The Courier
Copyright 2008 by EC
EC's Erotic Art & Fiction - http://www.ecgraphicarts.com/

(warnings: erotic discipline, sex between adults, medical fetish, 
forced public nudity, harsh interrogation, rape, bondage, 
humiliation)


Chapter 20 – The Downfall of the Duchess

Program Director Cecilia Sanchez spent the following day with her 
normal routine.  On Saturdays she always met with her students to 
receive updates on their studies and how they were handling life 
in Danubia.  The majority seemed to be adjusting well, and as for 
the few who were having problems, those problems were routine and 
manageable.  There was no reason for Cecilia to feel uneasy that 
day.

However Cecilia did feel uneasy, a feeling which only increased 
every time she met with one of the 13 students who were wearing a 
collar on behalf of Maria Elena.  Earlier in the week she had 
lied to the group, allowing them to assume that their friend 
would be better off in the Royal Residence than she possibly 
could be at the university.  She showed them old reports and 
articles that talked about how well Royal Servants had been 
treated under the old Grand Duchess and the rulers who had come 
before her.  She had wanted no further trouble from her students, 
so she deceived them by telling them that Maria Elena was fine in 
her new home.

Carmen’s counseling session was almost at the end of her 
schedule, and out of the collared group she was the last.  By the 
time Carmen came in for her appointment Cecilia was so guilt-
ridden that she could not look her student in the face.  Carmen 
looked at her director, wondering if she was going to be sick.

“Yeah…yeah.  Truth is I must have eaten something…don’t feel good 
at all…”

Great.  Now she was compounding lies with yet more lies, 
something that was considered highly dishonorable in Danubian 
society.  She figured that she would tell Carmen the truth after 
Maria Elena was returned to the Ministry of Justice, but her 
motivation for waiting was purely selfish.  What she wanted was 
to avoid any further public spectacles from her students and thus 
avoid any further headaches for herself.  She knew what she 
needed to do, simply tell Carmen what really was happening and 
also tell her that it was likely Maria Elena would be extracted 
the very next day.  But to do something like that was not in 
Cecilia’s character.  She was by nature a secretive person who 
always felt that the less people knew about her affairs, the 
better.

When Carmen left, Cecilia decided to cancel the remaining 
appointments.  She repeated what she had said to Carmen, that she 
was feeling ill.  She stepped outside into the cool late summer 
air.  At first she thought about going home, but she could not 
face Victor and the sight of Maria Elena’s empty room.  Instead 
she decided to walk in the direction of the campus Temple, which 
was an old church that was being used by the university.  She 
knew that her fiance Jason would be there, working on a routine 
maintenance project with several other students who were 
performing Public Penance. 

Jason was not scheduled to get off work for several more hours.  
However, the Priest overseeing the maintenance crew took one look 
at Cecilia and knew that she needed him much more than the Church 
needed him.  He released Jason and told him to return on time the 
following day.  Jason knelt, touched his head to the ground, and 
said goodbye to his superior.

Cecilia had a hard time putting into words what was bothering her 
so much.  For several minutes she spoke incoherently about Carmen 
and other protesters.  She hardly expected her fiance to 
understand what was going on.  She looked at Jason’s youthful 
innocent face, assuming that the person listening to her was the 
same naive freshman she had seen standing in the hallway of the 
second floor of Huntington Hall five years before.  However, she 
had underestimated him, because during his four years in Danubia 
he had studied under the Priestess and had taken the teachings of 
the Danubian Church very seriously.  As a result of his efforts, 
he had acquired insight and understanding about life that few 
people from the US would ever experience.  It wasn’t long before 
he gently cut off Cecilia and bluntly asked her:

“You feel guilty about all the lies you told this week, don’t 
you?”

“Yeah, I ‘spose.  I ‘spose that’s it.”

“Or maybe it’s not just the lies, Cecilia.  Maybe it’s that you 
told all those lies because you were just worried about 
protecting yourself, trying to save yourself some embarrassment?”

Cecilia became defensive:  “I was doin’ it for the program.  I 
don’t want Carmen doin’ a bunch of shit that’s gonna embarrass 
the university that…”

“…and so you thought lying was the best way to handle it?  You 
never thought that if you took the time to explain, in detail, 
what’s really going on, that Maria Elena is in the Royal 
Household because it’s her Path in Life to go there, that she had 
to go there so the Prime Minister could get the other servants 
out…that maybe Carmen might not have reacted the way you thought 
she’d react?”

“Carmen would’ve wanted to protest.  I just wanted to shut her 
up.”

“You know that for a fact?  Did you ask her?”

“No.  I didn’t ask her.  I just knew she was gonna stir up shit 
and I don’t need it.  I don’t need her shit, Jason.”

“So it all comes back to you, doesn’t it?  You don’t need her 
shit.  You don't want to be embarrassed.  So you dishonored 
yourself by deceiving her and all the others wearing collars.  
Next week they’re gonna know the truth, and the Church is gonna 
know the truth.  Next week everyone's gonna see you for what you 
are.”

Cecilia angrily turned away.  Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Look.  If you’re gonna insult me, then you can go fuck yourself.  
I don’t need you.”

“I’m not insulting you, Cecilia.  I’m just telling you that 
you’ve dug yourself into a very big hole with your students.  You 
lied to them, and next week they’re gonna know that you lied to 
them.  And I’d bet they’ll figure out real fast that you lied to 
protect yourself, even though you keep talking about protecting 
the exchange program, which is total bullshit.  You dishonored 
yourself by lying to people who are wearing Church collars, to 
people who trusted you as their leader.  The relationship you 
might have had with them is now broken, because once you break 
trust, you’re dishonored and you can’t fix that.”

Cecilia was horrified to hear her normally docile fiance speak to 
her with such cold confidence, as though he were a Priest who had 
spent decades in the Temple.  The worst part of it was that she 
knew he was right.  However, she couldn’t bear hearing such a 
harsh assessment from Jason.  Her reaction was typical of her 
when she felt cornered, she counter-attacked.  She tore off her 
engagement jewelry and threw it at him.

“Call me dishonored?  Then you can take this shit and you can 
shove it up your ass, Jason!”

