Manon and Belle Pt. 13

"If you displease me, I will hurt you. Displease me enough I will mutilate you. I will brand your face and body, with that iron I can see in the brazier there. If you really displease me, I will take your ears, and then your nose."

"So that when you are sold you would only be bought by the meanest and lowest of traders, probably to be sent to the fighting pits that I believe they still have in places in north Africa, where you'd be fed to wild animals for the amusement of an uncaring crowd in the interval between fights."

"And understand this Cecile, I want to do that to you. I will be delighted to mutilate you, so really, you'd best please me," Manon said.

"Just kill me, I said I'll tell you...." Manon cut her off.

"Quiet," Manon said, slapping the crop across Cecile's nipples, making her hiss in pain. "I don't believe anything you say for now, not until you are my slave, and then you will talk, and I will listen."

Cecile fell quiet then, watching round eyed as Manon approached her with a branding cylinder held in her left hand. "This is going to hurt, but you know that don't you? Your records made it plain you liked to brand the women and girls yourself, hundreds of them over the years that we could track," Manon said.

As Manon held the cylinder against Cecile's right hip, she saw her prisoner sob and close her eyes, turning her head away. "Look at me Cecile, eyes open and watch as I change you, or I will whip you until you beg me to brand you instead," Manon said coldly.

She waited as Cecile raised her eyes to hers, sobbing slightly, and then Manon carefully held the cylinder tight against Cecile's hipbone, waiting until the little light on the end glowed green to show it was positioned correctly.

She held it there, drawing out the moment, and then pressed the little stud on the end by the light. Cecile howled in pain, trying to thrash in her bonds but unable to as she was held tight, banging her head back against the padded rest.

Manon knew that the initial very brief pain was agonising, but quickly dulled to an ache, literally a bone deep pain in the new slave's hip, as the magic left a mark not only on the slave's hip but went all the way through their body to leave a mark on their back as well.

Cecile subsided into moaning and grunting, and Manon just left her hanging there, waiting for it to subside.

"So, as of now, Cecile Dumain outlaw, no longer exists, nor has she in effect ever existed. You are now Rien, slave of Manon de Gaillard et des Trois Lacs, registered as such with the guild."

"Nothing? You named me nothing?" Rien said incredulously.

"I did, and if you ever forget to call me mistress again, you will be punished. Do you understand Rien?"

A long silence followed as Rien, looking appalled, studied Manon, before she quietly said, "yes mistress."

"Good girl Rien," Manon said smiling. "Now we have a couple more things to do, before I am going to lock you in one of those lovely cells opposite for the day, to let you recover."

"From now on, how you are treated will depend entirely on how you behave, abuse my trust and you will be abused, behave as befits a slave, and you will be well treated."

Manon cocked an eyebrow at Rien, who took the hint well, and said, "I understand, mistress."

"So first, I am going to collar you and fit you with new restraints," Manon said. She already knew what she wanted and where it was, and pulled a heavy steel collar out, that had matching ankle and wrist cuffs, and a steel belt that didn't quite match but would do. All had O rings attached, the belt and collar each having several, and all were made to be locked with Arkwright locks.

Rien sobbed a little as Manon put the collar around her neck, more loudly when with a brief flash the arkwright key fused the collar closed, even more securely than if it were welded.

Manon then undid one of Rien's arms from the cross, which hung limply at her side, having been overstrained by a night held up over the new slave's head. A new steel cuff was locked on her wrist then, and then that arm was locked by the cuff to the cross again, but this time at waist height. She then did the same to Rien's other arm.

She then released Rien from all the other restraints wrapping her torso, and locked the steel belt about her waist, before releasing her legs, apart from the cuffs securing her ankles. "When I release your legs, sit down," Manon said, as she knew there was no way Rien's legs would be able to support her for a while.

As soon as the second ankle cuff was released, Rien slid down into a sitting position, the wrist cuffs probably being the only thing holding her up in that position. She was crying steadily, but offered no resistance as Manon put the ankle cuffs on her and locked them shut.

Manon was standing watching her when there was a knock on the door, and Belle poked her head in. "Miss? Everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes Belle dear, meet our new slave, Rien," Manon said. Belle just looked at her, rather like she might be a fly she was about to swat Manon thought.

