Varangian Slavegirl: A tenth century Rus' princess is enslaved. (Closed)

Aelfric is just climbing out from between Alisa's legs when the eunuch brings Kaija to his apartments. The eunuch pushes her into a line of slavegirls against the wall leading to Aelfric's bath. The other girls all stand with heads bowed down and hands folded in front of them. The eunuch silently puts his hand on Kaija's and bends it forward.

With a snap of his fingers, Aelfric summons the slavegirl at the head of the line. With just a look and a gesture, she kneels before him and takes his wet semi-hard cock in her mouth and sucks it clean. Another look and gesture has her crawl into his bed and between Alisa's legs where she begins to lap and suck at Alisa's freshly fucked and cummed in pussy. Alisa smiles at Aelfric then lays back as the other slavegirl ministers to her.

Stark naked, Aelfric heads to his bath. Two girls step out of line and peel of their sheer tunics and join him in his bath. The line of slavegirls adjusts itself when the other girls step out to perform their slavish duties. Kaija is pulled along by the girl ahead of her. For the next half hour, Aelfric is washed and bathed by his slaves. Alisa joins him long enough to be bathed by one of the girls. The slave who licked her pussy clean of Aelfric's cum rejoins the line of slavegirls behind Kaija. Alisa leaves the bath after a kiss, giggle and grpe from her master. The next girl inline dries her and dresses her. Apparently well favoured, Alisa goes to Aelfric's table and begins to eat and drink her fill.

When Aelfric leaves the bath, two girls step forward to dry him and cover his nakedness in a long silk robe. The two girls from the bath quickly dry themselves and return to the line of slavegirls awaiting their Master's orders and pleasure. Aelfric joins Alisa at the table, where they both seem to enjoy feeding one another and take turns drinking from his horn. Kaija now finds herself at the front of the line. Aelfric and his favourite feast and drink for an hour before he arises and heads out to the balcony. Alisa beckons Kaija to follow them.

Aelfric seats himself in his large chair overlooking the sea as the sun sinks low on the horizon. Alisa sits on his lap and keeps his horn full from a large jug on a side table. A goodly amount of groping, fondling and giggling ensue from both. Occassionally they both give Kaija a look. After half an hour of drinking, giggling with and fondling his favourite, Aelfric looks at Kaija and then whispers in Alisa's ear. Alisa takes a pillow from behind Aelfric and tosses it on the ground between his legs.

"Kaija!" Alisa says, "Our Master wishes to have you pleasure him with your mouth."

She gets up from his lap and takes Kaija by the arm, leading her to her Master.

"Remember, you are a slave now," she whispers into Kaija's ear, "You have been in Neptune's Lair and experienced the punishment of insolent and disobedient slaves." "There are worst things you can be made to do and worst things that can be done to you if you disobey."

"A slave who harms their Master is placed inside a bronze statue of a bull and publically slowly roasted to death. Remember that if you feel foolish and brave. The eunuchs and guards will get you before you could throw yourself to your death to the rocks below."

A eunuch steps forward and uses a huge hand to push Kaija down on to her knees on the pillow. Alisa reaches down and releases her Master's large hard cock. Aelfric just drinks from his horn with a slight smile on his face.

Kaija moved into the line of slave girls while idly wondering if they were all Aelfric's or if he was utilising Palace or Barracks slaves. She then wondered why he wanted or needed her at all and surmised that it was only to humiliate her to punish her father. It was a sick kind of revenge. Kaija gasped as the eunuch pushed her head down and she stopped watching the room momentarily, choosing to stare at her own feet instead. Kaija looked up again fleetingly, assuming quite correctly that holding her head up for any extended period would result in the eunuch shoving her head down for the perceived disrespect.

Kaija was flushed red watching her surroundings. She stood there for hours, forced to witness an unparalleled level of debauchery. She wished that she was more dimwitted and didn't pick up on things as well but she knew the basics of sex and what was expected of her on her wedding night. It was all theory of course but she recognised most of what she was witnessing.

Kaija felt like an eternity had passed before she shuffled sideways and realised with a cold horror that she was the next slave up. It had been like slow torture waiting for her turn to satisfy Aelfric's need to humiliate her. Kaija forced herself into motion when Alisa beckoned to her, she both hated and admired Alisa. Admired her because she had adjusted and seemed to be able to manipulate more of her surroundings than most slaves and hated her because she was so giggly and bright and expected others to be like her. Kaija wondered if it was an act as she bounced away in Aelfric's lap as she waited while dread and foreboding filled her.

When the pillow hit the floor, Kaija swallowed hard and Alisa confirmed her worst fears - it was time for her to do more than watch and it seemed Aelfric wanted to violate her face first. As Alisa led her over, she became a more genuine person who warned Kaija against foolishness. Kaija knew then that there was death or having her back ripped open again. She didn't know how many more holes Aelfric could put in her body but she didn't want to find out.

The eunuch didn't give her the chance to obey freely, he pushed her down to her knees as soon as she stood in front of the pillow and Kaija hit it heavily. She looked up at Aelfric and swallowed down her shame as Alisa freed his cock.

'There really is no escaping this...I wish he would force me. Don't make me do this...' Kaija pleaded silently.

But Aelfric only smiled at her in that somewhat unnerving way. She reached out to take his cock in hand, telling herself that her turn would surely be brief. She wasn't experienced like the others and surely he would be bored with her clumsy attempts soon enough. She pulled her hand back uncertainly and looked up briefly, long enough for Alisa to take her wrist and guide her gently. She wrapped her hand around his cock loosely and Alisa gripped her hand and squeezed, indicating that she should hold tighter.

"Lick your lips." Alisa told her and Kaija complied.

"Now just put your mouth to the head of Master's cock and it will slide in easily." Alisa instructed and Kaija cringed.

She shut her eyes and obeyed. She sucked it like a candy as Alisa told her and bobbed up and down, slowly and then faster. She slowed down again when Alisa told her. A few tears of humiliation slipped from her tightly closed eyes. She opened them as Alisa's instructions became more technical - she asked her to move her tongue and slide around the shaft.

Kaija whimpered softly a few times but complied. She hoped like hell she'd be able to keep her food down. His member felt like the biggest thing she had ever had in her mouth. Finally Alisa told her to just perform a steady rhythm and seemed to step back from instructing her. She surmised that it was Aelfric's turn to say what he wanted now that Kaija had the basics.

She wondered how long she had been sucking his cock, it felt like an eternity. Her jaw ached and her neck pulsated with the motions she was making. Kaija's pleading eyes looked up at his face for the first time and silently begged him to be done with her.

'There are a dozen other slave girls in there better than me. Why me?' Kaija thought as hard as possible and wondered how he would punish her if she actually asked that. She wondered if she would be allowed to ask as long as she added 'Master' to her questions.

'He'd probably think I was a pest. An annoying woman who talked too much....he just sees a whore when he looks at me.' Kaija blinked back more tears and kept bobbing on his member, her saliva coating it thickly as she wasn't able to swallow it all back.

Now! Life can't get any better, Aelfric thinks. A palace to live in, an army to command, a hoard of gold and a daughter of his enemy sucking his cock. And sucking it good too. Well not bad for a beginner. He will have to remember to give Alisa a gift.

Aelfric loses track of time as Kaija sucks on his cock. An easy thing to do with your eyes closed and toes curled. When he opens them it is to find Kaija looking up at him with her mouth full of his wet cock. She has a pained, pleading look in her eyes. Only with a great deal of self-control is Aelfric able to not spew his load into her mouth at the sight of her upturned, violated face. It would appear that Kaija is tiring, so Aelfric gives her a hand. He wraps his free hand, the one not fondling Alisa, in Kaija's hair and pushes her face down hard onto his cock. Then lifts her head by her hair before pushing her down again. He doubts Kaija appreciates the hand, especially when her head is pushed down hard to engulf his cock.

Thoroughly enjoying himself, Aelfric forces Kaija to repeatedly take his cock deep into her mouth.

"Good girl!," he says to Alisa, "You have instructed her perfectly." "I will have to find you some pretty bauble to wear."

"Thank you, Master," Alisa replies as she uses her arms to push her ample breast together, offering them up to Aelfric as she caresses his neck and runs her fingers through his braided hair.

Alisa and Aelfric caress, fondle and kiss on another as Aelfric is pleasured by his newest bedwarmer. Alisa spends most nights in Aelfric's bed but has a separate apartment of her own down the hall. She does not accompany him on campaign as Aelfric is not willing to lose her to the flux or the misfortunes of war. Alisa was given to him by Basil two years ago, upon arrival in Constantinople. As a gift from the Emperor, she is far to valuable to be endangered unnecessarily. Plus the fact she is quite the willing sex slave. Kaija will be his fourth bedwarmer in two years.

The combined efforts of the two slavegirls pleasuring him now have him on the verge of blowing his load. Alisa sticks her tongue in his mouth and adds her hand to the back of Kaija's head. And that does it for him. Aelfric stiffens and his toes curl tight as his cock erupts in orgasm. His cum spurts from his cock deep in Kaija's mouth and mixes with her saliva as both Alisa and he push Kaija's head down, so she cannot avoid taking his sperm in her mouth.

"Swallow it and suck it all up," Alisa commands Kaija, "Then clean his cock off with your tongue."

Alisa's hand goes between her own legs as she herself has a small orgasm. She and Aelfric continue to kiss and fondle one another as a Kaija experiences being used as a sex slave for the first time. Aelfric wonders if her pussy gets as wet as her mouth does when she fucks.