Jason said nothing, which infuriated Cecilia even more.  Not 
knowing what else to say, she stormed off, assuming that she had 
just broken off their relationship.  Jason calmly picked up the 
engagement necklace and hair-piece.  It took him a few seconds to 
spot her ring, almost buried in the grass.  He did not follow her 
and he did not try to shout anything after her.  The truth was 
that Cecilia had indeed dishonored herself by lying to Carmen and 
the others, and she needed to understand that before she could 
attempt to repair the damage.  He simply had told her the same 
thing that any Priest or Priestess would have told her.  It was 
not his Path in Life to try to comfort her, because all that 
would accomplish would be to prolong her own self-deception.  He 
loved her too much to tell her that her behavior was acceptable 
or that everything was going to be fine, when it wasn’t.  

Cecilia walked about 100 meters and stopped.  She was totally 
horrified…how could that have happened?  Jason…he was the only 
man she had ever loved…five years they had been together…and 
now…it was over…gone…just because she was pissed at him…

She looked back.  He was calmly standing right where she had left 
him.  He had not chased after her, but he had not walked off 
either.  He was still there, if she wanted to go back to him.  
But that decision would be hers to make.  She would have to 
return to him.  He would not be coming after her.

She knew that she had to go back.  Without Jason her life really 
had no meaning, but to go back to him would be the hardest thing 
she could imagine doing.  To go back would be to admit that she 
was wrong.  She took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and 
slowly retraced her steps.  As she got closer she could see him 
quietly holding her engagement jewelry in his hands.  So, all 
along he had known she couldn’t leave.  

He waited until she was within arms’ length before holding up her 
hair-piece. She stood quietly as he worked it back into her hair.  
After her engagement necklace and ring were safely restored to 
their proper places on her body, he announced:

“I’m taking you to the Temple.  Then you’re gonna need to go over 
to Carmen’s place and tell her what’s really going on.”

----------

The Priestess was at her usual post in the Temple of the Ancients 
when Jason Schmidt brought in his forlorn-looking fiance.  As 
usual, he was completely naked and she was wearing a simple one-
piece dress that was typical of what young Danubian women wore 
during the summer.  As he had over the past four years, he knelt 
and put his head on the ground, rising when she gave him 
permission.  Cecilia simply knelt upright, staring ahead with sad 
glassy eyes.

The Priestess had seen Cecilia and Jason together and separately 
many times over the past four years, so she knew both of them 
very well.  What was interesting to her was that Jason had 
changed so much, while Cecilia had changed so little.  The 
Priestess knew why.  Jason had been performing Public Penance 
almost the entire time he had been in Danubia, while Cecilia had 
not.  From the beginning it was obvious that Jason desperately 
wanted to free himself from the burdens he carried from his past.  
He understood what he needed to do, and he was willing to take 
any measure he or the Priestess felt was necessary for him to 
achieve that freedom.  The most important part of the break from 
his past was his collar.  Officially he might have declared 
himself property of the Danubian Church, but in doing so he had 
liberated his soul from all of the guilt and burdens he had 
brought with him from the US.  He never could have experienced 
such freedom had he not accepted the collar.

Cecilia Sanchez’s concerns always were much more worldly.  She 
was a competent and skilled program director, a good student, and 
a dedicated caretaker for Victor Dukov and her nephew Pedro.  She 
had learned a lot during her time in Danubia, but unlike Jason, 
her character had not undergone any real changes.  After four 
years of being in Danubia, she was exactly the same person she 
had been in the US, while Jason had grown and had become totally 
different.  The Priestess could see that so clearly that she 
wondered how it was possible that Cecilia could be so blind to 
what had happened to her partner.

Even before she began speaking, the Priestess knew that Cecilia 
had come to her to confess something she had done wrong, at the 
insistence of her fiance.  She also could tell that what Cecilia 
was about to do would be very difficult for her.  The Priestess 
decided not to immediately address whatever it was that was 
bothering Cecilia, but instead talk about what was going to 
happen the following day.  Even though the stated purpose of the 
trip would be to obtain a simple confession and counseling for 
Criminal # 101025, everyone involved in the affair knew that the 
real purpose would be to find legal justification needed to get 
Maria Elena and the other Royal Servants away from the Grand 
Duchess and her predatory assistants.  

The Priestess had her sources within the Royal Household, so she 
also knew about the strange meetings between Anyia’s two Lords 
and mysterious groups of visiting foreigners.  She momentarily 
let down her guard when she commented:

“The Creator has enlightened me that our task may be much more 
important than merely addressing what is going on within the 
Royal Household among the servants.  It is not my Path in Life to 
make idle speculation about the people I work with and the tasks 
I must accomplish.  I have access to information.  I am fully 
aware of what is going on in that house; a dwelling that has 
become a refuge for the Destroyer.  For that reason, I have asked 
the Prime Minister to accompany me, along with his son Vladik.  
The father and the brother of the Grand Duchess will be witnesses 
to her full disgrace.”

The Priestess turned to Cecilia:  “The Destroyer has been very 
active in the life of your friend.  You must understand that 
tomorrow you will be speaking to a person who will be traumatized 
by what has happened to her.  You must summon your strength and 
not be shocked when you see her.”

Cecilia understood that the moment had come for her to confess 
her own problem.  In just a few sentences she related that she 
had lied to her students about Maria Elena’s situation to keep 
them from protesting and causing her embarrassment.  As a result, 
the following week she faced being dishonored when Carmen and the 
others found out that their program director had deceived them 
about their friend’s situation.  She concluded by saying she was 
deeply sorry for what she had done.

Cecilia expected the Priestess to give her an angry lecture about 
the evil of lying, but all she said was:

“You are kneeling here before me, so to me that means you are 
aware of the dangers of deceit.  You understand what you did; you 
broke trust.  I need not say anything more about that.  I do know 
what you must do to minimize the damage you have done, and to 
regain the confidence of your students.  But before I tell you 
what I believe you should do, I would like to comment about 
something, something about your country that has always troubled 
me.”

“What’s that, Priestess?”

“You Americans have a custom that strikes me as very strange.  A 
few minutes ago you used the word ‘sorry’ to express how you felt 
about the betrayal against the trust of your students.  It is not 
a word I took seriously because I have heard it too often from 
the people of your country.  You are always saying “sorry” for 
things, for things both trivial and significant.  I understand 
that “sorry” is even posted on signs and recorded telephone 
messages.  If one feels remorse over something one has done, how 
is it possible to express such sentiment on a piece of paper or a 
recorded device?  How is such a thing possible?”

