To do such a thing to me after all this ... " he murmured
angrily. He looked up at Vanlo, his eyes burning. "He would have to be
rather bold or rather desperate to do something such as this, would he
not?"

He looked expectantly at the Healer, but Vanlo remained dutifully
silent.

Roquan sighed. "All right. Here is a question you can answer. How long
has she been doing this?"

"I would estimate approximately one season, your Lordship."

"Which was about the time Rennis traded her to me," Roquan said
tonelessly.

Vanlo again remained silent.

"Oh, come now, Vanlo!" Roquan exclaimed in frustration. "You must have
a thought on this!"

Vanlo paused a long moment, glancing behind him. "Your answer, your
Lordship, I would suggest is waiting for you in your outer chamber."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yanna. Ask her. Talk to her. I would think by now she would be
frightened enough to tell you what you need to know."

Roquan took a deep breath, his eyes hard and burning with anger as he
looked past the Healer towards the curtain. "Disobedience is one thing,
Vanlo," he said in a low, dark voice. "Lack of discipline.
Stubbornness. All of it flaws that I can overlook, confident that my
Trainers will correct it. But /conspiracy against her Overlord?/"

"Do you wish me to remain while you interrogate her?" Vanlo asked
mildly.

"Yes, I do," answer Roquan immediately. "For having you in the room
will check my anger towards her."

He stepped past the Healer and yanked the curtain aside as he entered
the room, casting an icy gaze down upon the furs in the center of the
room.

Yanna was on her knees upon the furs that lined the floor. Her knees
were spread, forced into that position by the leather cuffs that held
her ankles in a forced "X" shape. Her wrists were also similarly
restrained behind her back, drawn up behind her until her arms were
uncomfortably stretched, and secured to a thick leather collar. A large
ball gag was jammed into her mouth, larger than the one he had used on
Sirinna the other night, designed for maximum discomfort rather than
just stilling her voice. She cringed when she saw Roquan step into the
room.

Seeing the frightened form of his slave cowering before him tempered
Roquan's anger somewhat. Now he felt more contempt than anger, for a
slave does not cower before a master. A slave accepts whatever
discipline she is about to receive, no matter how great her crime.

Roquan paused a moment, then stepped over to the wall near the hearth.
Both Vanlo and Yanna watched him carefully as he reached towards the
paddles. His hand hovered briefly over the one with the lead weight,
then slid over to the next one down and lifted it from the wall
instead.

Yanna started shaking like a leaf.

Roquan reached down and grabbed her arm. Yanna gave a desperate cry
through her nose when he unlocked her ankle restraints and hauled her
to her feet. As soon as she was standing, she shied away from him,
trying to pull out of his grip.

Roquan yanked her back and whacked her soundly with the paddle on her
backside with a very loud retort.

Yanna gave a shrill, hysterical cry and tried to pull away a second
time, only to receive another stroke.

"You will not move," Roquan said in an even but deadly voice. "You will
stand where you are, Yanna."

Roquan paused a moment, then let go of her.

Yanna trembled, casting two fearful eyes at him and cowering. He
delivered a third stroke, though not as hard this time, some of his
initial fury having been expended in the first two strokes. "You will
not cower," Roquan said. "Do not run. Do not cower. Do I make myself
clear on this, Yanna?"

Vanlo relaxed. His Overlord appeared in full control of his temper now.

Yanna hesitated, then nodded slowly.

Roquan reached behind Yanna's head and removed the ball gag, tugging it
from behind her teeth.

"Master, p-please!" Yanna cried in a strident voice. "P-please, d-don't
... I m-mean ... I-I didn't want to h-hurt anyone! I j-just ..."

Roquan held up a hand. Yanna flinched, but remained where she was and
forced herself to remain standing upright, her lower lip quivering as
she stared at the Overlord.

"You are still a slave, Yanna," Roquan said, tapping the paddle against
his palm once. "And you will conduct yourself as such."

Yanna swallowed and nodded. "Yes, master," she said.

"Now," Roquan walked around behind Yanna. He tapped her backside
lightly with the paddle, making her yelp in fear rather than pain. "I
will ask you some questions. If I think you are not being truthful or
you are hiding something, then ..."