Kaija’s eyes widened in utter terror as Aelfric took her head in hand and shoved her face down hard and fast on his cock. It slipped beyond the confines of her mouth and deep into her throat where she gagged on it wretchedly, choking hard in shock. She couldn’t breathe, her eyes welled up fast and dripped salty tears down her face, Kaija pressed her hands against his spread thighs and tried to lift against him. When she finally managed to come up, she gasped air into her nose quickly while the head of his shaft rested in her mouth for mere seconds before Aelfric shoved her down on him again. Kaija writhed against his hold and choked noisily, she was not at all prepared for this kind of onslaught. His cock slid past her tonsils and deep into her throat. Globs of saliva that Kaija was unable to swallow lubricated his member and Kaija was forced down on him over and over, unable to take in any of what was happening beyond her own suffering.

Survival was all Kaija could think of. She wanted to vomit but was terrified she would be choking on it; her stomach was doing flip flops but she held it down. She tried as hard as she could to relax her throat and stop gagging on his cock as it was making her nausea much worse. It helped a little, at least right up until Aelfric held her down tightly for the last time and for much longer than before. Kaija was not prepared for Aelfric’s orgasm, he held her down and she could feel his body shuddering, her eyelids shot up as wide as they could go when he started to cum.

“MMMPPFHHH!” She yelled around his shaft as he came, protesting about as much as she could in her position before her throat was stuffed with warm fluids which seemed to stick to the walls of her throat, the taste was bitter and off-putting.

She could distantly hear Alisa instructing her and wanted to slap the woman so very much. Kaija wasn’t given a choice, Aelfric would not release her head so it was swallow or drown and Kaija heaving chest took the fluid down into her tossing stomach. When Aelfric let her up for air, she inhaled deeply through her nose and her entire body was shaking with the effort.

She sucked as hard as she could on him and moved her tongue swiftly, praying that this meant it would be over now. Her face was tear stained and some of the makeup that Alisa had applied to her face had tracks running through it. Kaija was still breathing heavily, her chest making huge motions as she raked the air in through her nose and pulled back as soon as Aelfric released enough hold on her head.

Thoroughly pleased, Aelfric rises from his chair and pushes past Kaija. Alisa reaches down and puts her master's cock away. With his hand on her backside, Aelfric and Alisa depart the balcony and apartment. It is one of his guards who takes Kaija by the arm and brings her to her feet. With a tight grip on her upper arm, he takes her inside. In a corner of Aelfric's apartment lies his chain armour, helm, belts, boots and bearskin cloak. The guardsman forces Kaija back to her knees.

"You will care for your master's armour and clothing," he says gruffly in heavily accented Greek.

On a table to the side are various brushes, oils and a bucket of clean fine sand. He takes up a stiff brush and annoints it with a slight amount of oil. Then he dips the bristles in the clean sand. Squatting down beside Kaija, he demonstrates how to scrub maille armour to remove rust and what could be dried blood and mud. The humid salty air reaks havoc with iron and steel armour.

"Scrub the armour clean then use a clean dry brush to remove any sand," he says, "Same with Dox Aelfric's helm." "You will clean and polish his boots and belt. And make sure they are oiled and supple."

"Brush out his cloak."

The cloak is somewhat matted and muddy around the bottom.

He then departs to stand guard outside the door. Two armed eunuchs remain inside the apartment. With Aelfric gone his apartment becomes a hive of activity. Four male slaves enter and begin to empty the small pool sized bath, carrying buckets of water out to the balcony and dumping them over the wall.

The bevy of slavegirls set to scrubbing and cleaning the floors and furnishings. Apparently having privileges the male slaves do not, they fall upon the dining table and consume the goodly amount of food remaining. A few decanted flagons of wine are divided up and each girl gets a large horn or cup to drink.

A couple of the girls are quite talkative and lively. Another two move about in a business like fashion. And two more are sullen and sad looking. Kaija is not left out and one girl brings over a tankard of wine to her. Placing it beside her on the floor and gives Kaija a smile as she does.

The male slaves keep their eyes off the females and their heads down. One who does not earns himself a lash from a martinet wielded by a eunuch guard.

According to the gossip, Aelfric is not due back until very late, if not in the wee hours of the morning. By then the other slavegirls will be in their dormitory cells. No one elects to inform Kaija of where she will sleep. It would appear no settlements have been made to include a place for Kaija in the dormitory.

Kaija slumped back, half pushed by Aelfric and half throwing herself off of him at the first available opportunity. She paid for it with a sudden throbbing emanating from the rings between her legs – she had obviously stretched them just a little too far. The bells seemed to jingle in protest. She watched as Aelfric and Alisa exited without so much as a backward glance at Kaija who wiped her blurry vision.

She only had a few moments to gather herself before a guard came forward to collect her, leaving her little time to consider any options other than obedience. The guard forced her inside with a tight grip on her upper arm. Kaija was taken to a corner of the room and shoved to her knees again with a soft groan as she tenderly spread her legs some in order to give the rings a little breathing room. This alleviated the pain and she was able to focus on what the guard was showing her.

Kaija watched studiously, she preferred this kind of duty to being used as an orifice for Aelfric. It was obvious the guard was treating her like a novice at this, how would he know otherwise? Kaija merely nodded to show she understood, her mouth was as dry as a desert island. She took up the brush and began caring for the armor as instructed. Kaija had done this for Vadim before and shown great interest in how armor and weapons were cared for. Vadim’s armor had never looked this poor or well used though so Kaija could actually see the difference she was making. She enjoyed this, it gave her more peace than needlework had ever done.

She took care with the rusted parts especially and her fingers travelled over each part as she finished, one part of Aelfric’s maille would need to be fixed at the bottom by a smithy as a link was weak but it didn’t make much difference to the overall protection the maille provided. She looked up and watched as many male slaves entered and began emptying the bath. The women had finished eating and one came over with a horn of wine for Kaija who smiled briefly in return before greedily devouring the contents, glad to be rid of the taste Aelfric’s seed had left in her mouth.

By the time Kaija finished with the chain maille, most of the slaves had gone save for two women who were changing his bed sheets. Kaija rubbed her eyes as torches were lit around the room by a eunuch who left as quickly as he came. Kaija was given an additional candle stick to see by as she worked over Aelfric’s helm, leaving the boots and cloak for last.

When she’d gone over the helm twice, she set it aside and blinked. Night had fallen and the eunuchs had changed guard, no one had approached Kaija at all.

She looked over at them and said, “I need to use the privy.”

The eunuchs exchanged a glance which seemed to decide who would escort her and one opened the door as Kaija wandered over. The guardsman who had been outside entered and took Kaija by the arm.

“I can walk fine you know.” She muttered as he escorted her out.

“If you think I trust you, you’re crazier than you looked when you were strung up at the Bull.” He grinned in such a feral way that Kaija averted her eyes and inhaled deeply to calm herself while blushing a bright pink.

“Survival will make you do funny things.” Kaija told him softly, “I expect you’ve done things at war that you never thought you would.”

His silence was all the answer Kaija required. They reached the privy and he gave her a little push, she smiled smugly, “What? You’re trusting me alone in there…oooo…” She mocked him.

“Don’t chide me woman.” He warned stiffly, “I can always change my mind.”

Kaija bit her tongue and swept her skirt as she turned and closed the door, the row of toilets in the common bathroom smelled foul. Even the sweet incense couldn’t quite curb it. The ocean air helped though. Kaija was as brief as possible and took the little bottle she had stashed between her breasts, pouring it over the rings while hissing. One hole was quite swollen and Kaija surmised that this was the one she’d thoughtlessly pulled on. She ensured it was covered in the alcohol before slipping the bottle between her breasts again and straightening herself up. She emerged and the guard held her arm again and escorted her back to Aelfric’s apartments.

“Where will I sleep?” She asked him suddenly.

“What?” He seemed surprised by her question.

“Sleep. That wonderful thing you do where you close your eyes. Where will I sleep?” She asked sarcastically.

He frowned, “God! You talk a lot for a slave! Your smart mouth will get your tongue cut out one day. You’re lucky I can’t do it myself without your Master’s orders.” He said gruffly.

“I doubt he will do that.” Kaija said in fluid Greek before changing to Aenglish, “Apparently I speak all the tongues he likes,” She switched again to Latin, “And he enjoys my mouth the way it is.”

He seemed surprised but covered it well enough and continued the conversation in Aenglish, “A slave who speaks many languages would be a witch if I didn’t know better. I guess your father was vested in your education.” His grip tightened around her arm almost angrily and Kaija gulped.

She returned to Aenglish, “I don’t know. I never met him.” She said softly, her head bowed as they walked.

He looked at her submissive head and loosened his grip on her arm a little, “He’d not consort with Pagan’s after the wedding, the King wouldn’t have it. But what would I know?”

Kaija looked up and imagined she saw a little twinkle in the youngish guard’s eye, he was a half foot taller than Kaija at the least and beyond his steely exterior, Kaija imagined he was roguishly handsome. His beard was shorter and his hair was blonde and he walked with an obedience to him but spoke with an authority and maturity beyond his years.

Kaija was not allowed to further the conversation, she deferred to the guard with a slight nod as he opened the door and she was returned to the confines of Aelfric’s apartment. She knelt without being forced and continued to comb out Aelfric’s cloak under the watchful eyes of the eunuchs. It wasn’t long before she was yawning and swaying in her corner, desperately trying to keep her eyes open. Sure enough they closed a few times and she opened them and began polishing his boot but when they shut for the last time, her head lolled and she fell asleep on her knees…

It's the wee hours of the morning when Aelfric supported by Alysa and the jarl, Rodger. He is gloriously drunk and loud.

"Killed the cunt!" he exclaims, "Slit the cunt's throat as he was getting on his fucking horse." "Fucking Edward!"

"A fucking mummy's boy! Did he think I would just stand there while he insulted my wife."

"A good woman, Aethelflaed is," he says to Rodger, "That cunt Edward called her an unnatural whore!" "Accused her of being with good old Eadwig's wife like a man."

"That bitch wife of his wanted him fucking dead. I did Aengland a fucking favour killing the cunt!"