“I…it’s just kinda the way we do things, Priestess.  I guess…so 
people won’t be mad…”

“So, in your country, people normally say ‘sorry’ when they want 
a problem they have created to disappear, for a wrong they have 
committed to be forgotten.  But not to actually correct that 
wrong through their own initiative.  Is that not so?”

“Yes, Priestess.  That is so.”

“I asked you the question because I expect you to understand that 
the American word ‘sorry’ is a concept with no meaning.  You 
would do well to abolish ‘sorry’ from your vocabulary and 
thoughts.  There is no point in expressing remorse if that 
expression is not supported by action to remedy what you have 
done.  Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Priestess.”

 “The Creator does not forget, Cecilia Sanchez.  A problem will 
not disappear unless you take specific action to correct what you 
have done.”

“Yes, Priestess.”

Cecilia cringed slightly, because she knew what was coming.  She 
already knew she would have to put on a Temple collar and perform 
Public Penance.  Wearing her collar, she would have to go over to 
Carmen’s house and confess what she had done.  As difficult as it 
would be to appear in front of Carmen and her host family naked, 
approaching her while performing Public Penance would solve one 
problem for Cecilia.  She would not have to try to find any words 
to apologize, because the collar would do that for her.  All she 
needed to do was tell her student what had happened.  Under the 
traditions of Danubian culture, because Cecilia was collared, it 
would be Carmen’s responsibility to forgive her.

“Stand.”

Cecilia stood up and the Priestess put her hands around her 
throat to measure her neck size.  She wrote a number down on a 
small piece of paper and handed it to a Temple attendant.

“Kneel”

Cecilia knelt.  The Priestess looked at her severely.

“Before we go to the firepit and before I ask you to surrender 
that dress you are wearing, I wish to make you understand 
something important.  My impression is that you expect that I 
would allow you to perform Public Penance for a short time, as I 
have allowed for your students.  You hope to properly express 
remorse for your deceptions, and then after the equinox, to 
resume your life as it has been up to today.  That is your hope, 
is it not?”

Cecilia hesitated in answering, because that was indeed what she 
was expecting.

“Speak, Cecilia Sanchez.  Answer my question.”

“Yes, Priestess…that is…kinda what I was hoping.”

“Then I want you to understand the condition of your Penance will 
differ from that of your fiance.  He is wearing the collar of his 
own free will.  After knowing him for four years, I trust that he 
has the maturity of the spirit to determine for himself when it 
is best to ask for release from his Penance.  I do not believe 
that you have such maturity of spirit.  Therefore I anticipate 
the Creator will communicate to me about the length of your 
Penance, not to you.  If you accept the collar, you will wear it 
for a long time, not just a few weeks.  The winter will come and 
the cold wind will punish your exposed body.  Everyone in your 
life will see you, day after day, week after week, month after 
month, in your condition of Penance.  It will be up to the 
Creator to enlighten me when you are to be released, and you are 
not to inquire about being released until that moment comes.  Do 
you understand me?”

Cecilia was horrified.  She had come to the Temple simply wanting 
to get her problem with Carmen and the other students resolved.  
What Jason had told her really seemed to make sense: just display 
remorse by being collared and tell the truth about what she did 
and what her motivations were for doing so.  She would be naked 
for a few days, participate in the Day of the Dead ceremonies, 
and then she would get dressed and everything would be fine…or so 
she had thought…

To the Priestess however, Cecilia’s deception was the 
manifestation of a much deeper problem in her soul.  Cecilia 
Sanchez obviously suffered from an over-developed concept of 
self-worth that could only be addressed through a lengthy time of 
Public Penance that had no fixed date for ending.  The first 
thing Cecilia would have to surrender was the idea that she 
controlled her own future.  She would remain collared for a long 
time; months, maybe years, maybe the rest of her life.  She had 
to accept that reality and in doing so submit to the Will of the 
Creator.

“You will come, Cecilia Sanchez.  You will come and you will 
submit.”

Cecilia followed the Priestess to the back of the Temple, with 
Jason trailing behind.  The trio emerged onto the large platform 
in the rear and approached a circular fire-pit.  Cecilia felt a 
pang of regret about the dress she was wearing, because it would 
be torn and burnt as part of the age-old ceremony submitting to 
Public Penance.  Cecilia and Jason knelt as the Priestess took 
two items from a Temple attendant.  One of the items was a small 
knife; the other was the collar that Cecilia would be wearing 
within a few minutes.

Cecilia stood as the Priestess quickly slit her dress down the 
front.  The Priestess nodded to Jason, quietly ordering him to 
pull the ruined article of clothing off his fiance’s body.  
Another quick slash cut Cecilia’s panties, which Jason picked up.  
He handed both pieces of clothing to Cecilia.  The Priestess 
prayed for a moment before ordering Cecilia to toss the ruined 
articles of clothing in the fire-pit.  There was a flash as the 
burning coals consumed the cloth.

Cecilia also had to take off her shoes.  A Temple attendant took 
them away.  Unlike clothing, shoes were not tossed in the fire-
pit, but still they were permanently surrendered to the Church.  
If the shoes were in good condition they were given to people who 
could not afford to buy new footwear.

Cecilia knelt and held the collar in front of her, contemplating 
the pending surrender of her freedom.  She felt totally helpless, 
much more so than the first time she performed Penance four years 
before.  She began crying as the Priestess placed her hands on 
her shoulders.  A few minutes later the collar was locked on her 
neck.

----------

Cecilia Sanchez had two tasks to accomplish upon receiving her 
collar.  The first was to go to Carmen’s house and explain what 
had happened with Maria Elena.  Cecilia was extremely downcast as 
she confessed.  Not only was she admitting to behaving 
dishonorably, but also the lack of clothing completely took away 
her self-confidence.  She felt very vulnerable and exposed, even 
though Carmen was just as naked as she was.  Carmen quietly 
accepted Cecilia’s explanation.  When the director finished, her 
student had a question:

“I was just kinda curious…how long are you gonna keep your 
collar?”

“I…I’m not sure.  The Priestess said I wasn’t ‘sposed to ask 
about it…how long, I mean.  I’ll have to wait until she says I 
can take it off.”

“Then I’m gonna keep mine, as long as you have to keep yours.”

Cecilia tried to hold back her tears.

“Carmen, I don’t want you to do that.  You’ve got your own life 
to live.  I fucked up…that’s what the Priestess told me.  That’s 
not your problem.”