"Miss, Claire and Kitty? They want to see, and if you will pardon my being so forward, I think you should let them, now that she's branded."

"Very well Belle, I am almost finished here," Manon said. "You may bring them in, but impress on them they are to be quiet. If they want to ask about anything they may do so afterwards."

"Yes miss," Belle said, and left quickly.

"Almost finished?" Rien said, hastily adding "mistress."

Belle came back, a solemn faced Claire following, holding Kitty's hand. Kitty still had her suit on, the face mask covering her so that only her eyes showed.

"Belle, help me get Rien secured over the horse here please?" Manon said, hearing a sharp intake of breath from Rien. As Belle picked the distinctly wobbly legged Rien up, and draped her over the horse, Manon explained. "Do you remember Rien, in another life when we first met, you explained once to me that you liked to whip your slaves every day, to remind them of their place?"

Manon didn't wait for a reply, she didn't want one. "Well I have found that a new slave can be taught their place well, if it is necessary at all, by doing it just once, properly. So now I am going to thrash you, not whip you, with a cane, to impress on you your new place in my household."

Rien could be heard sobbing, and then as Belle had clipped her wrist and ankle cuffs to the horse, seen to be crying as Belle turned the horse sideways on, so that Claire and Kitty could see her clearly.

Manon took one of the canes, a broad one with a little flex, and proceeded to cane Rien, from across her shoulders, all the way down her back, over her buttocks and then down her legs. She hadn't gotten very far when Rien was already screaming and begging for mercy, which wasn't forthcoming.

When she'd finished, Manon threw the cane down on the floor, and left the moaning and sobbing Rien bent over the horse, and turned to Claire and Kitty, who were looking terrified and appalled. "Go upstairs to my bedroom and wait girls, Belle and I will be up shortly." Rien's whole back and her legs were a mass of welts and rapidly colouring bruises, but Manon hadn't broken her skin anywhere.

"Get her down Belle, and up on her feet, then bring her into the cell waiting for her." Manon picked up a heavy chain and took it into the cell. A few minutes later Belle pushed Rien into the cell, not unkindly, but because she was having trouble walking.

"Sit," Manon told Rien, pointing at the bed. She did as she was ordered, wincing at the pain she no doubt felt from where she'd been caned, and Belle took the chain from Manon, locking it to Rien's collar at the back and to a heavy steel ring set in the wall, with two heavy padlocks.

"The chain is long enough to allow you access to the chamber pot," Manon said. "You will be brought food and water by one of the household staff and you may rest until tomorrow morning. Understand this Rien, you are the lowest slave in this house, so you will obey instructions from anyone at all as though they came from me."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, mistress," Rien whispered. "Good, now dress and then get some rest. One last thing Rien," Manon said, and when she looked up at Manon fear written on her face, Manon held up the arkwright key that had locked her collar and cuffs on.

And dropped it on the floor, where she ground it into pieces under her boot heel.

"You will remember how hard it is to get duplicates of those keys Rien, so your collar, cuffs and the belt are staying on, until someone cuts you out of them, which I will never do."

Leaving Rien staring at her with a shocked look on her tear stained face, Manon and Belle left the cell, locking the heavy door behind them.

Manon led Belle to the kitchen, where as she had guessed the three maids were assisting Persil with preparations for lunch.

"I'm sure you all know that we have a new slave in residence. She is not your sister, she is a prisoner and a criminal and she is not to be trusted, ever. None of you will ever have anything to do with her, unless you are accompanied by me, Belle or a guard. Am I clear?"

"Yes my lady," they all replied, even Madame Persil. "She is to be fed at the same time as we are, the same as we are please, but this lunchtime if she is asleep do not disturb her."

"Hmm," Manon said, "Romarin, I think perhaps you had best report to me this afternoon, you and I haven't finished with your bath training."

Romarin went bright red, as Sage and Thym giggled at her, and dropped Manon a curtsey. "I'll leave you with her after lunch service my lady," madame Persil said.

"Belle dear, perhaps while I give Romarin some training," Manon said, pausing as Belle giggled, "you would look after Claire and Kitty? They've had a difficult time of it recently again, and perhaps would benefit from some kindness from you? I fear I may have terrified them by what they just saw."