He wound up and struck her very hard with the paddle, using almost all
his strength.

Yanna screamed and nearly fell forward, pain searing across her ass.
For the first time, since Vanlo had escorted her into Roquan's
quarters, tears finally trickled from her eyes.

"Do you understand me, Yanna?" Roquan said in a cool voice.

"Y-yes, m-master," Yanna croaked.

"What were you trying to do when Vanlo caught you this morning?"

Yanna sobbed. "I ... tr-trying to t-taint the vials of Kaylaxxa,
master."

"And do you know what you were tainting the Kaylaxxa with?"

"I d-don't know, m-master."

Roquan gave Yanna's backside a light tap with the paddle.

"/I don't know!/" Yanna screamed, fresh tears streaming down her
cheeks. "I don't know, master!"

Roquan considered this for a moment. "Who gave you the powder, Yanna?"
he asked.

Yanna bit her lip, whimpering.

Roquan gave her backside a light swat, but with as much pain as her
buttocks were in now, it made Yanna cry out just the same. "Answer me,
Yanna."

"I ... h-he didn't ... m-master, I-I was just trying to b-be a g-good
slave ..."

"A good slave, Yanna?" Roquan said sardonically, coming around in front
of her and looking into her terrified eyes.

Yanna swallowed and nodded. "I w-was always a good slave for h-him, I
..."

Her words were cut off when Roquan stepped up to her and fixed an icy
gaze on her. "/I/ am your master, Yanna," he said. "/I/ am your
Overlord. /I/ am the one you show loyalty to. No one else. Do I make
myself clear, or do you need more convincing of this point?"

He reached around and slapped one ass cheek with the paddle lightly.

"No, master!" Yanna cried.

"Then you will tell me, who gave you this powder?" Roquan demanded, his
voice rising. "Who told you to taint the Kaylaxxa? Who told you to
sabotage my Manor?"

Yanna looked stricken, bursting into renewed tears. "M-master Rennis!
R-rennis D'glounaas! He g-gave me the powder, told me what to do with
it! I didn't know!" Her voice rose to a wail. "I didn't know it was
going to do all that! I ..."

"Yanna," Roquan said.

Yanna choked back her next words and fell silent.

Roquan turned and looked at Vanlo.

"Interesting," Vanlo muttered softly, stroking his beard. "Has there
ever been a case of such divided loyalties with a slave?"

"Not in my Manor," Roquan said.

"Yes, I would think such a thing quite rare," Vanlo said. After a
pause, he added, "Which, my Lordship, makes her story suspect
immediately."

Roquan stared at the Healer in surprise. No, Roquan did not want to
believe his friend could do this to him. Yet a slave, lie? And so
blatantly? It was beyond his comprehension.

He turned his head towards Yanna.

"M-master, it's true!" Yanna cried. "I told y-you the truth! Master
Rennis just gave me s-some more of the powder yesterday!"

"He gave you more of this?" Roquan said in disbelief, holding up the
pouch.

Yanna's eyes fixed on it. "He gave me that exact pouch, master."

"Someone would have had to, your Lordship," Vanlo announced. "She could
not have had that pouch for a whole season, she would have run out by
now. And I searched her bedchamber before bringing her over here and
found no more than what you have in your hand."

Roquan sighed through his nose and looked at Yanna. "Realize what you
are saying, Yanna," he said. "You are accusing Master Rennis of openly
and blatantly handing you an illegal substance."

"But he did, master!" Yanna wailed. "Please, b-believe me! I ... wait!
Amanda!"

Roquan stared. "What?"

"Amanda was there!" Yanna cried. "She was recovering from her Kaylaxxa
treatment when Master Rennis came in and gave me the pouch! She heard
everything! /She heard everything!/"



"Amanda, wake up."

Amanda moaned groggily. She waved a hand weakly in the air and curled
up tighter on the soft furs of Sirinna's bed. "Go 'way," she muttered.

It had taken her a long while to get to sleep the night before, as
upset as she had been, and had only been in a nice, deep sleep for a
few hours before someone started jostling her. She had almost drifted
off again when she was shaken once more, this time harder.