“You fucked up.  But you’re trying to fix it.  That’s what 
matters.  So I will keep my collar as long as you have yours, and 
I will tell her that.  The Priestess, I mean…”

----------

Cecilia had to return to the Temple.  The Priestess released 
Jason, but flatly announced that Cecilia would not be going home 
that night.  Instead the two women took a trolley to the outer 
edge of Danube City.  They got off at the very last stop and in 
the darkness walked several blocks to the last row of houses.  
Cecilia was terrified, being alone with the intimidating Clergy-
woman.  When they passed the last house of the Priestess stopped.  
Cecilia immediately knelt.  The Priestess then did something that 
totally shocked the American: she pulled her dress over her head, 
exposing her statuesque figure.

“Rise, Cecilia Sanchez.  Rise and fold my dress.  We will walk, 
and you will carry my garment.”

Cecilia did as she was told.  She took the dress that was the 
Priestess’s only worldly possession.  Once the dress was folded, 
the Priestess showed Cecilia how to use the sash to properly tie 
it into a small bundle.  With the dress safely folded, the two 
naked women set out walking in the direction of the Royal 
Residence along the dark road.  Adhering to Church protocol, 
Cecilia followed about five meters behind the Priestess.  

They spent the entire night walking in silence.  At daybreak they 
stopped at a small Temple where they were greeted by two Priests.  
The Priestess put on her dress and prayed while Cecilia was 
allowed a breakfast of buttered bread and blackberry punch.  Her 
feet were sore and raw from being without shoes, and she was 
desperately tired after having spent the entire night walking.  
However, there was no indication there would be any rest.  

The Priestess took a satchel of papers from her fellow-Clergy 
members, tapped Cecilia on the shoulder, and took off her dress 
for a second time.  She handed her garment to the American.  The 
two Priests approached Cecilia, stripped off their robes and also 
handed them to her to fold and carry.  Cecilia would have to 
carry their hats as well.  Cecilia later learned that it was 
common for Clergy members to strip off their garments if they had 
to walk long distances, and it was also common for Temple 
attendants or persons performing Public Penance to assist by 
carrying the clothing.  The vestments were expensive and the 
Clergy members were expected to conserve them as much as 
possible.  From the point of view of the Church, it did not make 
any sense for a Priest or Priestess to walk on a dusty road in 
Temple clothing, so the garments had to be taken off and carried.

Following ancient protocol the three naked Clergy members and 
their attendant continued their silent trek towards the Royal 
Residence.  They walked in single file along the quiet road as 
the sun came up and the mist lifted from the countryside.

----------

As Cecilia continued on her painful and tiring journey with her 
Priestess, Officer Vladik Dukov put on his police uniform.  He 
kissed his wife goodbye before getting into a police van that he 
had signed out from the National Police motorpool the night 
before.  He drove downtown to pick up his police partner before 
he retrieved his parents from the Prime Minister’s residence.  
The van stopped at the Temple of the Ancients to pick up Grand 
Prophet # 4.  On their way out of town, the van stopped one final 
time, at the house of Spokeswoman Kimberly-Lee Dolkivna.  

Within a few minutes, Vladik covered the same route that Cecilia 
and the Priestess had spent the entire night traversing on foot.  
They approached the front gate of the Royal Residence, where the 
three Clergy members were waiting with their exhausted attendant.  

The Clergy members had put their garments back on and quietly 
standing by the roadside.  Cecilia was kneeling.  Everyone 
stepped out of the van and knelt, including the Grand Prophet.  
The Priestess, because she was the one leading the group, 
remained standing.

“Oh Creator.  We have come to you seeking the truth.  We ask only 
the truth.  We seek only the truth.  You know what is in our 
hearts.  We ask that we may proceed with humility, but also with 
the strength of will to carry out this tasking.”

The group knelt forward, touched their heads on the ground, and 
knelt upright.  The Priestess continued:

“I ask something specific of you, Oh Creator.  I ask you to speak 
to us through Criminal # 101025, the woman who was formally known 
as the Colombian Maria Elena Rodriguez-Torres.  I ask that you 
speak to us through her, and that once you have spoken to us 
through her, you safely deliver her into our hands.  That is my 
request, Oh Creator.”

The group knelt forward a second time, and then stood up.

The Priestess took the satchel, pulled out a copy of the letter 
granting permission to speak to Criminal # 101025, and with 
Cecilia walked up to the guardpost.  She introduced herself to 
the guards.  Cecilia expected an argument, but the bewildered 
gatekeepers immediately opened the gates to allow the group to 
pass.  

Cecilia quickly realized the operation had been carefully planned 
and had the support from several people working inside the Royal 
Residence.  Two uniformed guards quickly showed up and saluted 
Officer Dukov and the Prime Minister.  They led the Prime 
Minister, his wife, his son, and his son’s partner to the 
courtyard, pointing to a badly beaten young man hanging in the 
pillory.  Vladik took several pictures for evidence before 
ordering the servant to be taken down and moved to the infirmary.  
As was typical, the punished servant had been left there all 
night.

Meanwhile, the Clergy members entered the Royal Residence along 
with Kim and Cecilia.  Naked servants and uniformed staff rushed 
into the main hallway to see what was going on.  The servants 
immediately knelt, but guards ran up to the group with their 
pistols drawn.  The Priestess calmly passed out copies of the 
order allowing her to see Criminal # 101025 for a confession.  
The Priestess stated:

“I will pass unimpeded.  If any of you wishes to shoot me, I 
challenge you to do so.  I will fall, as any human will fall.  
But then the world will clearly see which Master you serve.”

The guards looked at the four Clergy members, then exchanged 
frightened glances with each other.  Suddenly they holstered 
their weapons and knelt.  Vladik and his partner entered the room 
leading several more guards.

“All guards, rise!  Under the authority of the National Police of 
the Republic of Danubia, you are deputized to serve under the 
orders of this nation’s Prime Minister!  You will do his bidding!

“Doc-Doc!”

The guards turned towards Vladim Dukov, who was just entering the 
room.  The men saluted the Prime Minister.  He saluted back.

“Secure this property immediately!  I want no one to leave!  I 
also expect that you will detain anyone attempting to enter!  I 
am placing my trust in you, and I expect you not to fail in your 
duty to the nation!”