"Of course I will look after them my lady, but if I may? It will have done them good to see first hand what could happen to them as a slave, before they accept your brand?" Belle said.

"Lovely Belle, wise as ever. Perhaps then you could explore with them their status? A little time in the dungeon with you should do it. I confess to feeling a little impatient about branding them, I'd like to make them officially mine soon. So if they don't want to go ahead, it would be best if we found out now."

"They won't back out my lady, but I will of course do as you ask," Belle said confidently.

They went upstairs to find Kitty and Claire, who they found sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed huddled together. "Now this won't do, up you get," as she and Belle got on the bed, leaning back on the head board.

Kitty came and curled up on Manon's lap, huddled into a foetal ball with her head on Manon's shoulder, and Claire adopted the same position on Belle's lap. Kitty was still in her suit, and Claire was in one of the white shifts, which had ridden up a lot where she had climbed onto Belle, leaving her in effect naked from the waist down.

"Scared?" Manon asked. Kitty didn't say anything, just nuzzled in tighter to Manon, but Claire said "Very my lady," almost whispering.

"I won't tell you that when you are my slaves, that would never happen to you, because it might. I will tell you that you'd have to be very bad indeed to be punished like that. I was deliberately brutal to Rien, because of what she had done in the past, and because I needed to be sure she understood that she is utterly and completely at my mercy now."

"But you two are different aren't you? You already are mine, already at my mercy. So I don't need to teach that lesson to you do I? Manon asked.

That was greeted by silence, until Belle broke it, "my lady asked you a question, you'd best answer her."

"Sorry my lady," Claire said, "I do understand, I just hadn't thought of it that way before. Kitty?" she said gently prodding at her friend with a foot. "Meow," Kitty said, making Claire giggle and Manon smile.

"That's a 'Yes my lady' meow I presume?" Manon asked. "Meow," Kitty answered, wiggling into Manon and nuzzling her neck under her chin. "That will do I guess," Manon said laughing softly.

"Girls, Belle is going to look after you later. So about being punished again? While you have Belle to yourselves, I suggest you get her to tell her about the other reasons it could and will happen to you? Not like you saw today, but you know Belle and I like to do some things that are very similar, as part of our love lives?"

"Maybe if you are especially good with her this afternoon, then she might agree to show you a little of that."

That too was greeted with silence, but then both Claire and Kitty nodded, and Manon and Belle exchanged smiles and then a quick kiss.

"Well, I'm hungry," Manon announced, breaking the mood, "let's go and see how lunch is coming along." As she was leaving Manon slipped a fine chain into her pocket, she was going to need it for little Romi after lunch.

Madame Persil had emerged from her lair in the kitchen, and was supervising the three girls who were setting the table on the terrace and laying out some salads, with some chopped fruit and what looked like a vanilla cream for a dessert. That would make Belle very happy, as vanilla anything was a great favourite of hers.

"Madame Persil? Since you are here and before I forget. I'm going to have a dinner guest in a day or two, the officer commanding the guard? Could I rely on you to do something special for me for that?"

"Oh yes my lady, I'd need a day to make sure I have everything, but I can get deliveries tomorrow, and be ready the day after?" she replied. Manon chuckled, she'd yet to meet a cook who wasn't happy to have the chance to show off their skills and Persil was no exception.

"Well I'm expecting her later, so I'll confirm then that the day after tomorrow will be fine." Persil dropped a quick curtsey and disappeared off muttering to herself about mousse and islands, presumably plotting a menu.

Lunch was a slow leisurely affair, but in a very contented atmosphere. Kitty and Claire both seemed to have calmed down considerably, and the maids, though clearly a little nervous and excited, knelt prettily alongside them while Manon and Belle hand fed them all.

Just as they were about to start dessert, Janine Russell arrived, walking up onto the terrace from one side. She'd changed out of her riding clothes, and was now dressed in a white puffed sleeve blouse with beautifully embroidered dark blue waistcoat over it, dark knee breeches with white stockings to her knees, dark ankle boots with a low heel replacing her heavy over the knee riding boots.

She was still armed though, a revolver on one hip, and a sword on the other, and the top of a knife's hilt was just showing in her boot.