"Amanda! You need to get up. Now."

"Huh?" Amanda croaked, turning over and blinking a few times until her
eyes focused. She glanced out the window. The sky was still deep
indigo. "Sirinna, what ... it's not even morning yet."

"I know, but you have to get up," Sirinna said, her voice agitated.

Amanda yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Why?" she demanded.

"Master Roquan has summoned you to his quarters."

That woke Amanda in a hurry. She spun around in bed in a panic. "He
what?! Why? What did I do?"

Sirinna got up out of bed and started pulling Amanda to her feet. "I
don't know what's going on, Amanda," she said. "I don't think it's
anything you did, but the slave he sent to fetch you said your presence
was /required/. Not requested, /required/."

Amanda felt her heart start to race, driving away any remaining sleep
from her body, but doing nothing for how tired she felt. She was barely
coherent as Sirinna grabbed her by the hand and started taking her
across her chamber and towards the door.

"Sirinna!" Amanda cried in protest.

"We have to get there as quickly as possible, Amanda," Sirinna said in
a grave voice. "If he's summoning anyone at this early an hour,
something is ..."

"Sirinna!" Amanda shouted, yanking her hand from Sirinna's.

Sirinna whirled around and looked crossly at Amanda. "Amanda! This is
not the time for games!"

"I am not going to Roquan's quarters naked!" Amanda cried. "Not a
chance!"

Sirinna sighed, exasperated. She dashed into Amanda's bedchamber and
fetched the gown, fumbling with it as she helped pull it down over
Amanda's body. Without bothering to straighten or smooth it out,
Sirinna grabbed Amanda's hand and dashed out of their shared quarters
with Amanda in reluctant tow.



Rennis D'glounaas was in no mood to be summoned anywhere at such an
early hour. He had already risen, as he generally did anyway at that
hour, his own Manor operating on a slightly shifted schedule from the
D'ronstaq Manor. He had intended to start packing his things in order
to start the journey back to his own Manor by late morning, and he
could not find his satchel. It was after spending a frustrating and
fruitless half-hour searching that a slave came to notify him of
Roquan's demand. Not request, but demand.

And when he arrived, which was in short order and well before Amanda
and Sirinna, he was certainly in even less a mood to hear what Roquan
had to say to him.

"Have you taken leave of your senses, Roquan?" Rennis cried. "Have you
indeed gone mad?"

His eyes flickered between the stony face of Roquan, the deeply
thoughtful face of Vanlo, and the frightened one of Yanna. "And what is
Yanna doing here? What is this all about?"

"Have I not just now made that clear?" Roquan said icily.

"No, you have not!" Rennis exclaimed angrily. "You have done nothing
more than make a baseless accusation! The idea that I would be behind
the sabotage of your Manor! It is preposterous!"

"And why is that?"

"Who's been your defender, Roquan? Who's been trying to keep you in
good graces with the other Overlords?

"Yes, the other Overlords, with whom you spoke without consulting me
first!"

"And where in our alliance does it state I must clear every action I
take with you?" Rennis shouted. "Next you will be telling me what
clients I can contract my slaves to!"

"But that's what you wanted to do with me, wasn't it, Rennis?" Roquan
said through clenched teeth. "You were so insistent on me dropping my
objections to dealing with the Urisi. Who's the one trying to control
whom?"

Rennis threw up his arms. "You are truly mad."

"Don't get so dramatic on me, Rennis."

"Me? Dramatic? You're the one making this fantastic allegation! Do you
even have one shred of proof?"

Roquan turned his gaze to Yanna. Yanna's eyes shifted between the two
Overlords, and she appeared to be resisting the urge to cringe.

Rennis stared. "What? You mean Yanna?" he asked, confused.

"Yanna informs me that you gave her this," Roquan said, carefully
drawing the pouch of Jonalla from his pocket.

Rennis' mouth dropped open, a look of pained recognition in his eyes
before he could stop it. At the same time, however, he was completely
bewildered. So Roquan had discovered that he had passed Yanna some
Disalla. But what were all these accusations about? How could that be
remotely connected to his disobedience problems? Disalla causes sexual
arousal, not disobedience!