“Doc-Doc Dukov!”

Cecilia was dumbfounded by how quickly and how thoroughly the 
Royal Guards switched sides.  They were not stupid; they knew the 
game was up.  It was obvious the Prime Minister and the Clergy 
had defeated the Royal Couple, because otherwise they would not 
have dared set foot on the Royal Estate with such audacity.  What 
certainly helped the Prime Minister was the presence of Grand 
Prophet # 4.  To oppose the Prophet was to oppose the Church.

The Priestess turned to a couple of the trembling naked Royal 
Servants.

“Where is Criminal # 101025?”

One of the Royal Servants, the tall German girl with the tattoo 
on her ankle, pointed towards the holding cells.  The Priestess 
did not wait.  She ordered Kim, Cecilia, and two Royal Guards to 
accompany her.  With the others trailing behind, she quickly 
strode down a corridor, turned a corner, and descended a flight 
of old stone stairs.  

The Priestess and her four companions quietly opened a very thick 
wooden door leading to the main basement hallway.  As soon as the 
door was open they could hear a broken human voice attempting to 
bark.

Crack!

“Speak, you foul dishonored creature! Speak!”

There was another weak bark, followed by a vicious crack of the 
belt.

The Priestess silently pointed at the cell door, ordering one of 
the guards to open it.  He snuck a key into the door, and quickly 
pulled it open.

The scene shocked the Spokeswoman and Cecilia, but it was typical 
of what Maria Elena had been enduring over the past week.  She 
was strapped to the copulation table, her body covered with fresh 
welts.  She was bleeding at the lip from having been slapped 
several times.  Her hair was undone and her dark eyes full of 
tears.  

The Lord’s other servant was quietly kneeling, but she also had 
been slapped several times and, like Maria Elena, her hair had 
been undone.  She looked up, bewildered, as soon as the door 
opened.

The Lord was naked as well.  He struggled to pull on his pants 
and screamed at the guards:

“What is the meaning of this?  What is that Priestess doing, 
violating the sanctity of Royal Household?  What is she doing on 
this property?  Remove her, immediately!”

One of the guards responded:

“My Lord, the Prime Minister of Danubia is upstairs, along with 
Grand Prophet # 4.  We escorted the Priestess and the Spokeswoman 
to this room at their behest.”

“What is this madness?  You are Royal Guards!  Your duty is to 
serve the Grand Duchess!  I order you to arrest those women!  
They have invaded…”

“My Lord, we will not.  We are no longer under your orders.  We 
are serving under the National Police, with the blessing of the 
Church.”

The Priestess held up a copy of the Criminal #101025’s confession 
letter.

“Lord, do you recognize this document?”

The Lord went pale, but quickly denied ever having seen it.  The 
Priestess commented:

“Lord, you are a dishonored liar.  You have indeed seen several 
documents similar to this one, documents we sent with servants 
that have been called upon to live in the Royal Residence.  All 
of those documents disappeared.  We of the Clergy tired of the 
tendency your staff has for losing things that are important to 
us, so this time we took the liberty of making copies.  That is 
what justified my coming here today with my translator.  This 
woman will be released, and I will hear her confession and 
counsel her.  You will adhere to your duty, just as I will adhere 
to mine.”

The two guards pulled out their pistols and pointed them at the 
still incredulous Royal Official:

“You will do as the Priestess has ordered, my Lord.  You will 
allow the criminal to be counseled by the Clergy.”

The Priestess stood straight, with her hard eyes tearing into 
Anyia’s confidant.  The full wrath of the Church was in her 
expression.

“Let me repeat what I just told you Lord, in case you missed it.  
You are a dishonored liar.”

The shock of hearing a member of the Danubian Clergy calling him 
the worst thing a person could be called in Danubia momentarily 
stunned the Lord.  Before he could react, the Priestess ordered 
the guards to grab him and push him into a holding cell, the very 
same cell where Maria Elena had been kept.  Meanwhile, Kim 
ordered Cecilia and the other servant to unbuckle Criminal # 
101025’s bonds and help her off the table.  

The Priestess led her entourage towards the exit, minus one guard 
who would remain behind to secure the area and keep the Lord from 
attempting to escape from his holding cell.  Kim was enormously 
relieved that Maria Elena was in such bad condition; because 
there was no doubt that the Priestess had plenty of justification 
to transfer custody back to the Ministry of Justice.  Maria Elena 
had endured a week of horror, but it now was over and she would 
have the rest of her life to recover.  

The main hallway of the Royal Residence was empty except for a 
couple of deputized Royal Guards.  The guards told the Priestess 
that the Prime Minister had ordered everyone to assemble in the 
throne room.  When the group entered the ornate chamber, it was 
obvious that the Prime Minister was completely in control.  The 
Royal Servants were quietly kneeling in formation along one side 
of the room, while the uniformed members of the household staff 
where standing on the other side of the room, opposite the 
servants.  It was clear that many of the regular staff were angry 
or upset but, like the guards, they fully understood it would be 
foolish to oppose the Prime Minister if he had the support of the 
Church.

Kim and the Priestess saluted the Prime Minister, who saluted 
back.  Kim motioned for Maria Elena and the other servant to 
kneel.  When Cecilia remained standing, Kim snapped:

“You too, Cecilia.  You’re collared, so get on your knees.”

Embarrassment swept over Cecilia, because she had totally 
forgotten that she was naked and collared…and here she was, in 
front of the nation’s Prime Minister.  Of course, Cecilia’s state 
of undress was the least of his concerns at the moment, but that 
did not make her feel any better.  She knelt with the two 
servants; feeling totally exposed and remembering that the 
Priestess had told her she would be collared indefinitely.

At that moment Vladik and his police partner entered the room 
with the Grand Duchess, followed by four deputized Royal Guards 
and three additional Royal Servants.  Anyia was completely naked, 
because her brother had pulled her out of bed.  Her hands were 
cuffed behind her back, totally exposing her attractive body.  
The Grand Duchess was livid with rage and struggled viciously as 
she was brought into the throne room.  When she saw that her 
entire staff had been assembled in the chamber she screamed:

“What are you dishonored creatures waiting for?  Kill them!  Kill 
them!  Don’t you see what they’re doing to my Divine Honor?  KILL 
THEM!!!”

The staff was terrified.  Their instincts told them that they 
needed to rush to the aid of their Mistress, but a quick glance 
from Grand Prophet # 4 let them know they needed to stay silent.