Thirty four years ago Aelfric married Aethelflaed. He was granted lands by King Eadwig, his boyhood friend. That was before King Eadwig committed suicide over the forced divorce from his true love, also a good friend of Aelfric's and his wife. In 978 A.D. Aelfric killed Eadwig's successor, Edward. Edward's wife had been plotting to have the king killed anyways, so Aelfric escaped punishment for regicide. When King Aethelred, Edward's son, threw off his mother's influence Aelfric was forced to flee into exile, two years after becoming an Earldorman of Mercia fater his brother-in-laws death.

"Aethelred the Unready they called him," turning to Alysa he bellows, "Should have cut that cunt's throat too." "And his fucking mother's."

"I was a fucking Earldorman of Mercia!"

Alysa and Rodger unceremoniously dump him on his bed.

"Kaija!" Rodger orders, "See to your Master." "Undress him and get him into bed."

Alysa and him leave with Aelfric still drunkenly bellowing laying on his silks and fur covered bed.

"That cunt, Vladimir!" Aelfric bellows at the ceiling, "I should have cut that cunt's throat too!" "Fuck it!"

"Kill 'em all and let fucking God deal with the backstabbing cunts."

Unable to rise, he looks about.

"Slave!" he calls out, "Kaija!" "Where are you cunt, whore daughter of a backstabbing cunt king."

"Attend to your Master!"

He hiccups and belches, waving his arms about.

Kaija awoke with a start as Aelfric and his entourage entered his dimly lit bedroom in the early hours of the morning. Kaija had collapsed onto some nearby cushions out of exhaustion and left her finished work piled neatly nearby. She rubbed her eyes and made out Aelfric’s bellowing figure being supported by Alisa and Rodger as they helped him to his bed. He was drunk, obviously. Kaija had seen many drunken men before although her mother always told her it wasn’t ladylike to get so inebriated – Kaija had never had that much interest in alcohol anyway and had always stuck to sipping wine.

As small as Kaija tried to make herself in her little corner, the jarl noticed her and gave her orders. She got to her tired feet slowly and wiped her eyes one last time. Kaija was not accustomed to the lack of sleep she’d endured since her enslavement and felt almost constantly exhausted it seemed.

She made her way over and gripped his booted foot, undoing the lacings and buckles as he thrashed about cursing. She ignored much of what he said about her father as Alisa and Rodger exited the room but winced when he addressed her directly.

"Slave! Kaija! Where are you cunt, whore daughter of a backstabbing cunt king. Attend to your Master!"

She sighed softly and gripped his boot tightly as she pulled it from his foot and moved to the next boot, “I am here, Master.” She told him as quietly and soothingly as she could muster given the fact that he’d managed to call her a slave and a whore and insult her father all in the same sentence.

It was no good arguing with a drunk anyway, he’d not remember it in the morning...

‘That’s right.’ Kaija thought to herself, ‘he won’t remember it in the morning…’

She bit her lip and started pulling his other boot away, “For the record, it is impossible for a virgin to be a whore my Lord.” She smirked but looked in the opposite direction as she spoke.

She moved up to his waist and resettled, working hard on his belt which was more difficult considering Aelfric was unable to help her and she wasn’t strong enough to lift him so she had to snake it out from his weight slowly.

She groaned softly when it snagged and heaved harder, finally releasing it and tossing it to the foot of the bed where his boots were.

“I think a bath and bed clothes best wait til the morning. You’re in no condition for either. Can I get you anything else Master?” She asked as demurely as she could, her voice soft and lyrical as she prayed silently that he would just go to sleep.

"I'll decide if I am in condition for anything," Aelfric bellows.

He wraps his hand in Kaija's hair and pulls her head back. His hand pulls aside her slave attire and he grabs a handful of her breast, squeezing hard.

"You think I have to fuck you to be my whore," he says as he gives her head a shake, "I can have you sucking cock in a brothel at anytime." "Men will pay good coin to fuck that mouth of yours."

"Might be a better way to shut you up than having your tongue cut out. Keep it full of cock!"

He laughs at that. His coarse hand gropes at Kaija's breast and he gives her nipple a hard pinch. His hand leaves her tit and moves down to grab her ass cheek. Aelfric gropes her ass and moves his hand to between her cheeks. A fingertip finds her anus and dangerously threatens to penetrate her.

"Fucking Greeks had an Empress who started out as a three holing whore."

Staggering drunk, he is still more than capable of pushing Kaija face down on the bed.

"Maybe I should give you a royal ass fucking," he says with a laugh.

With one hand still tightly entwined in her hair, Aelfric fumbles at his breeches and exposes his semi-hard cock. He lays down on top of Kaija with his cock firmly nestled between her buttocks. And promptly passes out.

When Aelfric took hold of her braid, Kaija was taken by surprise because she believed he would be too inebriated for any physical activity and she berated herself in that nanosecond for having been so naïve and foolish. His words were slurred and she wasn’t sure which was worse – his rough grip or his breath!

The bruising on her breasts had formed by this time so Aelfric’s grip was doubly unwelcome and Kaija cried out in pain as he squeezed. She grabbed his wrist, willing to fight him off this time but she had little time to prise his fingers from her chest before he was using her hair to shake her quite viciously. Tears of pain dripped from beneath her long eyelashes as he pinched her nipple cruelly. His hand moved to her ass and was almost welcome, she gasped long and loud and tried to shake the haze of pain off as he toyed with her ass cheek.

One hand was loosely gripping his wrist in her hair and the other was trying to defend herself from his other hand. She froze solid when his finger pressed her anus and she shook her head slightly, whimpering as her fingernails pressed deep into his wrists on both hands.

"Fucking Greeks had an Empress who started out as a three holing whore."

“Don’t!” She managed to gasp out hoarsely from her suddenly dry mouth, Kaija was frightened and she pressed her nails deep in warning, protest and desperation.

He threw her to the bed on her stomach and she released him and tried to make a desperate scramble up the bed but realised his hand still had tight hold of her hair and just pressed her down. Her chest heaved and tears spilled from her eyes in a panic.

"Maybe I should give you a royal ass fucking."

Aelfric was laughing while, in stark contrast, Kaija was panicking.

“Don’t do this!” She screamed, her voice trembling and her body shaking as she felt him freeing his cock from his pants.

It took her several moments to recognise that Aelfric had passed out and nothing had happened. She had worked herself up so much that it took several shuddering and ragged sobs before she was calm enough to hear Aelfric snoring.

Kaija’s entire body was tense and shaking and crushed beneath Aelfric’s weight. It took Kaija the better part of an hour to extricate herself from Aelfric’s dead weight. His snores became louder and she collapsed to the floor and cried for a good long while, her knees drawn up in a ball.

“I hate you…I hate you…” She whispered and rocked herself back and forth as she tried to calm down.

“I hate myself…” She whispered even more softly as though she were more afraid someone would hear that.

Determined to do something, Kaija got to her feet and wiped her eyes. The kohl came off on the back of her hand and Kaija pulled her dress together before promptly exiting Aelfric’s chambers as silently as possible. She crept down halls and ran down staircases, she avoided anywhere she heard voices – where eunuchs were preparing rooms or cleaning up or where guards stood tiredly and chatted out of boredom.

She found the kitchen bustling with activity – they were already preparing breakfast. There must have been twenty odd slaves packed into this steaming room, no one had time for Kaija. She slipped in and stole herself a small bit of meat and a little knife that was set next to some carrots. Kaija ate the meat quickly as she walked away, she went in search of the baths to find that little mirror Alisa had prepared her in front of the day before.

It took her many wrong turns before she found the route to the baths, Kaija was becoming increasingly nervous as the palace was waking up, she didn’t want to lose her nerve now. There were people everywhere in the slave bathhouse but no one paid her any mind – at least she fit in here. Two slave girls were preparing themselves (or possibly cleaning themselves up, one of them looked like she’d had a rough night) when Kaija entered the room. She took up a spot in front of a mirror and fiddled with the knife in her lap as she stared at her own puffy, red eyes in that little mirror.

“Rough night?” The one to the left of her asked which caused Kaija to look up with a start.

“Y-yes…you could say…” Kaija blushed and looked away, “She doesn’t look happy…” Kaija flicked her head in the direction of the other slave who was leaving the room.

“She isn’t.” The slave girl told Kaija as she brushed her hair, leaning to one side, “She had been forced to pleasure men day and night for over a week now for her Master to watch.”

“Why?” Kaija cocked a brow in surprise.

“He wants her to suffer. Makes comments about her lover. He had her tongue cut out so she can’t argue. She signs how she wants to die…” The slave girl shrugged with little emotion in her voice.

Kaija wondered idly if that was the girl she’d watched at the Bull with her lover.

“You don’t seem concerned.” Kaija told her.

The girl smirked and rolled her eyes before looking at Kaija, “She would be better off. Her Master is vicious and she already fucked herself by fucking that stable boy. Ohhhh…you’re that new one aren’t you…you’re prettier than they say.”

Kaija was shocked that the girl knew her, “How do you?-“

The girl waved her hand dismissively, “I work in the barracks. I know everything the soldiers know…and the soldiers know everything…. planning on slitting your pretty wrists?”

She nodded at the knife and Kaija concealed it quickly with a flick of her dress, “No.” She told her hastily.

The girl’s expression said she did not believe Kaija and Kaija continued, “I was going to cut my hair off…he always grabs my hair and I can’t do anything about it.” She admitted guiltily.

The girl laughed, “Oh lord! He will find something else to grab honey! But it still isn’t the worst idea I have heard, that’s actually a new one.” She told her thoughtfully, “I mean if I had as little time left as you then I’d probably slit my wrists, I admire your perseverance.”

“Little time? What do you?-“, Kaija made to ask but was interrupted.

“Freja!” A voice snapped from the doorway, Kaija looked over to see Alisa standing there and her grip on the knife through the fold of her dress tightened.

Freja stood up, “I was jus-“

“Enough. You can go and prepare yourself later.” Alisa snapped at her and Freja dodged out of the room hastily.