Before he could say a word, Sirinna and Amanda stepped into the room.

Roquan cast a hard gaze on Sirinna. "You could have sent her alone,
Sirinna," he said in a low voice. "I summoned her, not you."

"I wanted to make sure she found her way here, master," Sirinna said
evenly. "And I thought I would stay and take her back when you were
done with her."

Amanda had to fight the urge to hide behind Sirinna. She scanned the
faces of everyone in the room, and it was obvious that whatever was
happening, it was not good. She did not recognize the goateed man, but
from the process of elimination it was not hard to guess that this was
likely the other Overlord, Rennis D'glounaas. She saw Yanna standing in
partial restraints, her face obviously stained from crying, and the
instruments of punishment on the wall behind her, all making her heart
pound so hard in her chest that it ached.

Yet when her roaming eyes fell upon the map on the wall to the other
side of the hearth, this suddenly riveted her attention so powerfully
that she nearly forgot everything else.

Her first thought was that Roquan had a map of the Earth -- her Earth
-- in his quarters, but before she could think of the implications of
this, once her eyes resolved the names and the political borders, she
realized that this was indeed a map of Narlass. A large area
encompassing the Caribbean Sea and all the bordering land, as well as
the northern coast of South America, the eastern seaboard of North
America, all of the North Atlantic, and the British Isles were under
one nation labeled boldly "OCEANUS". Much of Europe and part of North
Africa was another entity prominently labeled "URIS". A swathe of
territory along the western half of North America east to the Rocky
Mountains and south to the western shores of Mexico was labeled
"COLOS".

"Is this the outworlder girl?" Rennis asked.

Amanda's attention was jolted back to the others, and she swallowed
nervously.

"Yes, this is Amanda," Roquan stated.

Amanda squeezed Sirinna's hand tightly. "Has Amanda done something
wrong, master?" Sirinna asked.

"No, Sirinna. But she can perhaps help settle a grave matter."

Amanda's heart leapt into her throat. Grave matter?

Rennis understood even less about what was going on now than he did a
moment ago. Had Roquan simply come out and declared that he had
discovered the illicit passing of Disalla to one of his slaves, Rennis
would have simply owned up to it and be done with it. But if Roquan was
using this to accuse him of sabotage, he felt no obligation to admit to
anything.

Sirinna glanced between Roquan and Rennis. "I don't understand,
master," she said cautiously.

"It will become clear in a ..."

"What is happening, dear Sirinna," Rennis said with a sarcastic edge to
his voice, "Is that your beloved master appears to be of the thought
that I am behind the disobedience amongst his slaves."

Sirinna's mouth dropped open in shock, and it was clear when she looked
at Roquan that she was struggling to remember her place.

"Rennis, you will not speak out of turn," Roquan said.

"And just who gave you that right to decide ..."

"/Because this is my Manor and I am its Overlord!/" Roquan thundered.

Amanda nearly jumped. Even Sirinna flinched a little.

Vanlo continued to look in with a thoughtful expression, his gaze fixed
on Yanna, as if studying her. He appeared to be almost oblivious to
everything else.

Rennis stared at Roquan for a few tense seconds, then inclined his head
and took a step backwards, a universal sign of deference in Narlassi
culture.

Roquan turned to Amanda and spoke in a more normal tone of voice. "Now,
Amanda," he began. "We have had a serious problem at the Manor of late.
You may know a little of it. There has been an attempt to sabotage the
Manor by sowing disobedience among the slaves. Have you heard about
this?"

Amanda nodded. "Um, y-yes, I have," she said in a nervous voice.

Rennis raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Amanda. Amanda noticed this
and tried not to get flustered.

"Very good. Now, I need to ask you about something," Roquan continued.
"And I need the truth. That is all I am interested in. You have done
nothing wrong, but you may have witnessed something rather important to
the issue at hand."

Amanda's eyes widened, her gaze sliding from Roquan to Yanna and
briefly to Rennis. /Oh no .../

"Just answer truthfully, Amanda," Roquan said. "There is no retaliation
for whatever you will have to say. Do you understand this?"