Vladim and Maritza Dukov quickly tired of listening to their 
daughter screaming that they needed to be killed.  The Prime 
Minister ordered his son to take the Grand Duchess outside and 
chain her to the whipping post.

“She can scream all she wants out there.  Once she calms down 
we’ll bring her back inside and I will talk to her.”

Maritza accompanied the two cops as they took the Grand Duchess 
outside and chained her.  Her arms were immobilized above her 
head and her feet were spread and chained to the ground.  She was 
chained facing the post, leaving her backside exposed and totally 
vulnerable.  She was incredulous over what was happening to her 
and still did not realize that now she was as helpless as any of 
the servants she had flogged over the time she had worn her 
crown.  Undeterred, she screamed with blind rage and continued to 
hurl insults and threats.  

----------

Anyia’s distant shouting in the courtyard reminded the Priestess 
that she had not yet taken care of Maria Elena’s confession.  
That confession was extremely important, because it was to be the 
justification for the Church’s authorization for Vladim Dukov to 
move against the Royal Family and occupy their estate.  Already 
the day was not going according to plan, because originally it 
had been the intention of the Church that the servants would be 
removed from the Royal Estate before any action was taken against 
the Grand Duchess.

The criminal still was in shock over the treatment she had 
received from the Lord and her sudden rescue.  The Priestess 
instructed Cecilia to tell Maria Elena that she would need to 
calm down as quickly as possible so she could confess and be 
counseled.  Cecilia added:

“Whether or not we can get you out of here depends on how badly 
you’ve been treated.  If you haven’t been treated badly enough, 
we’re gonna have to leave without you.  So make sure you tell the 
Priestess…in as much detail as you can remember, what they did to 
you over the past week.”

What Cecilia had told Maria Elena was a stretch of the truth, 
because it was obvious that even without a formal statement she 
had been treated atrociously.  The Priestess walked in on her at 
the moment she was being raped, which was enough justification 
for an immediate transfer of custody.  However, Cecilia wanted to 
be sure that Maria Elena shared whatever salacious information 
she had on the Duchess, partly to justify the release of the 
other servants and partly to make sure the Lord could be formally 
prosecuted.

Maria Elena tearfully nodded.  One of the accompanying Priests 
found a small reception room with a thick door that could be 
locked.  Although the original plan had been to council Maria 
Elena off-site, the Priestess decided that there was no time to 
move the servant and that her statement needed to be taken 
immediately.  She ordered Kim, Cecilia, and the Priest to 
accompany her and serve as witnesses.  She ordered Cecilia to 
bring a pitcher of water and a glass.  Although by that time 
Cecilia was about to collapse from fatigue, she knelt, placed her 
head on the floor, and then rose to go to the kitchen to get 
water for Maria Elena.

Cecilia entered the room and knelt with the water in front of 
Maria Elena, who was sitting on an elaborately carved wooden 
chair.  The punished servant gratefully took the glass and 
emptied it.  It was the first time in a week she had not been 
forced to drink out of a bowl.  The Priestess spoke and Cecilia 
translated:

“The Creator asks only one thing of you, that you tell me of you 
experiences over the past week in this house.  You must tell me 
what has happened to you.  No detail is too trivial.  Something 
that you think is small may turn out to be extremely 
significant.”

Maria Elena sadly nodded.  Under normal circumstances the 
Priestess would have chided her for nodding instead of answering 
properly, but she knew that protocol was not something to worry 
about at the moment.  She ordered Cecilia to take a seat.  Then 
she knelt in front of Maria Elena and took her hands.  The other 
Priest and the Spokeswoman sat on a sofa with notebooks and pens, 
because they would be serving as official witnesses.

The Priestess began by getting Maria Elena to talk about what was 
happening the moment she was rescued.  Within a few minutes the 
complete story of the Lord’s cruelty and debauchery had been 
documented.  Kim realized that there easily was enough 
information in Criminal # 101025’s statement to press charges 
against the Lord for sexual abuse.  Additionally, there were 
other potential witnesses, the other servants with whom she had 
been forced to humiliate herself.

The Priestess moved on to the first day Maria Elena was in the 
Royal Residence and her treatment at the hands of Anyia.  The 
Priestess was especially interested in hearing about the incident 
with the two male servants and the fact one had been forced to 
perform oral sex on the other, on the direct orders of the Grand 
Duchess.  Kim knew that there was plenty in that incident alone 
which would allow charges to be filed against Anyia, and the 
Colombian had witnessed several other incidents that were only 
slightly less perverted.

The conversation moved onto the more trivial details of life in 
the Royal Household.  Even in the most mundane activities of 
daily life at the Royal Residence, Anyia’s utter contempt for her 
servants was clearly evident.  

Maria Elena’s portrayal of the Grand Duke was much more neutral.  
The Grand Duke was totally detached from what his wife was doing, 
eager to go out with his three servants and play golf, or polo, 
or play soccer with the Royal Guards.  Undoubtedly he was at 
least vaguely aware of what Anyia was doing with the other 
servants, but he did nothing to rein her in.  He was very 
attached to her and did not want to offend her, but more 
importantly, his mind was lazy and he had no desire for any 
confrontations.  However, she never had seen him act abusively 
towards a servant, which was why those three favored women so 
desperately stuck close to him.  

The Priestess then sought information about the various meetings 
between Anyia’s assistants and their business associates.  She 
allowed Maria Elena to go at her own pace, because she knew the 
meetings were far more important for the future of Danubia than 
anything else Maria Elena had witnessed.  The Priestess 
extracted, in minute detail, everything the servant had seen that 
proved the connection between the two Lords and Mega-Town 
Associates.  She teased out of the girl’s shattered memory 
physical descriptions of the visitors and even some names.  As 
she desperately copied Maria Elena’s statements into her 
notebook, Kim was amazed at how skillfully the Priestess 
conducted the interview and extracted information.  

Kim had expected the interview to end with lengthy prayers, but 
the Priestess kept that part of the confession brief.  There 
would be plenty of time to pray later.  Instead she asked her 
superior, Grand Prophet # 4, to enter the reception room.  With 
him present, she signed the document that officially sanctioned 
the return of Criminal # 101025’s custody to the Ministry of 
Justice.  Kim put a metal tag on the ring in Maria Elena’s collar 
which had the Ministry of Justice emblem on it.  Cecilia 
explained to Maria Elena that, as of that moment, Spokeswoman 
Lee-Dolkivna was her provisional custodian.  The custodianship 
would become permanent during a court hearing the next day.  