“What was she talking about?” Kaija asked Alisa.

Alisa shook her head, “Nothing. Freja likes to upset the other girls and toy with them.”

Kaija stood up, “We are not best friends Alisa and you are not looking at me. Do not lie to me. What did she mean?” Kaija used her most regal authoritative tone of voice, her emphasis was meant to sting any guilt in Alisa about her part in the raping of Kaija's mouth, it appeared to work as Alisa gave in but Kaija wasn't convinced it was done strictly out of guilt.

Alisa sighed, “Master will take you on campaign. No girl has ever come back...alive.”

Kaija took it remarkably well as far as Alisa was concerned and simply nodded once in a gracious manner.

“You need to get back and I have to get to bed.” Alisa mumbled, “You should probably take Master some breakfast.”

Kaija stopped by the kitchen and made her way back to Aelfric’s quarters with a tray of food and carried the knife under the tray well hidden. She had made a plan to stash it somewhere in the room when she got back and hadn’t yet decided what she would do with it but the security of having it was something Kaija desperately needed and she didn’t know that she would return to Aelfric willingly without it after the previous night’s activities.

Aelfric doesn't even stir until almost noon. Over the course of a few minutes, he slowly sits up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. He holds his head and groans before reachig for an ever present flagon of wine on a small table beside his bed. Not even bothering to fill a horn he drinks a good portion straight from the flagon. Setting it down he reaches for a champer pot beneath his bed. He is a bit taken aback by the fact he has his cock out. While having a long piss, he looks over his shoulder looking for a bed companion. Perhaps it is the long dark hairs caught in his rings that have him wondering where his bedwarmer is.

"Kaija," he calls out which makes him wince and hold his head.

He tries to look about but the bright sun from the southern exposure makes him squint and shield his eyes.

"Kaija," he repeats himself, "Get me something to eat." "And have the other slaves fill my bath."

Aelfric is hurting bad and the smell of the pisspot is making his queasy stomach churn. He sets it down on the floor when he has finished his morning piss.

"And dump that over the balcony," he commands, "Down by the rocks not over docks."

Gingerly he climbs back into bed, seeming reluctantly sitting up in his fur and silk covered ornate bed.

Kaija had reached the room and Aelfric was still blessedly unconscious. She set down the tray on the table nearby where the slave girls had gorged themselves on leftovers the night before. She took the knife and looked about the room for both the handiest place to have it and the least likely part to be disturbed by others. She considered the bed and the cushions but remembered both were changed frequently. The bathroom was stark so that was no good. Kaija finally found a dusty and undisturbed niche at the head of the bed on the floor, she stuck it behind there with a silent prayer that she could fetch it when she needed it. Kaija wasn’t entirely certain she could kill someone but she would hurt them if they tried to hurt her. She also wasn’t sure she would have the stomach to use it on Aelfric himself knowing what fate awaited her if she did but she was sure that she’d cut her hair off or ‘slit her pretty wrists’ before he touched her again.

Kaija busied herself by finishing the polishing of Aelfric’s boots and belts while considering her latest escape plans. She thought long about finding an ally in one of the slave girls. She wondered about Freja because she seemed strong. She was certain she would find no help from Alisa who seemed happy in her life. The mute girl might help her but she’d find communicating with her difficult. Kaija remembered the sullen faces of the two slave girls from the night before and wondered if she might see them again. She mulled over her options long and hard, she included commoners who might help as they risked a lot less than others, she dismissed the soldiers and assumed none of them would assist a slave and betray their commander.

“Kaija.”

Kaija’s stomach churned and her blood turned to ice in her veins as she heard Aelfric call for her groggily. She’d not noticed he was awake, she set the last finished belt aside and scrambled to her feet which seemed to fill with lead as she did.

"Kaija. Get me something to eat. And have the other slaves fill my bath... And dump that over the balcony. Down by the rocks not over docks."

“Yes Master.” Kaija mumbled and scurried over, she took the chamber pot and stifled her disgust with a grimace as she took it to the balcony, she looked over the ledge and found the right spot to toss the waste before returning to the room and replacing the pot.

Kaija then left the room without daring to look at his face, from the corner of her eye she could see how the alcohol from the previous evening had affected him. Kaija would have bet her life that his head was splitting open at that moment.

She found a eunuch in the hall and told him of her Master’s needs with as much deference as she could muster. The eunuch rushed off to do as he was bid while Kaija fetched a fresh tray of food from the kitchen, the food she had brought would long be cold by now.

She returned to the room and set the tray down on Aelfric’s lap in bed with a gentle nod, her eyes still unwilling to meet his as she turned away and went to the cushions, she eyed the cold food on the table nearby miserably but knelt down. Kaija was starting to get hungry again but she decided to wait to fulfill that need.

Aelfric takes two mouthfuls of the omelette and sausage breakfast and suddenly looks unwell. He puts the plate aside except for a chunk of fresh bread.

"Take it away," he tells Kaija, "If you're hungry eat it yourself."

Slaves and eunuchs are busy carrying in huge steaming cauldrons of hot water for his bath. Keeping water hot for Aelfric's regular baths is a major job for quite a few slaves in the Bucoleon Palace. Freja is one of them. She catches his eye.

"You," he demands, "Fetch me some clean drinking water." "And be quick."

While waiting for his water, he lays back and closes his eyes. When Freja does appear with his water, she has to stand with the flagon until Aelfric opens his eyes. Taking the flagon from her he chugs most of it down, managing to get a few mouthfuls of bread down in between trying to rehydrate himself. He eyes Freja up and down.

"Don't you work the barracks?" he asks.

"Yes, Master," she replies, "Three of your usual personal slaves are on their moon period." "I was commanded to serve you here."

"Let me see you," Aelfric orders, "What's your name?"

"Freja," the girl replies as she lets her slave tunic slip to the floor.

She turns about slowly.

"Damn, girl," Aelfric exclaims, "Why have you been working the barracks?" "Your far to pretty to be a barracks whore."

"From now on you will serve here as one of my personal sluts."

"Thank you, Master!" Freja replies, "This girl would thank her Master for honouring her so."

"You will," Aelfric replies with a laugh, "Get in line."

Freja joins the line of pretty slavegirls waiting Aelfric's pleasure. She has a big smile on her face. A barracks slave might service half a dozen men in the course of her duties, daily. Associated with that is the ever present danger of the various sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Which are dealt with promptly, usually by ingesting some abortive, forcibly if necessary. To serve Doux Aelfric is a huge leap upwards in a slavegirl's life.

Alisa makes her appearance as the last of the water is emptied into the steaming bath.

"Good morning, Master," she says, "Feeling well?"

"Don't get fresh with me, girl," Aelfric growls, "I'm not in the mood."

"Yes, Master," his favourite says with a slighlty insolent tone which would get another girl a whipping.

Alisa lets her far more expensive and embroidered tunic slip to the floor and walks away with a saucy swing of her hips to the bath. Aelfric watches her the whole way. He gets out of bed and strips of his clothes.

Looking up for Kaija, he asks, "Did I fuck your ass last night?" "I hope not." "Was too fucking drunk to remember and I would sorely hate to forget something like that."

"Not my intention either to be the first man to fuck your ass."

Kaija scurried over and took his breakfast just as swiftly as he’d ordered, in part because she was hungry but also because she noticed the outlines of several fingernail marks in her wrists and panicked. She sat at the table and ate silently, chewing her food as she thought over the responses she would give if asked. She concluded that there was no good way to tell him, ‘I wasn’t just going to let you sodomize me.’

Kaija watched the interplay between Freja and Aelfric, blushing when the other woman so readily disrobed and discarded her clothing. Kaija supposed that Freja was accustomed to such acts and was probably more comfortable naked than fully clothed. Kaija chewed the bread and watched Alisa disinterestedly, Kaija was concerned that Freja might spill the beans about the knife Kaija had but Freja wouldn’t know that Kaija had kept it of course.

Just as Kaija set aside the empty tray and stood up, Aelfric addressed her so brazenly that it sent tingles up her spine and her cheeks flushed a bright crimson shade, she responded quietly, “No, you did not. You passed out.” Her eyes glanced sideways and she asked quite stiffly, “Who do you mean to give me to for that then Master?” She hoped that she hid her surprise rather well, the bells tinkled softly between her legs.

She couldn’t help it, she was trembling and desperate to know what horrible fate awaited her. Her eyes flitted to the concealed spot which held the knife and she wondered if she would ever have the courage or despair required to slit her pretty wrists after all.

Kaija decided she’d stay clothed as long as possible and waited to be told to join the line rather than assume she was wanted there. She still wasn’t certain of her position or the schedule here. Her mother came to the forefront of her mind and Kaija pushed her back again, now was not the time for sadness and wistful thinking.

"The highest bidder," Aelfric laughs, "I can make two or three times what I paid for you." "Especially when the prospective bidders find out who you are and the fact that you are actually a maiden."

"A good whoremaster might be able to sell your ass as virgin to three different men, if he goes about it right."

Aelfric certainly intends to be watching that event. The images it brings to mind cause a noticeable sweeling of his cock.

"And in the future if no other slut is in my bed, I expect to find you in it when I retire and still there when I awake."

Either the wine or the water is beginning to relieve the pounding in his head. A hot bath and a servicing from a slavegirl should get rid of it completely, he thinks. It usually does. On his way to join Alisa, already in his bath, he takes Freja by the hand and brings her along.

"Don't take all day eating, " he says over his shoulder to Kaija, "You have duties in my bath."

Freja joins Alisa as Aelfric descends into his steaming bath. He lays back with a contented moan as the two girls begin to wash his hair and body. Closing his eyes he relaxes as they minister to his needs. Alisa works soap into his flowing locks and beard while Freja gives his body a good scrubbing. By the time Freja begins to wash his legs, thighs and feet he is hard as a rock but still reclining against Alisa's body with his eyes closed. His quietly mouthed exclamation is blasphemous as freja gently washes his testicles and wraps a hand around his long hard cock.