Amanda nodded wordlessly. Sirinna looked confused, but held her tongue,
preferring to hear what her master and Amanda had to say.

"Yanna here has stated that Master Rennis gave her this ..." Roquan
presented the pouch. " ... at the Healer office, while you were behind
one of the curtains recovering from a Kaylaxxa treatment."

Rennis cast an icy look at Yanna but said nothing.

He stopped himself. Roquan narrowed his eyes. "Well, Amanda?" he asked,
not taking his steely gaze from Rennis.

Amanda paused a moment, feeling very much like she was under a
spotlight. Even Sirinna was staring at her. "I ... I heard ... " she
started. She took a deep breath. "I heard Rennis ... Master Rennis ...
talking to Yanna. I heard him give something to her, but I didn't see
what it was."

Rennis snorted. "Some proof that is," he sneered.

Roquan paused, his fingers tightening around the pouch. "What did you
hear them say?"

"I-I'm not sure I remember the exact words."

"Do your best, Amanda."

Amanda wracked her brains. It had only happened the day before, but she
felt like she had gone through such an emotional wringer afterward, and
the anxiety induced by all the staring, was making it difficult for her
to summon up the details. "Um ... Yanna said something about it being
what she needed," Amanda began haltingly. "Then ... Rennis said
something about contraband. He said you'd think it was that."

Rennis folded his arms tightly, glowering at her.

Sirinna looked beside herself, as if she could not decide what she
should do, or what was proper for her to do.

"Go on, Amanda," Roquan said, satisfaction creeping into his voice.

Amanda glanced anxiously at Rennis and then at Sirinna.

"No retaliation, Amanda," Roquan said firmly. "You are in my Manor and
you will enjoy my protection. Go on."

Amanda was more affected by the stricken look that Sirinna was giving
her. "I ... I-I'm not sure," she said. "But ... it sounded like he was
nervous. Like he shouldn't be doing this. He didn't want anyone seeing
what he was doing."

Rennis narrowed his eyes and shifted his attention to Yanna. What was
going on here?

"Anything else?"

Amanda paused. "Um ... uh ... yes ... something about ... Yanna
succeeding at something. Like she had some task or job and she did it
well."

"Now, wait just a moment!" Rennis cried.

"Thank you, Amanda," Roquan said. He turned away from her and stepped
up to Rennis, eyes blazing. "So what do you have to say to that,
Rennis?" he asked coldly.

Rennis drew in his breath and let it go, matching Roquan's cold stare
with his own indignant one. "I say that you're paranoid, that's what!"

"Paranoid? Do you deny what Amanda has just told us?"

"What I dispute is your attempt to turn it into a conspiracy against
you and your Manor, that's what I deny!" Rennis thundered.

Roquan held the pouch in his fist, brandishing it angrily before
Rennis. "You mean you admit to bringing this ... this /filth/ ... into
my Manor and giving it my slaves?!"

Rennis blinked in astonishment. "Filth? Giving it to ... now hold on,
Roquan! I understand your sensitivity to these things, but to call
giving one slave a little Disalla powder ..."

Vanlo raised an eyebrow.

"Disalla?" Sirinna asked, almost sounding relieved. "Master, forgive me
for speaking out of turn, but if it were just ..."

Roquan did not even hear her. "This is not Disalla!" he shouted,
opening the pouch and nearly shoving the contents in Rennis' face.
"This is /Jonalla!/"

Sirinna's mouth dropped open in an expression of shock so powerful that
Amanda turned to her in alarm.

"Jonalla! Are you /insane?!/ I didn't give her that!"

"You just admitted to it!"

"I admitted to /DISALLA!/" Rennis roared. "Damn you, Roquan! You're
taking the statement of an outworlder girl over an Overlord? Surely
Yanna has informed you of her need for the Disalla!"

"Yanna has told me the truth," Roquan said. "She has told me what you
had her do. How you had her deliver this to my slaves through their
Kaylaxxa."

Rennis was speechless. He pushed past Roquan and stepped over to Yanna.
"Yanna! What did you tell him?"

Yanna swallowed, her eyes glistening. "M-master ..." she said huskily.
"Wasn't ... wasn't I a good slave? Didn't I do as you asked?"

