Beetlesmith's Ch. 24

She was fully stretched out in all her naked glory. Her wrists were secured by leather shackles that were suspended from the ceiling on a pulley system. She was already pulled up tight, and straining to stay standing on her tip toes.

Even in the dim light of the grotto, I could tell her buttocks glowed bright and cherry red. The paddle already having left numerous broad, red patches temporarily etched across her backside. She struggled a bit against the restraints each time the Dom wacked her. Above the hollow reverberation of the paddle off the bare, brick walls, I could hear Gloria sniffle back tears of pain.

The struggle and the sorrow weren't done for show, or as a gesture of role playing and acting. They were as real as the red welts that stood out against the paleness of her skin. And it took me a long time to understand why she put herself through this torment. One reason was obvious: she genuinely had acquired a taste for it, laughingly calling herself a 'pain whore.' The second reason was more obscure and rooted in a guilt she could never appease.

I could tell she was already in a state of continual distress, having all the pain with none of the pleasures applied. The pleasure always came after the pain began—sometimes well after—and only when I showed up to provide her that comfort.

It was the game we've been playing for some time, and at her direction. I am to arrive at some point in the evening, but she never knows precisely when. Until then, it was a waiting game for her. How much pain could she endure not knowing the exact moment of my arrival?

Looking near her feet, I didn't have to guess what happened earlier to Gregor. Gloria's tunic and stola lay crumpled up in a corner of the grotto. She wore no color, not even a waist band as a warning, which was required of the upper echelon when they wished to be naked. The colored waist band was doubly required of Gloria in these moments, and its absence was telling.

Seeing the facts laid out as they were, I assumed that in the heat of disciplining Gloria, and not seeing color, Gregor forgot to whom he administered, and paid a steep price for his forgetfulness.

Gloria was well versed in the nuance of color. Errors in judgement had happened before with a member. Since that time, I had never known her to remove her colored tunic, let along the colored waist band during her playtime. It was her way in safeguarding against just such misfortunes from occurring—until now.

I knew in my heart it was done on purpose, and done to lure someone into making an error in judgement—poor, poor Gregor.

What with this incident, and Karen and Denise's shoddy treatment of the slaves and members, it was obvious we were all becoming callus, even, at times, cruel to others of lesser station than ourselves, which, to be blunt, included everyone.

It was one of the things I feared would happen with the elixir, and it was the reason I stopped taking it for a while. Ironically, even though none of us have used the potion for over a year, I see all the traits of callousness and cruelty that I feared, manifesting in all of us on their own.

And on a more serious note still, I am indifferent to everyone's maliciousness. In fact, I condone and encourage it—callus, indeed.

I keep telling myself these new traits are the price of being Emperor, but deep down I know that that's a lie and an excuse to continue doing the deceitful things we do.

I said loudly, startling everyone that was in the room, "I'm sorry to impose on your fun, but I wonder if I can be alone with Domina for a while?"

"Of course, Tiberius," Eva said, as she ushered her two subs out of the room.

Comically, the other woman's eyes went wide as she looked around from her perch on the cross, and mumbled something inaudible through the hood she wore.

"You can hang around a while longer, my dear" I said to her, laughingly. "You too, De Vries, stay. I'll need your services now that Gregor is incapacitated."

Stepping in front of Gloria, she was covered in a fine sweat and I saw tears still drying on her cheeks. Immediately, her face blossomed into a look of relief when she saw me.

"I'm sorry for the delay, but the imperial slut needed my attentions."

Knowing I was referencing her bad behavior from earlier, she changed the subject. "I'm sorry for what happened to Gregor. I didn't mean it."

"Of course you didn't," I said as I smoothed away a lock of her hair from her forehead. "That's why you took off all your color, because you meant no harm and are so concerned for poor, poor Gregor," I finished with quiet sarcasm.

"I...I didn't...," she began to protest.

She tried to lie about it, like a child trying to hide an obvious truth from the world. She still hasn't accepted the fact that she had embraced her cruelty. And I hadn't embraced the fact that Asmodeus was playing with her, influencing her to trick Gregor into his regrettable mistake. I should have seen it earlier, but my mind was occupied elsewhere.