"May this girl thank her Master for honouring her by elevating her from being a barracks whore, Master?" Freja asks coyly.

Still with his eyes closed, Aelfric replies, "Yes but not that way." "Find yourself some lubricating oil if you need it."

A flash of emotion goes across Freja's face but she replies, "Yes, Master." "Thank you."

She release her Master's cock and moves to the side of the bath and picks up a small flask of oil. Signalling a slavegirl in the line of waiting girls, she hands her the flask and bends over, reaching back to seperate her ass cheeks. The other girl slips off her tunic, descends into the bath and pours a small amount of oil over Freja's anus. She slips two fingers inside carrying the oil inside the bent over slavegirl's rectum. Freja winces a bit as the girl's oiled fingers penetrate her.

Aelfric does not witness this as he is still enjoying Alisa who has now moved to caress her Master, running her hands and fingernails lightly up and down hos body and legs. Aelfric moans in pleasure.

"Show the new one how I like to be jacked off," he says without opening his eyes.

Alisa takes his cock in her hand and begins to move her hand up and down slowly. Aelfric is uncircumsized but the large glans of his penis force the foreskin back. Alisa's hand moves up and down to use the foreskin to stimulate the sensitive underside of the head of his cock. Her strokes are short just working the head and the pressure she exerts is light.

"Come here, Kaija," she says, "You do it." "Be gentle."

"The head of our Master's cock is quite sensitive."

Kaija winced when Aelfric laughed at her question and she looked away as though he had slapped her when he finally answered. The horror spread across her face like a wave, her brow creased and her teeth sunk into her lower lip which trembled beneath the crushing edge of its pearly white oppressor. Kaija balled her fists up in anger as he finished telling her that he expected to find her in his bed of a morning, she nodded stiffly and forced herself to look him in the eyes a moment before he walked away. Her fear had turned into hatred. Everyone feared him; Kaija realized and why not? He was powerful and wielded pain like a weapon. Kaija may not have had brute strength on her side but she was not a wilting flower, she wanted to slap this fear right out of her body in that moment. She was intelligent, she had many admirable qualities beyond what she could do for a man in a bedroom and she was determined. Kaija wasn’t born a slave and she wouldn’t act like it.

Kaija found some wine on Aelfric’s bedside and drank a little to wash the dry bread from her mouth and steady her nerves as she entered the bathroom. It was another scene of debauchery as Freja was having some oil rubbed over her anus and Kaija did not need to guess what was about to happen. She slid her dress from her shoulders and let it pool on the floor for another slave girl to take care of before she stepped into the bath at the far end.

"Show the new one how I like to be jacked off."

Kaija was snapped from watching Freja’s contorted face and the fingers of the other slave disappearing over and over into her rectum by Aelfric’s tone.

“Jack-what?” Kaija asked softly in surprise, confused by the sudden change of routine.

She watched Alisa who beckoned her over and Kaija groaned inwardly before she made small steps forward and scoped out the intended lesson.

She gave a begrudging smirk and shrugged her shoulders, “Of course, whore lessons.” Kaija took Aelfric’s cock firmly in hand and started to copy Alisa.

If Alisa was insulted by Kaija then she hid it well with a disinterested glance sideways, Freja on the other hand seemed to be stifling a giggle and the other slave girl didn’t stop her ministrations but pursed her lips silently, Freja’s humor quickly vanished as the slave girl added a finger and spread her anus wider. Kaija assumed this was to help Freja accept Aelfric ‘there’ when the time came.

Kaija barely had to pay attention to what she was doing, compared to taking him in her mouth the previous day, this was almost too easy. She would rather do this than choke on him again.

Aelfric has opened his eyes. Not an easy thing to do with a hangover and a slut masturbating him. But in a way he is starting to like Kaija's liitle shows of insolence. They heigthen the pleasure he gets out of humiliating her. If only her father could see her now. That thought brings a drop of pre-cum from the head of his cock. Kaija's ministrations milk another few drops out that spread to coat and lube the head of his cock. There are Rus' diplomats at court, he wonders how long it will take before word reaches them of Kaija. He would actually prefer to tell them himself. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Vladimir finds out one of his daughters is a slave whore of his, he thinks.

The fact that Freja can giggle with three fingers of another slavegirl up her anus bodes well for her. Nothing wrong with slaughtering your enemies and raping their wives and daughters but here in his palace all the screaming and crying that goes with it just unsettles the rest of the slaves. Considering slaves outnumber free persons by three to one within Constantinople keeping them calm is a good idea, even if most are women and children. Any slave based economy lives in fear of slave uprisings. Oppression is the only way to keep them down but go to far with brutality and a city could find itself in grave danger. England was a very rural country and farmers and labourers objected to many slaves taking away employment from them. Slave uprisings are more of a worry to merchants and commoners. Commanders of thousands of mercenary soldiers are more concerned with the inconvenience of it than actually fearing a slave uprising.

"Freja, right?" he says standing up, already almost forgetting just another slavegirl's name, "That's your name isn't it." "Come over here on the steps."

"Yes, Master" she replies, "It is."

She moves to kneel on the steps which descend into the expansive bath and sticks out her ass. Being used this way is nothing new to a barracks whore. Common soldiers though are not given to using lube beyond spitting on a girl's asshole before driving their cocks in.

Aelfric moves behind Freja and rubs his long, thick, hard cock against her anus. Freja grimaces and holds her breath in expectation of being penetrated by him. While far from gentle, Aelfric's penetration of her ass is not the balls deep thrust more than a few Bulgar victims have experienced. He pushes the engorged head inside her stretched rectum and momentarily waits as Freja accomodates his cock in her ass. She gives the tiniest of yelps but makes no move to pull away. What probably surprises Kaija is when he reaches around to gently play with Freja's pussy and clit before he begins to push his cock in deeper.

Slowly he pushes his cock up the slavegirl's willing ass. Willing, would seem the right word as Freja pushes back to take his cock. Having her pussy pleasured while being sodomized is unknown down in the barracks unless another girl has been commanded to.

"Oh, Master!" she says, knowing what words to use, "You're so big." "Please be gentle to your slave."

The fact she is moving her ass back and forth in response as he starts to fuck her ass, somewhat belies her request for him to be gentle. Which both know are just words meant for his pleasure, hardly a request to be granted if he does not wish to. But Aelfric is content with the tight grip her rectum has on his cock and uses her ass gently. He casts a look at Kaija with a smirk. First time he fucks her ass, he intends to make her scream. That thought makes him give Freja a hard thrust with his cock. She gives a yelp and bites her lower lip but does not cease to match the in and out movements of his cock in her ass.

Aelfric pleasuring her cunny has a great effect on Freja as she begins to fuck her Master with her ass as she begins to moan in pleasure. Aelfric is quite pleasantly surprised with Frejas performance and lets her pleasure him with her ass. He motions to Alisa who moves to rubher wet naked body against him. His hand finds her ass and grabs a handful of rounded cheek while kissing her hard. He has forgotten about Kaija by this point. The harder she thrusts back to meet his thrusting cock, the harder his fingers rub her cunt and clit making Freja exclaim in pleasure with each thrust. She may grimace in some discomfort as her ass slaps against her Master's hard belly and his large cock stretches her anus but she also smiles as the hard length slips in and out of her bum.

"Oh, Master!" she exclaims, "I'm cumming!" "Thank you, Master!"

"Thank you for making me your slave."

That is all Aelfric needs to hear. With the tight grip of her ass on his cock, her moans and words and Alisa rubing herslef against him with her mouth locked on his, Aelfric starts to cum. He takes his hand off Alisa's ass and wraps it in Freja's hair as he pulls her back against him, his other hand rapidly frigging the girl's clit. Freja screams her pleasure out as he fills her ass with cock and cum.

Aelfric holds Freja tight to his groin by her cunt and hair as he finishes spurting hot cum up her bum. When he releases her, he staggers back breathing hard.

"God damn!" he exclaims, "You're a great fuck."

Freja has half turned towards him and reclines on the bath steps as she rubs her pussy through the end of her own orgasm.

"Thank you, Master," she says breathlessly, "This girl is happy to have pleasured her great Master." "And is grateful that he pleasured her too."

Aelfric sits down and Alisa moves to use her hand to milk the last drop of cum from his cock before gently washing it. Aelfric pants heavily as he catches his breath. It would appear the headcahe is now gone. His eye catches Kaija's and the look on her face.

"Now that is how a proper slave pleasures her Master."

Kaija forced herself to watch as Aelfric took Freja’s ass. The fact that she would soon be expected to do the same was motivation enough. Besides, what was her propriety really worth? Aelfric got more pleasure from her embarrassment so while she couldn’t hide the pink hue that his actions brought to her cheeks, she’d not shy away. She was more surprised by Freja’s enjoyment of the act given her obvious trepidation before things had commenced. Kaija momentarily wondered if Freja was faking her enjoyment as she had so obviously faked her words earlier but the idea was washed away when Freja was in the throes of her orgasm. She was either an incredible actress or she truly was enjoying herself, Kaija was sure that it was the latter.

Kaija was sure her mouth was agape when Aelfric looked her in the eye again, Kaija looked away and silently berated herself for allowing him to catch her off guard.

She swallowed and forced her eyes up again with a funny smile and spoke in Aenglish, “Ah the aspirations of some who might think your pleasure worth their while. I’m sure she does. It’s quite preferable to have one man there than a dozen, no?”

Alisa seemed unmoved by the conversation and so Kaija was sure these were Aenglish words that she did not understand. Alisa moved over and Kaija had to stop herself from flinching as Alisa released Kaija’s braided hair slowly and it fell in lengths of luscious chocolate curls, cascading around her face. Alisa sighed appreciatively and smiled but did not interrupt the conversation.