"What?" Rennis said.

"I did what you told me. You said I had to. You said I was a good slave
if I did it, if I put it in the Kaylaxxa!"

Rennis stared in abject horror. He could not believe what his ears were
telling him. A slave lying. Not simply fibbing or withholding truth,
but outright lying.

Finally, Sirinna could not remain silent. "Yanna, what are you saying?"
Sirinna cried. "What are you saying about Master Rennis?! He would
never ...!"

"Sirinna," Roquan called.

"Please tell me I did good, master!" Yanna said, tears leaking from her
eyes again. "Please! Please tell me I didn't do those terrible things!"

"Yanna! Stop it!" Sirinna shouted, her own eyes tearing.

"Sirinna!" Roquan snapped.

"But, master," Sirinna pleaded. "This is not true! This can't be true!
Master Rennis would never ..."

"Sirinna, I will not tell you again!" Roquan thundered. "I ..."

"Lies, Roquan!" Rennis exploded. "Can't you see these are /LIES?!/"

Roquan stepped up to Rennis. "I can quite assure you that I
interrogated Yanna with the proper incentive for her to tell the
truth."

"Well, maybe your 'incentive' was not enough!" His eyes blazing with
fury, he leapt over to the wall beside the hearth and grabbed the
largest of the paddles, the one with the lead weight. "Perhaps she
needs a little more 'encouragement'!"

"/Master!/" Sirinna screamed.

"Your Lordship!" Vanlo shouted. "No!"

Yanna tried to get out of the way when Rennis came for her with the
paddle gripped white-knuckled in his hand, but stumbled and fell to the
floor. He drew the paddle back, his teeth clenched, and prepared to
bring it down on Yanna's exposed backside with all his strength.

Roquan caught his wrist just as it began its descent. His fingers
squeezed Rennis' wrist until Rennis winced in pain and dropped the
paddle.

Roquan shoved Rennis back against the wall, causing several of the
implements to tumble from their hooks. Rennis was panting, his eyes
glazed. "Disalla, Roquan," he croaked. "That's what I gave her.
Disalla. Not Jonalla."

Amanda's head was spinning, and all she wanted to do was run out of
this place as fast as she could. The terms that they threw back and
forth meant nothing to her, and after witnessing what she just had, she
did not want to know. She was sorry she had said anything.

"Master Rennis must be telling the truth!" Sirinna cried, blinking
tears from her eyes. "He has to be, master ..."

"Sirinna, you will be silent," Roquan said. "This is the third time I
am telling you. I will not accept more disobedience from you, unless
you wish me to punish you."

Now it was Amanda who could not hold her tongue. "Wait, punish her?"
she cried. "Just for voicing her opinion?"

Rennis laughed. "Looks like you don't need some grand conspiracy to
have people not listen to you, Roquan. But then again, you never listen
to anyone else."

"I have listened," Roquan said. "I have heard nothing for your
defense."

"Well, you know, Roquan, I just might have had proof for you," Rennis
said. "Seems the Disalla pouch came loose in my satchel, thanks to the
little kick you gave it. So I got Disalla powder all over the inside of
it, and that stuff never comes off leather."

Roquan paused. Sirinna looked hopeful. "Very well," he said slowly.
"Produce your proof."

"Well, you see, I can't. Someone took it."

"How convenient."

"Yes, very convenient!" Rennis said, stepping back from the wall and
around the prone and quaking form of Yanna on the floor. He looked
down. "So, Yanna, guess you did that too, hmm? Took that from me last
night when you came to my room?"

Vanlo stroked his beard thoughtfully. "She did indeed ask for my
release for the evening, your Lordship," he said to Roquan.

"Rennis, the idea that a slave would break with her training so badly
as to conjure up a complete fantasy simply to make you look bad is so
beyond the realm of believability that if this were another context, I
would laugh!" Roquan declared. "I have heard enough. Get out. Our
alliance is at an end. You are no longer welcome in the D'ronstaq
Manor."

Sirinna gasped. "M-master, please ..." she cried desperately. "S-surely
you cannot ..."