Gently cupping her cheeks in my hands, I kissed her lips, quieting her. Then I said softly, "Hush, hush, hush. No one blames you for what happened." When she smiled up at me, I asked in a louder tone, "Isn't that right, De Vries, no one blames Domina for Gregor's carelessness."

"No, Dominus."

"See. All is forgotten."

She stretched up to try and kiss me again, but I stepped back. "What you should be sorry for is the way you make me feel when you fight with Vipsania. Both of you are angering me tonight, and doing so on such a momentous occasion. It's selfish and cruel of you to spoil things for me. As such, you will need to be severely punished."

"It's not just me! What about Kar...Vipsania? Why am I the only one who has to be punished?"

"Make no mistake, I will punish her in my own way later, but we're here. Now. And in your favorite playroom, no less."

She began to shiver in anticipation.

"I think you've had enough of the paddle. De Vries let's graduate Domina to the strap."

Given how she was acting tonight, I knew she wanted it severe. I had already given De Vries a hand signal on how forceful and how many blows he should land. These hand signals developed between myself and the Doms over the course of the past year, allowing us to communicate without Gloria knowing; and as such, she couldn't anticipate the severity of her punishment from one moment to the next.

Gloria's eyes went wide at the first blow to her buttocks. The sound of it was almost deafening as it reverberated off the cinder block walls.

There was a long, prearranged pause. "Count," I commanded, softly.

Gloria screamed, "Two!" when the second blow landed.

The third blow came harder and quicker than she expected. She forced out, "Th-Three!" as tears streamed down her cheeks.

There was another, even longer pause where Gloria's facial features relaxed...

...And then she went wide-eyed with surprise and pain when the four blow was landed.

Besides surprise, I saw true panic behind her eyes. Ordinarily, we never took the strap past three blows at any one session interval. This time would be different.

Tears streamed down her cheeks anew, and she was blowing air rapidly as the fifth blow landed.

Holding herself overly rigid, and causing her taut muscles to tremble and body shiver, she stared at me with an unexpected defiant expression. Other than her rapid panting, she didn't utter a sound. She looked genuinely mad at me.

"I thought this is what you wanted. Am I mistaken?" She just continued to stare back at me. I gave another signal to De Vries as I said, "No? Fine."

The sixth blow he landed was wicked, causing Gloria to abruptly belch air out as a loud grunt.

"Six!" she belted out of her lungs before she began to wail.

"That's better, and that snotty look you had is gone as well."

She continued counting and wailing through eight, at which point I signaled De Vries to stop.

The rigidity of her body didn't leave until I held her face between my two hands and kissed her. The taste of salt from her sweat made for a fine seasoning, while the scent of her arousal as it ran down her thighs was intoxicating.

"You disappointed me tonight."

"I know," she squeaked out between soft sobs.

"Why?"

She just shook her head as an answer, and continued to sob.

Again she tried to reach me with her lips for another kiss, but I stepped away and behind her instead. I saw her body go rigid in anticipation of more pain.

"Relax, my sweet."

Her buttocks glowed red and were blistered by several long welts crisscrossing each other. I could almost feel the heat radiating off her now, rosy globes.

Kissing her lightly at the nape of her neck, I gently squeezed one of her tortured buttocks, and sending blissful warmth cascading through her body. She uttered a loud sigh of pleasure when a placed a hand on the other cheek, and then massaged them both.

I asked again. "Why do you go out of your way to disappoint me?"

The question and its tone made her body go rigid again in cautious anticipation.

She yelled when I reached around and gripped a breast hard. I said close to her ear, "I guess you're much too stressed to answer. We should relax your muscles a bit before I ask again, and then I'd like an answer." Stepping away from her, I commanded, "De Vries, ginger."

Ginger root is sometimes used by bondage devotees to heighten the intensity of the punishment. Normally, a single root is skinned, and then carved into the shape of a phallus or plug. It's then inserted into an orifice, usually the anus, but it can be inserted vaginally, as well. The oils of the ginger root are irritating to whatever it comes in contact with, producing a severe burning sensation. If inserted anally, the irritation keeps the devotee from tightening their gluts against the coming blow from the strap, whip, or paddle, thus increasing the pain—and ultimately the pleasure.

Being an expert, it took De Vries only a few minutes to carve a well-shaped plug. Parting her cheeks, he easily slipped the ginger plug into her ass and seated it snugly.