When she was finished, she moved back to service Aelfric while another slave had poured him a horn of wine and handed it from the edge of the bath. Alisa took it and held it aloft until Aelfric wanted it.

Aelfric scowls at Kaija as Alisa unbraids her hair, thinking what a shame she has such a mouth on her. As much as he enjoys humiliating her, if she was submissive and compliant he would have a much harder time coming up with reasons to humiliate her. At times merciless and cruel, Aelfric does not actually derive pleasure from torturing slaves. His treatment of Kaija is a direct result of her parentage not from any sadistic bent. When Alisa moves away from her, he gives a look to one of the ever present eunuchs. Who promptly takes a step forward, leans over, and gives Kaija a cuff across the back of her head.

"A simple 'Yes, Master' you will find is the correct response to most of what I say to you", he says, "If the only words that come out of your mouth are yes, no, please, thank you, and Master you will save yourself a lot of grief." "Your mouth has only one use as far as I am concerned."

"Now if you were a long time favourite and a great fuck, I might be more forgiving of a smart mouth," Aelfric continues as he gives Alisa a smack on her bum.

Who squeaks, wiggles her ass and says, "Thank you, Master."

"Now that is how a proper slave behaves," he continues with a grin directed towards his favourite.

Aelfric takes the wine from Alisa and leans back. Alisa and Freja move in to begin braiding his own hair. He looks at Kaija with her hair unbound and dishevelled due to the cuff across the back of her head and feels a stirring in his cock.

Patting his lap he says, "Come here, girl." "You can either show me your skill in braiding my beard or take lessons from Alisa here."

Kaija had been expecting the blow to the back of her head so when the eunuch cuffed her, she wobbled but barely moved at all. Her face contorted in a grimace and she blinked away the pain with her teeth clenched, never really taking her eyes off Aelfric. Her curls bounced around her face, Alisa returned with small pins and placed them efficiently so that they held the hair away from her eyes and cheeks. She returned in time for Aelfric to swat her on the ass and Kaija rolled her eyes.

“Perhaps you’d like a parrot Master, I hear they repeat quite well.” Kaija told him drily in Greek.

Alisa looked at her quickly and shook her head before returning to the task of braiding Aelfric’s hair. Freja pursed her lips to smother her own reaction and seemed to focus hard on what her hands were doing so she could avoid snorting.

Kaija looked away and forced herself forward as Aelfric beckoned to her, she stopped when she was close enough and reached forward.

“I can braid Master, just not my own hair…never had a need to.” She bit her lip and began to plait his beard at arm’s length, not wishing to get any closer to him than she had to.

She was prevented from conversing any further by a scuffle outside and shouts from the hall which indicated that Aelfric’s chamber door was open. A soldier ran inside and bowed his head briefly to Aelfric, quite out of breath.

“Sir, we’ve found a slave girl dead in the common baths.” He said breathlessly.

Kaija frowned, slaves died everyday so why was this at all interesting to Aelfric of all people?

The guardsman elaborated, “It’s Persephone my Lord, the Emperor’s favourite.”

Some of the slaves lining the wall gasped but it was Alisa that Kaija looked at first, she had cried out and looked genuinely horrified, her hands clamped over her mouth in shock and grief. Freja seemed to have no response to the news but this no longer surprised Kaija, she was sure that Freja only looked out for Freja.

“Master…” Alisa whispered softly but seemed unable to finish.

While Aelfric was preoccupied, Kaija made her way to Freja, “Persephone? Like the Greek beauty loved by Hades?”

“Her mother was an optimist.” Freja whispered back sarcastically, “And not far wrong either. She is-was…quite beautiful…but rarely seen and never has call to go into the common baths. It’s...”

“…odd.” Kaija finished for her and Freja nodded ominously.

Aelfric thinks for just a moment. Basil is a bachelor with no interest, seemingly, on getting married or siring heirs. He dedicates himself to ensuring the efficient ruling of the empire. But men have their needs and Persephone was who Basil turned to for female companionship. Persephone's safety did not fall under the Varangian Guards mandate. There are a myriad of Imperial Guard units that handle routine guard duties about the palave complex. Aelfric is only concerned with Basil's safety. But this strikes too close to home. Could it be part of some plot against Basil. Aelfric does not concern himself with slavegirl whispering but has come to the same conclusion; it is odd that Persephone would be anywhere near the common baths.

Abruptly standing he bellows out commands.

"No one enters or leaves the palace. Detain anyone trying to leave until they can be question properly. And send gallopers to the city gates. I want them closed too," he barks at the Varangian guard, who salutes and hurries off.

He turns on Kaija, "Get my armour ready. Then stand ready to dress me."

With far more delicacy he addresses Alisa, "Stay in my apartments." "I'll leave guards to see you're safe."

"You... Freja is it," Aelfric commands the girl he just freshly sodomized, "Help Kaija."

He climbs from the bath and naked stalks out into his rooms, going to the door. Five Varangians await just outside. One he orders to find his second-in-command, Jarl Rodger, and have him gather one hundred of his best men and secure the Emperor. Two are detailed to guard his own apartments and Alysa. The other two are told to wait and accompany him when he is dressed.

Aelfric stalks back to his bedside, his face contorted in anger muttering, "Heads, spikes, walls."

"Kaija!" he barks, "You will come with me." "You can carry my bearskin."

Even after fucking her ass, Aelfric struggles to remember and use Freja's name, "...new girl!" "You too." "Carry my shield."

He may need his shield and cloak, which can turn a sword blow almost as well as armour, but doesn't wish to be encumbered by either for the time being.

"Both of you hurry up!"

It didn’t escape Kaija’s notice that Aelfric was much softer and more sparing with Alisa, did he care for her? It had never occurred to Kaija that a Master might love his slave or care for her beyond her physical needs. Kaija moved smartly to obey, now was not the time to dawdle or try Aelfric’s patience. This was far more serious and besides, it spared Kaija from her whore lessons. The very idea made Kaija smile as she dried herself quickly and slipped into her dress before running off to ready Aelfric’s armour while other slaves scrambled to dress and tidy up the bathroom.

Freja soon emerged to assist Kaija and together they dressed Aelfric and helped him into his tunic and leather jerkin first before slipping his chain mail and belts on. Freja and Kaija managed this harmoniously and efficiently and grinned at each other behind Aelfric’s back as both realized the other was equally skilled at this task. Many slaves and most noble ladies could not have dressed a man in armour quite so quickly with certainty that their ties would not come undone. It was a learned and repeated practice that women only had if they’d spent a lot of time doing menial tasks in the company of soldiers.

“Your chainmail needs a blacksmith to repair this bottom linking Master.” Kaija muttered as she finished up, “It does not affect your armour as a whole. It is minor.”

Kaija expected no response nor thanks. It was a minute detail barely worth mentioning but he could not accuse her of not noticing later if she mentioned it now. Kaija took up his bearskin, it was bulky and awkward but she draped it over a single shoulder and held it aloft with one hand as she walked so it would neither drag nor encumber her. Freja held his shield with ease and they both fell into step behind him as they walked down the hall at last, the two guardsmen leading the way so that no one would get in Aelfric’s path.

Various runners would come up to tell Aelfric the progress of his orders which were being carried out but it was an otherwise uneventful trip to the common baths. There were some onlookers standing outside, trying to glimpse what was occurring behind the doors, guards were posted outside to keep people out but everyone made way for Aelfric and the doors were opened to admit their small party.

Kaija was shocked to see a slave girl with a rather large belly standing outside the doors, she was quickly ushered away by another slave who seemed to be scolding the younger woman. Kaija turned to Freja and whispered softly, “Freja, what happens to pregnant slaves and their babies?”

Freja frowned and then said, “Depends on the Master. Most remain slaves, especially if you’re a barracks whore.”

“And the others?” Kaija asked.

Freja sighed, “Some Masters will lay claim to the child and give the baby to their wives to raise as their own children. It’s a Christian behavior. But though the slave may wet nurse, they may never claim their child. Other Masters kill the babies. Others…we don’t know. Some may be sold straight away.” Freja shrugged as though this was usual.

Kaija bit her lip and asked tentatively, “Have you ever? -“

Freja cocked a brow and smirked, “Had a child?”

Kaija nodded and Freja shook her head slowly, “I am barren. My first Master performed a mutilation upon me, the perfect whore he claimed. And so I can never have children.”

“I’m sorry.” Kaija whispered to her, trying to disguise her horror.

“I’m not.” Freja responded flatly.

Kaija returned her attention to the bathhouse, Persephone’s naked body was lying face up on the concrete floor as another guard was quietly informing Aelfric that they found her face down in a full bath which had since been drained. They were trying to track her movements and figure out how she had escaped guard notice to wind up in the common baths. It was obvious that most of the guards assumed Persephone had simply killed herself.

Kaija spied something in the doorway between the main bathing area and the room the slaves used to make up in and moved over there. She picked up the discarded fabric and threw it at the guard’s feet.

“She was wearing a cloak Master.” Kaija tried to keep her tone respectful but she was easily making the guard seem foolish and he looked both angry and embarrassed.

“Where are her clothes? If I was going to kill myself, I think I’d rather be dressed.” Kaija said plainly and moved back over to stand beside the ever stoic Freja who nodded sharply in agreement while Kaija bowed her head gently and bit her lip nervously. The Greek guardsman looked as though he might implode but waited for Aelfric’s word.

Aelfric is about as interested in Kaija's opinion as he is in the Imperial guardsman's. Although her supposition that Persephone did not kill herself agrees with his own. Persephone was born a slave. Her mother had been a Khazar princess from the lands east of the Byzantine Empire and the expanding Kievan Rus'. Although a slave and concubine Persephone had more wealth and privilege than many a free noble Christian woman. The Emperor seems to have truly cared for her and Aelfric has no knowledge of Basil thinking of setting her aside.