"Ten strokes, Sirinna," Roquan said. "Speak again out of turn and it
will be twenty."

Amanda looked aghast. "You can't do that!" she cried.

Roquan turned and stepped towards her, causing her to back up a
half-step, eyes shimmering. "I am the Overlord of this Manor," he said
icily. "I have the right to punish any slave I see fit. I have never,
however, punished an outworlder that is not yet a slave. Do not tempt
me to set a precedent."

Sirinna wrapped an arm around Amanda's shoulders. "Amanda, be quiet,"
Sirinna whispered urgently.

"But ...!"

"Be quiet!" Sirinna hissed, and then added in a softer tone, "Please."

"I will leave, Roquan," Rennis said. "For surely I cannot maintain an
alliance when there is this little trust. But I will tell you this. You
may have found your saboteur, but you have yet to find the conspirator.
I am not the one you want. But the one you want is still out there."

"Is there a point to this blather?" Roquan sneered.

"Yes. Watch your back, Roquan. Lest you find a knife buried in it."

Rennis turned and left.

For a few moments, the only sound was that of Yanna sobbing. Roquan was
the first to move. He handed the pouch back to Vanlo and advanced
quickly on Yanna, helping her to her feet and loosening her restraints.
He removed the connection between her wrists and collar, and then the
collar itself. He left her bound, but with much more slack, allowing
her to flex her arms. "It is over, Yanna," Roquan said in a softer
voice. "Calm yourself. You ultimately have done the right thing."

Yanna sniffled and looked at Roquan. "M-master, will I b-be punished?"
she asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, but no longer by the paddle." Roquan stepped over to the wall,
replacing the dropped items before taking one of the Trainee collars
and chains. "But you need to learn again what it means to be loyal to
one Overlord, Yanna."

"Y-yes, master," Yanna said softly, blinking back tears but giving one
last sob as Roquan secured the Trainee collar around her neck and gave
the chain the traditional snap.

Sirinna gave Amanda a gentle squeeze and a reassuring word before
stepping forward towards her Overlord.

Roquan met her, but continued to hold the chain in his hand, regarding
Sirinna with a cool, stone-like gaze. "I will be giving her to Hiatha."

A stunned look crossed Sirinna's face. Yanna's also betrayed a
genuinely surprised look.

There was silence. Roquan stared at Sirinna as if daring her to
question his decision.

Sirinna carefully schooled her expression into one of proper deference,
but nevertheless opened her mouth and spoke, albeit with the utmost
respect and politeness. "I simply assumed, master, that I would take
her, as Hiatha has a Trainee already."

Amanda was confused at this statement, since Sirinna had Tanyee, but
then realized there was no longer any reason to keep Tanyee as a
Trainee now, since they knew what was the cause of her transgression.

"You assume too much, Sirinna," Roquan said coldly. "As you appear to
assume greater wisdom than your Overlord."

Sirinna swallowed. "No, master, I do not," she said evenly. "I ... I
wish only the best for Yanna after this."

"I have my doubts about that, Sirinna. You are too close to this. You
came near to openly defying me not moments ago. With Amanda, you have
already shown you can get far too emotionally involved where you should
not."

Amanda's mouth opened at this, and she looked from the Overlord to
Sirinna. Suddenly she felt as if all this were her fault, and she
wondered if what Sirinna had told her the night before was ultimately
going to get Sirinna into even more trouble that she already had.

Yanna's gaze also flicked between the others, her tears having stopped
despite the lingering pain in her backside.

Sirinna paused a moment, and said in a low voice, "Master Rennis was my
first master. He was very good to me."

"I am well aware of that," Roquan said, and edge creeping into his
voice. "But you will now hear the same thing I have told Yanna. You
serve one Overlord. You have one master. It is to that Overlord that
you remain loyal. Do I make myself clear on this?"

Sirinna took a deep breath and let it go. "Yes, master," she whispered.

"Then there is to be no more discussion on this. Take Amanda back to
your quarters. After breakfast, bring Tanyee here. I will rescind her
Trainee status and take care of your punishment at that time."

Roquan turned Yanna around to adjust her restraints. Amanda's heart
leapt into her throat when she saw how raw and red Yanna's backside
was.