I asked quietly in Gloria's ear, "I know we've never used it together, but is it new to you?"

She panted out, "It burns."

"It will go better if you relax."

Even before I finished my statement, De Vries came down with another wicked strike.

New levels of pain never touched before spread across her pretty features. Her mouth and eyes contorted into a panoply of emotion ranging from shock, to searing anguish, and ending in surprise. It all flashed across her face in an instant.

"I see it is new to you. Different, isn't it, now that you can't tighten the muscles against the blows of the strap."

She gurgled something indistinct as sweat poured from her brow.

"Count."

I only took her to six.

I was still uncomfortable with the punishment areas of sex, using it sparingly to discipline Karen that one time—and that was very mild compared to what Gloria expected of me. That said, it was difficult to watch the pain continually unfold across Gloria's face each time De Vries brought down the strap—and the pain was almost unfathomable for her by my reckoning. Yet, on the last two strikes, I saw a small smile crease her lips. It peeked out momentarily through all the facial contortions brought on by De Vries' handiwork. It was a subtle smile of joy and pleasure. The ginger was beginning to work its magic as the burning irritation morphed into an intense, warming bliss—pleasure born from pain.

When I cupped her buttocks in my hands and massaged them firmly but sweetly, the warming pleasure intensified further, and her whole body melted into mine.

Her breathing was deep but irregular, as she said into my chest, "It's because I love you."

"I know you do, but there is more going on inside you than you let on. And your secretiveness distresses me even more than your disrespect for Vipsania."

She said with a hint of sarcasm, "How can I have secrets from you, the great, all-knowing...all-powerful Tiberius?"

Her sarcasm surprised me. I laughed at her cheekiness and hugged her to me tightly. "Haven't you noticed? As time passes, I can't read any of you as well as I used to. You're all becoming 'blank' to me."

"Blank?"

"It doesn't matter, but things are changing."

"Are you losing your powers?"

"Only in some areas, and only with those closest to me, like you and Karen. I can't read your thoughts as well as I use to. As such, you can keep secrets from me," I ended my explanation with a smile.

She reached for my lips again, and I let her capture them. Long and sweet she kissed me until I forgot about the changes that were occurring within us.

I smiled down at her again. "Now, show me how much you love me. Tell me your secrets."

"After. Lower me, my sweet."

She knew me all too well, probably better than I knew her. Unlike most Doms, who could easily make love after violently flogging their partners, our punishment sessions never gave me wood. Gloria knew and understood this about me.

I know she loves these moments on her knees as much as I, servicing my cock and preparing me to fuck her silly. It's just one of many, tangible ways she exhibits her love for me.

Her wrists stayed bound together, but she doesn't care, preferring to work my cock to hardness using just her mouth. For me, besides the wonderful oral attention from someone who loves to suck my cock, the contrast between her hot mouth nibbling, licking, and sucking me against the coolness of her binding chains was amazing.

Both of us became lost in it all. My cock, now made hard and slick by her playful mouth, dripped thick strands of saliva onto the floor and her breasts. Seemingly taking no notice of my arousal, she continued to ply her hot and still hungry mouth to it until I almost came.

Grabbing a hunk of her hair, she loudly gasped her disapproval when I pulled her head away from my groin.

"Naughty, naughty slut, you almost made me come. You know that isn't allowed, now get up!"

Just as she got up onto her feet, I had De Vries pull her body taught with the winch. Her big toes were barely touching the floor. The rest flailed in mid-air.

Smoothing her cheek with a hand, I asked, "How's that ginger holding up? Still burns?"

Before she could answer, De Vries brought the strap down across her already tender ass.

"Look at that, I've lost my wood. It always happens in these moments. I don't like seeing you punished like this. It destresses me even more than when you fight with Vipsania."

This was the game we've been playing for the past six months or so. Gloria would do something that would demand punishment, then ply that playful mouth to get me hard, only to do something else to justify more punishment—wash, rinse, repeat. It was how she derived quality time between us. As I said before, mostly because she had developed a true taste for the art of control, but also because discipline and punishment was the one area of human sexual encounter that Karen didn't care to partake. That meant our sessions together were for us, alone.