Bare headed now, her fair hair had lost some of its tight curl, presumably because it wasn't made sweaty by a hat any more, and she had a broad smile on her face as she bowed politely as Manon greeted her.

"My lady, I fear I am interrupting," she said, smiling at the scene before her.

"Not all," Manon said, kicking Belle under the table who was chuckling to herself. "In fact, please join us, and perhaps you'd help Belle and me feed these lovely young things?"

Two little pink spots appeared on Janine's cheeks as she blushed a bit, but she smiled even more broadly, "If you are sure my lady, I'd be delighted to assist."

"Then please come and sit," Manon said. "Girls this is Cornet Russell, the officer in charge of our guards," Manon said. "You may introduce yourselves if she is kind enough to offer you something to eat."

"Janine they don't bite, at least not normally," Manon added hastily as Kitty hissed and growled, warily watching Janine.

"Perhaps I'd best introduce Kitty," Manon said, as Janine laughed. "She's not always good with words."

"A more unusual and charming cat I have never seen," she said, holding a hand out to Kitty as she sat down. Kitty studied it for a moment, before cautiously stretching out to sniff at her, and then apparently deciding she liked Janine started to rub her cheeks hard on her hand, before sitting on her haunches next to her and opening her mouth wide.

"Just like every pretty cat I've known," Janine said, grinning, "knows her own mind and tells you about it," as she picked up a slice of fresh peach and carefully held it out to Kitty who took it daintily from her, before licking Janine's fingers clean.

"Oh my," Manon heard Janine say under breath, shortly before she was charmingly mobbed by the other four girls, all vying for her attention and introducing themselves as one by one Janine fed them.

Things calmed down a bit after that, and the girls were fed by all three of them, until all the fruit had been eaten and Belle had happily disposed of the remaining vanilla cream. She'd had to fight Kitty off who made persistent attempts to push her face into the bowl and lick it up, making everyone laugh.

"Belle, Janine wants to inspect the house and gardens, so I will take Romi with me and accompany her, before retiring for a rest. You and the other girls may do what you will, but please check on Rien from time to time, and don't disturb me later?"

"Yes my lady," Belle answered grinning as she set the other four girls into motion, clearing the table. Romi stayed kneeling next to Manon, trying to sit still but not doing very well, as she was obviously nervous and a little excited.

"Rien my lady?" Janine asked, puzzled.

"Romi stand up and put your arms up," Manon said, lifting Romi's shift over her head and leaving her naked and blushing in front of Janine. "The outlaw once known as Cecile. I branded her this morning and made her my slave, Rien," Manon said replying to Janine."

"Hands behind your back Romi," Manon said, and clipped the girl's wrists cuffs together behind her, "and turn around now," she added, clipping the chain to her collar and pulling it down to get her to kneel again.

"Good girl," Manon said, stroking her arms. Janine had watched this closely, the two pink spots appearing on her cheeks again as she blushed.

"She's lovely," Janine said. "That she is," Manon said. "She's also very new to personal service, so when you and I are done, I'm going to give her some more training," Manon said, amused to see both Janine and Romi give almost identical shivers.

"Romi, be quiet and just follow along," Manon said, "shall we? Where would you like to go?" she asked Janine.

"I've walked the circuit of the house on the outside my lady, so if we could perhaps start upstairs and work our way down?" she asked.

"Certainly, you lead and we will follow on," Manon said. Janine led them up into the attic rooms, walking the length of the dusty attic and back again. Manon left Romi at the door, worried that the rough looking floorboards would hurt her bare feet.

"Tell me about yourself Janine, I didn't know Eric had family," Manon said.

"Ah well, my lady, in a manner of speaking he doesn't. He and his wife never had children and he's an only child, though he does have half siblings," Janine said, testing the window shutters and their locks.

"Sorry?" Manon said.

"Oh, I thought you would have guessed my lady, I beg your pardon. Eric isn't my real uncle I just call him that. I was a street rat, still am according to some. I was an informant and a runner for him in his previous life my lady, I know you know about that."

"Anyway, he took a liking to me for some reason, and sent me to school, paid for it and everything, and then sponsored me to join the Academy, the equivalent of your Sandhurst."

"I see, well you seem to have done well yourself Janine," Manon said, as they made their way down stairs from the attic, Romarin being led carefully down the steep stairs by her leash.