As the Overlord finished his task and turned back towards the others,
Amanda gave the Overlord a look with eyes that burned with pure hatred.

Roquan noticed this, and returned the gaze impassively. "So the
outworlder girl believes me to be harsh, does she?" he said.

Sirinna turned and stepped up to Amanda's side, draping her arm around
the girl's shoulders. Amanda shrugged it off. "You don't beat people to
get them to talk where I come from," Amanda said bitterly.

"Amanda!" Sirinna whispered urgently.

"No, Sirinna, let the girl speak," Roquan said, stepping forward. "By
her own words, she is not a slave and does not have to obey me."

"And people don't get beaten up for saying what's on their mind,
either!" Amanda cried, hands curled into fists.

"I do not 'beat-up' my slaves," Roquan said evenly. "In fact, such
violence is forbidden among the Overlords. These ..." he gestured
towards the paddles " ... are the limits of physical punishment, and
you will note that I stopped Rennis from using the worst of them, the
one I no longer use myself. No, Amanda, you have a great deal to learn
about slave discipline."

"I know enough," Amanda said in a lower voice. "Enough to know that I
hate it."

Sirinna bit her lip.

"So be it. Then you shall consider that when you make your decision as
to whether to stay or leave. Master Vanlo."

Vanlo dutifully stepped forward.

Roquan handed him the end of the chain. "She is in your temporary
charge," Roquan said. "I will have Hiatha summoned after breakfast. In
the meantime, please treat her. The paddling pain was to loosen her
tongue, not inflict punishment."

"At once, your Lordship," Vanlo said. He gave Yanna an impassive look
and snapped the chain lightly. Yanna hung her head low and walked out
ahead of her former master.

Amanda watched the two of them go, guilt hanging over her head as she
look at Yanna's inflamed ass cheeks, even though she had not had a
direct hand in her "interrogation".

"And you see, Amanda, I do not use pain as a long term punishment,"
Roquan said. "It is used to make a point in the present. There are
other ways to deal with a lack of discipline."

He turned his gaze towards Sirinna as he said this. Sirinna lowered her
eyes.

Amanda stared at Sirinna in frustration, wanting her to stand up for
herself. This was Amanda's fault anyway. Again! Amanda hated herself
now as much as she hated the Overlord. Why couldn't she have just
claimed total ignorance? Why couldn't she have just said she heard
nothing, just like Yanna thought? Then at least no matter what happened
after that, it would be on someone else's head.

"I see no further need for me to explain myself further," Roquan said
darkly. "No Overlord should have a need, and the fact that I have even
bothered to do so is quite unheard of. Amanda, I will thank you for
helping resolve this serious matter. But beyond that, I find your
presence an annoyance. Sirinna, do as I have asked."

"Yes, master," Sirinna said promptly, and hurriedly escorted a
struggling and still defiant Amanda out the door.



As she was led away to the Healer's office, Yanna thought long and
hard.

First, she silently congratulated herself. What a performance! Having
Roquan paddle her was fortuitous. Those strokes had really hurt! She
had little to add in the way of acting to react to them realistically
and fuel her apparent look of remorse. She had to thank Rennis for
putting on a grand performance of his own. She had pegged him right. He
would not own up to the Disalla exchange unless he absolutely had to,
and by then it was too late. Yanna and Amanda had already sealed his
fate, and the fate of their alliance.

Yet there was a wrinkle in this. At first she had thought her plans
were disrupted when Roquan unexpectedly gave charge of her over to
Hiatha instead of Sirinna. But what was this about Sirinna and Amanda?
They were emotionally involved? Lovers, perhaps? And Amanda actually
had a choice whether to stay in Narlass or not?

Her original plans had to change. No longer could she simply use the
guise of wanting to say goodbye to Amanda before she returned home as
her means of securing Sirinna for her master. Now she had to use a
little more deceit and trickery. But now, it just might be possible she
could have a willing but unwitting co-conspirator in her plans.

Yes. Amanda's work was not done yet. She still had a part to play. Her
master will be most pleased at Yanna's cleverness.
<1st attachment end>


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