I took her to ten this time.

She stared at me, shivering, her disheveled hair was matted to her face by her sweat. She pulled weakly on the leather shackles and metal chains between soft whimpers of discomfort and shame, trying to garner some slack so that she could at least stand flat on her feet.

"Should we graduate to the whip? To your back?"

She stopped the whimpering and fussing with her hands. Her eyes went wide and there was real terror behind them. "No!"

"Then are you going to play nice for the rest of the evening? Play nice with Vipsania? If I lose wood again because of more of your insolence, then my retributions will come with true pain."

"Yes! Sir!"

I looked deep into her eyes...deep into her soul...and saw only truth and love there. "Good girl."

I wrapped her up in my arms again, and again she melted into me as the pain was turned into warming bliss by my massaging hands.

"Lower her again, De Vries."

De Vries gently put her on her knees, and Gloria requested a bit of slack in the chains so she could use her hands along with her mouth. It didn't take her long getting me slick and hard, again. Then laying my slickened cock against her flush cheek, she looked up at me doe-eyed, and said, "Now fuck me like the whore I am."

"Why do you call yourself that?" I asked, barely concealing my anger.

She answered, slowly and sweetly, "Because I am a whore. Because I'm your whore. And most of all, because I want to be your whore. And oh how I love it when you to treat me like your whore." She continued staring up at me with her innocent, pining eyes, all while she seductively kissed and licked about my cock and balls.

I have never seen anything as angelic and demonic and wrapped up in the same person and at the same time. Not even the twins could pose such a contradiction as Gloria did to me.

"If that is what you want. So be it. De Vries, lift her! Higher. Higher still. Stop!"

De Vries pulled her up until she dangled totally above the floor and with her groin slightly lower than mine. She groaned under her own weight as it bore uncomfortably down on all the joints of her arms.

Touching her cheek, I felt small beads of sweat beginning to form. "Woman after beautiful woman offered themselves to me, as is commonplace now. Husbands offered me their wives to do with as I desire. And both offered me their children and their children's lives. They offered me everything as tribute to me and my house, just for the small favor of fucking them, or letting them choke on my cock and swallow my cum. Enduring all that temptation all in my long journey to you, I turned them all down. I even turned down my own wife's advances just so you could be my first; so that I could offer myself to you clean and unsullied, and free from the taint of any of the evening's offerings." I paused for a moment to see tears falling from her eyes. Then cupping her cheeks in my hands, I confirmed the truth of us, "My sweet, don't you see? I have becomeyour whore."

Stepping back and away from her, I could see the recognition of the truth of it unfold across her face. She made a half-hearted attempt to deny it, to refuse my caricature of myself, but she couldn't lie to herself. And most of all, she couldn't lie to me.

Aping her words from a moment ago, I said, "I am your whore, and most of all I love being your whore. I desire it as I desire to live. Because I. Love. You. Now, from one whore who is in love with another, reach for me and do your best."

I saw a fire ignite in her eyes, as she shifted her weight back and forth, and putting herself into a swinging motion. She grunted mightily as she fell short of me on her first two attempts.

On the third pass she garnered enough energy in her swing that she slammed into me, and knocking most of the breath out of her lungs in the process. Still, she had enough wits and strength to wrap her legs around my waist before she'd rebound away.

She inhaled deeply. I felt her legs tighten about me as she pulled us closer to each other, and then she said, "Come here, whore!"

Gloria pulled us so close that my cock was crushed between us. Her breath came warm and sweet as she panted into my mouth during a most splendid kiss. Gripping my waist even tighter between her thighs, she shifted her hips up and down, and playfully slid my cock across our stomachs. She giggled around my tongue each time she made my cock slide up and tap one of her breasts.

"Naughty, playful cock," she said, laughingly. "I think my whore needs to put it deep into his whore's dripping cunt."

"I think my whore needs to work a little bit for it, just as I worked getting here."

Loosening her grip but still maintaining contact to me with her calves and feet, Gloria's arms strained against the binding chains as she swung herself a bit away from me. Her move put my cock between her smooth thighs and pointed directly at her pussy. She tightened her grip on my waist again, pulling herself closer to me. My cock was nearly inside her when I flexed its muscles, making it miss her intended mark by shooting high and across her pubis.