Maria Elena was surprised that she did not feel much emotion at 
that moment.  She would have expected to be elated, or angry, or 
vengeful, or…something.  But she really felt very little because 
she was exhausted and psychologically drained.  The only thing in 
her mind was that it was extremely important not to get separated 
from Kim or Cecilia.  Until the actually left the Royal 
Residence, the promise of transfer would remain only that, dream 
based on a promise.   

----------

Kim decided to send Cecilia and Maria Elena to the infirmary so 
they could get some rest.  It was obvious that Maria Elena was 
terrified of being separated from Kim, but the Spokeswoman and 
the Priestess had an extremely busy day ahead of them.  Cecilia 
entered the infirmary and immediate collapsed on one of the 
medical beds.  Maria Elena sat next to her sleeping translator.  
She was terrified of being seized and pulled away from Cecilia.  
If it had been possible, she would have chained their collars 
together to make sure one could not be moved without the other.  
She waited, curled up on the foot of the bed with her arms around 
her knees, for the final order that would take her away from the 
mansion where she had spent the most hellish week of her life.

Criminal # 101025’s statement had been taken, but now Spokeswoman 
Lee-Dolkivna had to obtain corroborating statements from other 
Royal Servants.  She and the Priestess had planned to transfer 
all of the servants from the Royal Residence based on the initial 
testimony of her client, but she could not remove them as a 
group; she had to interview them one by one and the Priestess had 
to sign release documents one by one.  That meant a total of 30 
interviews.  The local Temple helped out by sending over five 
additional Priests and Priestesses to help with the confessions 
and taking statements.  The Clergy members would work in two-
person teams, one conducting the interview and the other 
transcribing.  If there was anything of legal interest for the 
Ministry of Justice, Kim would have to be called in.

Dukov was concerned about the paltry representation by the 
Ministry of Justice at the Royal House; just one Spokeswoman and 
a few police officers.  However, he wanted to keep the affair as 
quiet as possible and transfer the servants quickly before any 
scandal broke out.  The following day they would be returned to 
their former Spokespersons and more detailed statements could be 
taken later in the week.  At the moment the only issue that 
concerned the Prime Minister was obtaining Church sanction to 
dispossess his daughter of her slaves.

The Clergy members stood in front of the kneeling servants and 
explained that they had come to take confessions.  Several of the 
servants had waited to confess for months, but to their dismay 
had never seen a member of the Clergy.  The Priestess told the 
criminals what had happened, that the Royal Household kept 
“losing” the confession requests, and used the lack of 
documentation as an excuse to turn away Clergy members that had 
shown up at the gate.  Then she held up a copy of Criminal # 
101025’s letter and explained how the Church finally had 
outwitted the Grand Duchess and her advisors.  When she asked 
which servants wanted to confess first, 20 of them raised their 
hands.  

Prime Minister Dukov took a deep breath.  There was no doubt his 
daughter’s reign of terror was finished.  As he looked at the 
forlorn group of servants, anger swept over him at that thought 
that his own daughter had been capable of treating people 
entrusted to her in such a despicable manner.  He remembered what 
he had said to Kim, that for the good of the nation and the 
tradition of the Royal Family she would escape the punishment she 
truly deserved, Life without Honor.  However, she would pay for 
her crimes; he and the Clergy would see to that.

----------

While the Clergy members collected confessions and statements, 
Anyia remained chained to the whipping post in the courtyard.  
She screamed insults and threats at her captors, still indignant 
that she was immobilized naked to the same post where she had so 
often beaten her servants.  

The young woman’s mother and brother stood by, sadly watching 
her.  Maritza finally tired of the spectacle and decided to 
attempt to get her daughter to calm down by reasoning with her.  
All Anyia had to do was be quiet and stop threatening everyone, 
and she would uncuffed and released.  Maritza approached her and 
placed her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.

“Anyia…Anyia…please…you must stop this nonsense.  I assure you 
that…”

At that instant the Grand Duchess made a mistake that 
considerably added to her troubles.  She spat at her mother.  As 
soon as she felt the spit hit her cheek, the last of Maritza’s 
patience vanished.

“Vladik, please remove your belt and pass it to me.  Your sister 
has sufficiently dishonored herself and our family name.”

The officer did as his mother requested.  He took off his heavy 
leather belt, removed the various police items that were attached 
to it, and passed it to Maritza.  She calmly doubled the 
implement, tapped it to Anyia’s bottom, and struck hard.  There 
was a tremendous CRACK and an enraged scream coming from the 
Grand Duchess.

“No daughter of mine will spit at me, Anyia!  I do not care what 
title you have!  I do not care that you are an adult!  You remain 
my daughter and I am not to be dishonored in such a manner by the 
child I carried in my womb!”

With that Maritza struck hard a second time.  The Grand Duchess 
pulled hard on her chains, as though she expected that her title 
would force them to give way.  However, the whipping post and the 
belt did not care about Anyia’s title.  The cuffs held her as 
tightly as they held her servants and the leather stung just as 
viciously.  There was nothing more for her to do but scream.  
Unfortunately for her, she foolishly continued hurling insults at 
her mother and tried to spit at her again.

“You are the one who is restrained, my daughter.  Not me.  
Spitting in your circumstances is quite stupid, but I guess I 
raised a stupid child.”

Maritza struck again, laying a third cruel welt across Anyia’s 
bottom.  The helpless Grand Duchess screamed, but this time the 
scream was from pain, not rage.

“Anyia, throughout your adolescence your father and I were 
patient with you.  We treated you with restraint and kindness, 
even though you were a willful, selfish, and difficult child.  We 
believed that kindness was a trait that we could pass along to 
you, because your father and I had so little of it in our lives 
when we were young.  Obviously, we were mistaken.”

CRACK!

Anyia screamed and sobbed, while her mother continued:  “You 
chose not to pay attention to the lessons we tried to teach you.  
You left our household and turned into a person whose behavior 
far exceeds the simple definition of dishonorable.”

CRACK!

“You chose the Dark Path, my daughter.  The Creator gave you 
everything you possibly could have wanted, and the only thing you 
did with all those gifts was to squander them and trample them.”