He glances at the scrap of cloth Kaija insolently dropped at the guards feet. It would appear to be a brocaded border of a cloak, perhaps. Certainly too rich of a garment to be found here in the common baths. One of Persephone's shoulders looks to be at an angle. He runs his hand across the shoulder joint and notes it is slightly dislocated. When he applies pressure to the body's diaphragm, water wells up in the corpse's mouth. Persephone had been alive when she entered the water. He rolls the dead girl over and looks for a sign of injury to the back of here head. Perhaps she hit her head and drowned. But he finds no injury of any kind.

So the girl was murdered. But by who? The obvious motive would be an attempt on the Emperor's life. If someone could suborn the Emeperor's bed warmer they would have a very good chance of effecting a regime change by having her stab him in the dark or administer poison in his drink. As to who, Aelfric can think of half a dozen men who would profit by Basil's death. All landed nobility in opposition to Basil's attempts at land reform. Or perhaps Persephone had a lover. Maybe a jealous lover. Could she have come here to meet her lover and been killed in a fit of passion? Is her murder a message being sent to Basil? Is this an attempt to put an assassin or spy in Basil's bed.

Aelfric hates intrigue. Politics and intrigues ruled the Aenglish court. Monks intrigued to gain more lands for the church. Bishops involved themselves in politics to further their own personal ambitions. Aelfric had involved himself in fighting greed driven clergy. It was on the advice of priests who had lost lands to Aelfric's attempts at reform that he was exiled. King Edwards own mother had been contemplating having her son murdered. Aelfric's act of regicide had been convenient to the King's mother and her party. Basil's own mother was suspected in killing his grandfather and father before she was sent into exile by her lover who usurped the throne from Basil's step-father after murdering him in his own bed. Vladimir, Kaija's sire, ascended to the Kievan Rus' throne after a fratricidal war saw Vladimir emerge as the only living son after his father died suddenly and mysteriously.

Rolling the body back over, Aelfric calls for a sheet to cover the corpse. As Persephone's body is being covered a great commotion outside is heard, followed by a squad of Varangians entering and immediately shove all present aside excluding Aelfric's party. As Aelfric expects Basil follows his bodyguard in accompanied by Rodger.

Basil moves to kneel beside the shrouded body, his face a blank mask. He pulls aside the sheet and looks at his concubine's dead face for some few moments. Then he recovers her face. He stands and faces Aelfric.

"This is treason," he declares, "I want whoever did this." "And I want them alive."

"Use whatever means necessary. Arrest anyone you suspect may have information and use whatever means you can devise to get the truth out of them."

Basil looks down at the sheeted corpse and his emotionless mask cracks. He looks back at Aelfric.

"She didn't deserve to die like this," he says his voice choked with emotion, "I don't even know what to do with her body."

"I will send for Miriam of Tyre, Majesty," Aelfric replies, "I wish for her to examine the body." "She may be able to find some clues from the body."

"Persephone's mother was a Khazarian Jew. Miriam will know how to bury her properly according to her people's faith."

"I won't stand for that witch to cut her open," Basil replies, "I would give her a Christian burial if I could."

"Miriam will treat Persephone with all due decorum, Majesty," Aelfric says.

Basil looks deeply at Aelfric and says, "I want them dead!" "I want all of them dead but bring them to me alive, if possible!"

"I will have a list of suspects sent to you. Don't worry about how important or connected they are. You have my warrant to act carte blanche."

"I will start with the Imperial guards who were supposed to guard her and any servants or slaves employed in her service," Aelfric says, "Someone must know how she got all this way and why."

That the Emperor is truly distraught over the murder of his favourite is written on his face. That he will also use this as an excuse to purge opponents to his various reforms is also more than apparent to Aelfric. And Aelfric has no problem with that.

Basil takes one last look at the sheeted body and stalks away preceded and followed by Varangians with drawn swords and Dane axes at the ready. Jarl Rodger stays behind.

"Fetch Miriam here," Aelfric tells his second-in-command, "And be polite, ask her to come."

Rodger nods and leaves with a couple of his men leaving half-a-dozen behind. Aelfric turns to Kaija.

"You will stay here with the body," he tells her, "You will assist Miriam with anything she needs." "I want to know if Miriam finds anything immediately."

"You were observant enough to notice the cloak scrap. Have a look around and see if there is anything else to be discovered."

He turns to the six Varangians Rodger left behind.

"You will assist Miriam and this slavegirl in anyway they require. Treat a request from them as an order from me."

He unburdens Kaija of his bearskin cloak and dons it while taking his shield from Freja. he snaps his fingers at Freja and the guardsman who accompanied him here.

"With me."

Aelfric stalks out of the crime scene.

Kaija expected no response from Aelfric but was glad to see that even in silence, he also didn’t appear to agree that Persephone killed herself. Kaija thought Aelfric noticed some foul play with her body as he stooped to inspect it and Kaija watched him with great interest. His facial expressions as he seemed to toy with many theories, his intrigue by her shoulder’s dislocation, the cogs turned behind Aelfric’s eyes and Kaija lifted her head to see if anyone else noticed. The guard had stalked away and Freja looked bored, Kaija smiled to herself as she was beginning to understand Freja’s apparent disinterest in everyone and everything around her. She never seemed downtrodden or beaten though, Freja looked after her own interests at the expense of all else but her enslavement was an acceptable loss. She took it well; she didn’t delight in it like Alisa nor did she fight it like Kaija or let it beat her down like the mute slave from the evening before. She was something of an enigma altogether.

Kaija was broken from her reverie by the commotion outside the door and quickly glanced in that direction in time to see her Uncle bust through the entryway. Kaija and Freja stepped aside in swift bewilderment. Freja dropped her head out of respect and fear while Kaija dropped hers out of fear that her uncle might recognize her familial features. They both stood back and watched the interplay between Basil and Aelfric, Freja was impassive but Kaija bit her lip in thought. Basil had cared deeply for Persephone, it was obvious. Perhaps that was why he never married? He could hardly marry a slave and retain his titles and the respect of his people. Kaija perked up at the mention of Miriam, she had mixed feelings about seeing her again so soon. She and Miriam had become close but Kaija still nursed some resentment for the mutilation Miriam had performed upon her. Still, she was more welcome than any soldier and Kaija hoped Miriam might bring her assistant Saris with her. Kaija had grown fond of her in the two weeks they had spent together – even if Kaija was in and out of consciousness. As if on cue, the bells tinkled softly between her legs and Kaija winced as though they tolled like a Christian church bell.

Kaija watched the majority of the men depart with Basil and then Aelfric requested Rodger bring Miriam himself, he nodded and departed swiftly thereafter. Kaija swallowed the lump in her throat as Aelfric turned to her and she found herself surprised by his order that she remain behind and assist Miriam.

Kaija nodded hurriedly, her blood warmed when Aelfric mentioned her observational skills and asked that she see if she could find anything else, “Yes Master.” She murmured softly and helped him take his heavy cloak from her shoulders.

She was shocked by his command to his soldiers that they treat her and Miriam far above their station. Kaija blushed at this turn of events and watched them leave. The soldiers returned to their posts around the room so as to stay out of the way and Kaija found herself in an immense silence with a dead body.

“Well that was…unexpected.” Kaija muttered and looked around. There wasn’t much for her to do until Miriam arrived but she pulled the sheet back anyway and looked over Persephone once again.

“Where are your clothes? Why would you come here?” Kaija crouched down and asked her, if the soldiers thought it odd, they did not say.

Kaija stood up again and looked around, there were many shelves, niches and baskets to search. The common baths were vast, the size of a modern day football stadium with many anterooms, cupboards, thoroughfares and dead ends which branched off. Kaija began her search for Persephone’s clothing. An hour of combing through every folded piece of linen had led to nothing and Kaija had begun to grow hungry.

She turned to a guard and was surprised to find it was the same Varangian who had showed her to the privy the night before, “I wanted to ask for food, paltry request though it is. It would take me time to fetch…” Kaija asked, embarrassed that her first ‘request’ was so unimportant.

“Of course.” The guard half smirked at her but in an almost kindly way, he nodded and wandered to the door, it opened slightly and Kaija watched him have some conversation with someone she could not see before he returned to his post.

“It will be done.” He told her shortly, Kaija nodded and murmured her thanks.

“What do you search for?” He asked her.

“Her clothes. She wore a cloak which she must have willingly discarded but I have a feeling she did not divest her dress so willingly. I cannot find it which means the attacker either took it with him or he hid it. It might have meaning if he went to such lengths. It might be a clue.” Kaija explained.

The guard seemed surprised at first but recovered his impassive visage as these Varangians seemed to do well, “I will help you.”

“I didn’t know that was in your training.” Kaija said tartly, too fast to stop herself. She giggled softly and covered her mouth, “Oh I’m sorry. I cannot help it.”

The guard snorted a soft chuckle, “You’re spirited. I do hope they don’t beat it out of you.”

Kaija shrugged, “I’m one beating down and still laughing. Perhaps my skin is too thick hmmm?”

The guard nodded in amusement, “Perhaps. Perhaps we will find out. For now,” The Varangian nodded to the other guard across the room, “Dunstan and I will help you look for her clothing. It will be quicker with all of us searching.”

“Dunstan?” Kaija asked, the guard nodded over to his counterpart whom Kaija had forgotten was there, “Oh! Yes, of course. Thank you.” She bowed her head gratefully in Dunstan’s direction, he nodded stiffly.

“What is your name then?” Kaija queried the guard she had been speaking to.

“Eadric.” He replied and ended the conversation as he and the other went in search of Persephone’s clothing.

“Eadric…” Kaija murmured, rolling the name on her tongue as if trying it out for size. She decided that she liked his name but could not say why.

Two eunuchs were admitted entry into the baths with trays laden with meats and fruits for Kaija as well as a jug of some heady wine. Kaija thanked them softly, they left without acknowledging her and Kaija sighed to herself as she popped a grape in her mouth. She decided to savor these moments where the guards did not treat her as a slave – it would not last and she had no doubts that she would be brought down to earth soon enough but today was not that day.

Kaija ate and drank and resumed the search with the help of the guards. They searched room after room that led from the baths, they turned out baskets and scoured niches with torches. They took some broken coloured roots from the ready-room where the slaves made up their faces and marked every searched area and object with an ‘X’.

Finally, Dunstan turned out a basket and gave a shout, “I think I found her clothes here!”

Kaija and Eadric came running, it was a basket next to an end door that they had not yet searched, Eadric ignored the clothing and flung the door open. He shouted to two of the other guards and they all ran inside. Kaija ignored them and looked over the clothing, holding it aloft. The room had grown dark and torches had been lit so Kaija had to bring the whole basket to the front of the room where there was enough light to see by.

“It’s shredded.” A female voice called from the entrance, Kaija looked up and saw Miriam just inside the door, Kaija couldn’t help but smile at the older woman.

“Yes. But why?” Kaija asked as Miriam came over to her, taking the ragged dress from Kaija’s hands and turning it over in her own.

“I would guess that she would not willingly take it off. It was torn from her body. It is well made though.” Miriam produced an edge and showed Kaija a seamless cut, “This person took a sharp knife because the fabric would not tear here.”

“A knife?” Kaija asked while Miriam nodded and Kaija glanced over at Persephone again, “She must have been quite brave. Slaves aren’t allowed weapons…he must have brought it with him to threaten her.”

“Indeed.” Miriam said distractedly, she crouched down and picked something off of the floor and continued to move towards Persephone with a purpose.

“What is it?”

“Her fingernail.” Miriam responded, holding it up, “She crawled this far, obviously she was dragged backwards by her feet. She tried to escape her attacker.”

Miriam examined the body while Kaija sat back and handed Miriam whatever she needed from her bag. There was slabs of coal, pieces of linen, oils and other things that Miriam used on Persephone. Never did she cut her open or did more than examine the surface. She did show Kaija what she found and how she found it as she went though. Miriam discovered that Persephone had recently been sexually assaulted, the bruising and tearing around her vaginal opening suggested it was not welcome and that it was hurried.

“I do not think Basil would have treated her like that Miriam.” Kaija told her softly.

“Nor do I, child. Nor do I.” Miriam murmured in response, “She fought him hard for a slave. There is skin beneath her nails with some blood. It is possible she got a piece of her attacker. He may bear wounds.” Miriam stood up and covered Persephone, finishing her examination.

“I must tell Aelfric of this, it will help him uncover the true assassin.” Miriam told Kaija who nodded quickly and looked around for the guards.

“They haven’t come back.” Kaija frowned.

“Where did they go?” Miriam asked, “No one else was inside when I arrived.”

“Into the room next to the basket at the end there.” Kaija pointed towards a dark doorway.

We shall wait a few moments then; I should like to examine you. You look bruised, you were not when you left me. Pray, where did you get these bruises?” Miriam asked Kaija while touching her breast.

It was so tender that Kaija recoiled and it took some chastising from Miriam before Kaija would willingly tell her about her voyage home from the house of Miriam of Tyre. Miriam’s face was impassive, Kaija could not tell how she felt or what she thought of the last 24 hours’ events. Miriam was more concerned about the ring Kaija may have pulled when Aelfric had pushed her away after she had sucked his cock the day before. Kaija had explained she had thrown herself back for oxygen at the same time but Miriam seemed angry momentarily before she asked Kaija to lay back so Miriam could examine her cunt.

Kaija did so reluctantly but only because the guards had not yet returned. Miriam was impressed with Kaija’s aftercare even though Kaija mentioned that applying the alcohol had stung badly. Miriam brushed Kaija’s exposed clitoris – due to the ring piercing through the hood, her clitoris was permanently exposed at all times. Kaija tensed up and gasped sharply.

Miriam touched it again and Kaija attempted to close her legs, Miriam slapped her thighs quickly and scolded Kaija, “Keep them open! I don’t have my assistants here to hold them child! Do you feel that?”

Miriam brushed her clit purposely this time and Kaija nodded, her face flushed and her breathing heavy. Miriam touched her clitoris again and again in many places, many times over, Kaija’s cunt became swollen and wet, the metal thatch glistened with her arousal. Finally, Kaija was overcome with an orgasm for the first time in her life. She clawed at the ground and moaned heavily for several moments until she was still again. Miriam was satisfied and recovered her skirts, sitting back.

“What was that for? What did you? What did I…” Kaija asked breathlessly, unsure of what had just happened.

“I had to make sure I had not pierced a nerve. I usually check after a week of a girl leaving but I am here and you are ahead in your recovery. Aside from that single piercing.” Miriam said factually.

“A nerve?” Kaija queried as she sat up.

“Yes. Sometimes a girl leaves with no feeling left there. It is unfortunate but it happens. You will retain feeling. You orgasmed girl. It’s a side effect of sex.” Miriam told her, smiling all the while at Kaija’s obvious bewilderment, “Aelfric will be pleased.”

Kaija had no time to process this as the guards had returned at some point during Miriam’s examination and the youngest – the one called Dunstan, had his mouth agape while Eadric and the other two guards laughed at him. Dunstan recovered himself and explained that he’d just never seen a woman behave so sinfully.

“She puts on a good show.” One of the others chuckled, Eadric nodded in agreement and never took his eyes off Kaija who was thoroughly embarrassed even if she wasn’t entirely sure why.

“There is a tunnel through here. We think he may have escaped using it which is how he went unnoticed.” Eadric explained to Miriam, silencing the laughter.

Miriam nodded, “We are finished here. We should report this to Doux Aelfric immediately.”

The party exited in search of Lord Aelfric, Kaija watched as more guards entered to take Persephone’s body away before they left her view entirely.

Eadric leads the Varangians that escort Miriam and Kaija through the vaults that make up the slave quarters and common baths. The Imperial Palace is built upon a hill which slopes from a height of one hundred feet to the seashore. This necessitates the building of many vaults and subterranean passages. Upon reaching the upper levels of the palace proper and the main throne room of the Chrysotriklinos there is not an Imperial Guard of the Hetaireia to be seen. All guards are now double posted Varangian units.

Eadric is informed that Aelfric is in the Triklinos of the Scholae being the main barracks of the Imperial Palace guard units located just behind the Chalke Gates. The same building which Aelfric entered when he returned to the palace leading a leashed and almost naked Kaija. The walk to the Triklinos is a quiet one. The halls and corridors of the palace complex are empty save for Varangians with drawn weapons. The population of slaves, eunuchs and functionaries of the palace are all in locked and guarded rooms. Twenty Varangians guard the doors to the Triklinos from which behind can be heard the voices of many men.

The party is admitted to the hall which is packed with armed Varangians menacing disarmed Imperial guards. The gurads officers consisting of young Byzantine nobles still possess their swords but are ringed by Varangians with shields and weapons ready. With two hundred guards, fifty officers and two hundred Varangians the din from the pleadings of innocence by guards and the exclamations of anger from their officers is quite loud. Aelfric surrounded by his own guard of Aenglish house carls sits on a raised podium. A lone richly dressed young Byzantine apparently has the effrontery to harangue Aelfric. Who has a bemused expression on his face.

"This is an outrage!" the young officer exclaims, "You have no evidence to arrest these men, who are all loyal servants of the Empire."

"I demand that you release them and I want to see my father."

Aelfric laughs, "You can demand anything you want, puppy!" "Until all the guards on duty today have been thoroughly questioned no one goes anywhere."

"And that includes their officers."

He holds up his hand to still any further outburst from the young noble when Eadric moves forward to speak with him. He listens and then notions Miriam to come close. Miriam speaks quietly into his ear as she relates her findings of possible wounds to the murderer. He gets an angry set to his face when she tells him of the suspected rape of Persephone. Miriam pauses and then tells him of her examination of Kaija. The look of anger leaves his face when she tells him of Kaija's reaction to have her clitoris stimulated. He leans forward and looks at Kaija with a smirk on his face. When Miriam berates him quietly for the torn ring, the smirk leaves his face and he holds up his hand to quieten her.

Aelfric stands up so that he may be heard across the hall.

"You men will all strip," he commands of the disarmed guards. "These women," indicating Miriam and Kaija, "will examine you." "Resist or do anything stupid and I will geld you myself."

He looks at the arrogant young Byzantine.

"Officers too!"

The young noble goes red in the face.

"I will not submit to being examined by that witch and your whore, Aenglish dog!" he exclaims and draws his sword.

The next sound out of him is the sound of all his breath being driven from his lungs and a grunt of pain as a Varangian brutally thrusts the butt of his spear into his stomach. Two more use the butts of their spears on the back of his knees causing him to fall heavily to his knees clutching his abdomen. None of his fellow Byzantines so much as moves a finger to help him as the Varangians surrounding them take a half step forward threatening massacre.

"Stand him up!" Aelfric barks.

It takes a spear shaft blow to the side of the head to subdue the man but he is pulled to his feet as Aelfric steps down and advances towards him seax in hand. Using the long knife of the northern Germanic people he cuts and strips away the youths rich clothing. Leaving him naked, bleeding, and stunned held up by two towering Varangians.

"Call me a dog again, puppy," he growls as he grasps the young man by the hair, "And I will kill you!"

He shoves the long knife blade up into the youth's nostril.

"To show my respect for you and your kind," Aelfric says with a smile, "I won't geld you like I said." "Instead..."

Aelfric visciously slits the youths nose. Blood pours from the wound and down the screaming young man's face and chest.

"Strip!" he bellows at the mutilated Byzantine's comrades.

The crowd of noble Byzantines immediately begin to disrobe, as do the two hundred ordinary guards.

Aelfric turns to Kaija and Miriam.

"See if our murderer is here."

He returns to the podium, leaving the bleeding youth supported up right by the two Varangians.