CRACK!

Maritza had no desire to stop flogging her daughter anytime soon.  
She was a patient woman, but she harbored nearly a decade of 
resentment, disgust, and anger at Anyia’s behavior.  Even so, she 
would have stayed her hand, because the only reason Anyia was 
chained to the whipping post was to keep her under control and 
force her to calm down.  No one had planned to inflict corporal 
punishment on her, but Anyia had done two foolish things.  The 
first was screaming at the Royal Guards to kill Prime Minister 
Dukov and the others.  It was a terrible shock to Maritza to 
realize that Anyia would have been perfectly capable of murdering 
her own parents and brother, had the guards acquiesced.  However, 
what finally broke Maritza’s patience was the spit.  To spit upon 
her own mother was the ultimate insult, the ultimate statement 
Anyia could have given to show how little regard she had for her 
parents.

“My child, you will suffer for spitting on me.  I will make you 
regret that, just as I will make you regret trying to kill me.  
You will learn all about regret, Anyia.”

CRACK!

While Anyia screamed and let out a pitiful cry, Maritza turned to 
Vladik.

“Bring the Royal Household staff.  Bring everyone in this 
household who is not in confession so they can bear witness to 
what is happening to their Mistress.  Remind them that under the 
rules of the Crown, no one may raise a hand against a member of 
the Royal Family except a relative.  I am this girl’s mother; 
therefore I am within my rights and my obligations to punish 
her.”

A few minutes later, almost everyone from the Royal Household, 
staff, servants and guards, had entered the courtyard to watch 
the Grand Duchess being punished by her mother.  Anyia wailed 
with despair and humiliation, but she no longer tried to threaten 
anyone.  Her imperious facade broke; she ceased being the Grand 
Duchess and returned to being Anyia Dukov.  She became nothing 
more than a dishonored young woman who had insulted her mother 
and was being punished for her misdeeds.  Everyone present 
clearly saw the change in their Mistress.  

CRACK!

Anyia cried every time her mother struck her, but no longer did 
she threaten anyone.  She realized that the others no longer saw 
her as Divine and that no one was coming to her aid.  Her 
mystique had been broken, broken by her own parents.  The only 
reality in her life now was the belt and the pain tearing into 
her bottom…and the sobs and tears rolling down her cheeks.

Vladim Dukov came into the courtyard just as Maritza was 
finishing their daughter’s punishment.  The young woman’s bottom 
was deep red and very swollen.  Maritza quietly handed the belt 
to Vladik, who put it back on.  Anyia continued to sob while 
Vladik put his police gear back onto his belt.

Maritza touched her daughter on the shoulder for a second time:

“Anyia…I’d like to release you from your punishment.  It is very 
painful to me to see you like this.  But I need to know if you 
are ready to change your behavior.  You have no right to threaten 
me, or your father, or your brother.  And you certainly had no 
right to threaten and abuse those who tried to serve you.”

Anyia continued crying, but tried to nod.  Maritiza continued:

“My daughter, a period of your life has come to an end.  I want 
to loosen your bonds, but you have to understand that your Path 
in Life has changed.  You must acknowledge that before I release 
you.  Now…are you ready to be released?”

“Yes…yes, Mother…”

“Very well, my child…I will let you down from the whipping post.”

Maritza unhooked Anyia’s cuffs.  The broken young woman no longer 
was restrained, but she had to remain standing in front of her 
household.  She was naked, her bottom covered with painful welts, 
and her face covered with tears.  The servants saw their former 
Mistress as they had seen each other after their beatings.  The 
only difference was that, unlike the whippings administered to 
her servants, Anyia’s punishment was well-deserved.

----------

A few minutes later a city bus that had been commandeered by the 
Ministry of Justice pulled up in front of the Royal Residence to 
take away the former Royal Servants.  They would be transported 
to the Central Police Station and kept overnight in holding 
cells.  The following day they would be formally transferred, re-
collared with Ministry collars, and turned over to their 
Spokespersons to resume their lives as ordinary criminals.  They 
would not speak about their ordeal to anyone outside the Ministry 
of Justice, for a very simple reason.  Dukov announced that as 
long as they all stayed quiet about had gone on in the Royal 
Residence, their scheduled judicial switchings would be cancelled 
for the remainder of their sentences.

Once the bus departed, Vladim Dukov addressed the uniformed 
staff:

“I want this whipping post taken down and disassembled.  I also 
want the pillory taken down.  Take the lumber back to the 
carpenter’s shop and see if it can be re-used for something more 
productive.”

----------

Maritza took her stricken daughter to a small guest room in the 
Royal Residence and ordered a guard to lock both her and the 
Grand Duchess inside the room.  Maritza would take charge 
watching over Anyia until her situation was resolved.  Anyia did 
not resist.  She quietly let her mother take her into the small 
room where she would be kept as a prisoner.  She asked if she 
could have a dress, but Maritza replied:

“My daughter; a dress is not something you should be concerned 
about right now.  I doubt you will ever wear clothing again.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was busy talking on the phone with 
various police officers.  The Grand Duke was on a hike and still 
needed to located and brought back to the Royal Residence.  The 
second Lord assisting Anyia also needed to be located and 
detained, along with the Mega-Town executives.  Later Dukov would 
need to figure out what to do with the salaried staff of the 
Royal Residence.  Resolving custody of the Royal Servants and 
locking up Anyia was only the beginning.

----------

While he waited for his police officers to return his calls, the 
Prime Minister entered the throne room with the Priestess.  The 
ornate chamber was now totally empty.  The two officials 
contemplated the thrones, especially the one that had been used 
by Anyia.

“They’ve been with us so long, Priestess…ever since the Epoch of 
the Ancients…the same family…3,000 years…in their time they were 
heroes, they were considered Divine…and now…what has become of 
all that…an empty house…a dishonored girl locked up in a room 
with her mother…a couple of treasonous Lords who will face the 
firing squad…and a disinterested man on a hike.  This is how 
3,000 years will conclude…”

“Everything comes to an end, Prime Minister.  Three years or 
3,000 years…long or short…In the end it doesn’t matter.  
Ultimately it is the Destroyer who is tasked to bring closure to 
all…to all life, to all material goods, and to all dreams.  The 
Destroyer concludes everything.  You were a fool to think the 
Royal Family would be any different.  You are also a fool to take 
blame upon yourself.”

