Manon and Belle Pt. 15

Manon and Belle, Part 15

Manon had sent a message the previous day to ask that a suite be made available for her and Belle at the same hotel they had stayed at before, and found it ready for them when they arrived in the City. It was a different suite than before, a little smaller with only the one bedroom. But it had a small sitting room and a nice bathroom so was more than adequate.

Eric Du Valle was nowhere to be seen, which in view of the sombre news they got as they arrived wasn't a surprise to Manon.

The Duke, Eric's half brother, had died from his wounds that morning, and the atmosphere in the city was bewildered and tense. The Duke's heir, Richard wasn't very popular, not least as unusually he was a devoted catholic, which wasn't the real issue. It was that he held to some fairly extreme views with it, and had spoken out against everything from same sex relationships to women having jobs outside the home.

He had spent a year in Poland as a young man, in the way that nobles were often sent to other courts, and it was popularly believed that his strict ways started there. The Poles, almost uniquely in Europe, had no women in public life at all, and outside the poorest families they weren't often seen outside of their family homes and then often only when escorted by a husband, father or brother.

His extreme views had been a source of much disagreement with his late father, to the extent that Richard had in effect set up a rival court of his own. Manon's knowledge of him was very limited, the wardrobe had never managed to gather much intelligence on him, and given that Aquitaine was England's staunchest ally against the French, they had tried. Poland wasn't a friend to the English Crown, in reality it was more hostile than diplomatic niceties would have you believe, and was very much a wild card in European politics The Polish influence on the heir to the Duke had been a considerable worry to English policy makers.

So apart from genuine grief at the death of both his parents, and anger at how they had been inexplicably attacked, there was no little nervousness amongst the citizens of Bordeaux about how the new Duke Richard the Ninth might change things.

Manon and Belle had just got settled into their room, most of their luggage had been sent ahead the day before, when Belle answered the door to a quiet knock. A bell boy delivered a note, addressed to Manon. Belle stood behind her and read over her shoulder at the same time as Manon.

"I will not waste time on pleasantries, as there can be none between us.

I have forgone revenge on you all this time, but now that you have severely interfered with my plans, I am going to enjoy tearing you down.

Only after everything and everyone you hold dear has been brought to ruin, will you and I meet.

Stephanie"

"Miss? Who on earth is Stephanie?" Belle asked.

"I have no idea Belle, but it seems we have annoyed her, presumably by what has happened with the Dumains," Manon said thoughtfully. "Belle dear, go and see if you can find out anything about who delivered this note to the hotel? And Belle, we stay armed at all times."

"Yes miss," Belle said and slipped out of the room. Belle returned a few minutes later, having found out nothing useful. The note had been delivered by a street child, who was still outside the hotel when Belle went to look. He'd been slipped a few coins by someone he was quite unable to remember to deliver the note.

Manon and Belle spent a restless night again, both of them finding sleep elusive, so after breakfast the next morning, they went to find Captain Harris and the crew of the Ruby. Beth deserved news of the death of her friends to come in person.

They found that the crew were still quartered at the same boarding house, but were mostly down at the docks, so they walked on there. The crew were busy sorting stores and materials intended for their new ship, that was expected next week, having rented a small dockside warehouse. Travers gave them a surprisingly warm welcome, for her anyway, as she grinned for at least a second at them when she saw Manon.

"Bosun," Manon said, getting a wince in return. Clearly her new rank still wasn't popular with her. "We need to see the Captain please? And if possible Beth, Poppy and Jen as well. I've news they need to hear, and I'd rather not have to go over it twice."

"Not good then," Travers said. "The office up there?" Travers said. "Captain and First Lieutenant Carter are there, I'll round up the others and bring them." Manon thanked her and led Belle up to the office.

The Captain and her newly promoted wife, Tess Carter, were both pleasingly happy to see them, though when Manon gave them a short account of why they were there, that turned sombre quickly.

Travers brought the others in, and to her surprise Manon saw Melissa hovering outside, she'd apparently been with Beth. "Melissa, if the Captain doesn't mind, you should hear this too," Manon said, and the Captain waved the girl in. She went and stood by Beth's side, and her hand slipped into Beth's as they waited.

Melissa's hair had been cut very short, shaped close to her head with a lick in front of each ear. It quite altered the way she looked, somehow making her seem both younger and harder at the same time, but Manon decided she quite liked it.

Pulling her thoughts together, Manon told everyone about the attack on the Château, and that both Claire and Kitty had been murdered in the course of it, leaving out the grisly details. Beth, usually so stoic and calm, sank to her knees crying, as Melissa hugged her. Poppy and Jen just cried quietly, hugging each other.

"Beth, if there was anything I could have done to save them, I would have done it," Manon said. "I'm so sorry, they deserved much better than that."

Beth stood up, visibly collecting herself. "My lady," she said, looking at Manon, "you forget I have seen you bleed defending others, rescuing Poppy and Jen. I know that if anything could have been done for them, you would have done it."

"Thank you for that Beth. It was my job to look after them, and the others at the Château who died, and I failed at it," Manon said, a wave of bitterness twisting in her gut. "If you get permission Beth, Belle and I can take you to where they are buried if you like. Just send word to me."

Beth nodded silently at her, tears running silently down her face.

Everyone stayed quiet then for a while, there seemed to be nothing to say.

"Captain?" Manon said, breaking the silence, "what news of your new ship?"

"Our new ship my lady," the Captain corrected her, "you own as much of her as I do. She's due here any day now. We'll need to look her over, and perhaps have some work done, but I don't expect there to be much. Crew to find possibly and then we can set about finding a cargo or two."

"Good, well I hope the handover goes smoothly. If there's anything you need me for, I'm staying at the hotel again," Manon said.

"Thank you my lady, I'll bear that in mind. Perhaps you'd do me a small service as well then milady?" Manon nodded at her.

"Beth was branded two days ago, and is now officially ship's girl. I allowed Melissa to stay with her today, but she's due back at the hotel, perhaps you'd escort her? I'm reluctant given all these goings on to have anyone on their own."

"Be happy to Captain," Manon said. "Melissa, say your goodbyes and wait for me outside?"

"Captain, I'm pleased to hear you are being cautious. I don't know what we seem to have stirred up, but I doubt I am done with it, whatever it is. After the slaughter of innocents at the Château, we are being cautious as well. As soon as Sir James returns, which hopefully he will soon, I intend finding out what this is all about."

They walked back to the Hotel with Melissa, who was very quiet. "I would like to talk with Eric Melissa, can you get word to him for me?" Manon said.

"I've not seen him in days miss," Melissa replied, "but I'll tell him when I do. Umm, miss? Can I stay with you and Belle? I don't want to be on my own, and everything at the hotel is very odd."

"Yes dear, you can. Eric told you that you were assigned to us for as long as we were at the hotel, so let's just say that instruction is still in force. If anyone wonders about you at the Hotel, just tell them that and refer them to me."

"Thank you miss," Melissa replied quietly.

"Now, when we get back there, I want you to see whoever you have to get some things for me? I want the punishment cross to be set up in my room, as soon as it can be arranged." Melissa and Belle exchanged glances, but didn't say anything, and Manon was in no mood for explaining.

Manon told Belle to supervise the cross being set up when it arrived, and sent Melissa to run a bath. "Melissa dear, you remember the rules, you are to be be naked in our rooms unless I tell you otherwise," Manon said, and the girl nodded and ran off into the bathroom, already pulling at her clothes.

"Me too miss?" Belle asked. "No not for now Belle dear, I need you to do something else for me. You could strip to your underwear though once the cross is here. Then bring two sets of restraints to us in the bathroom, gags and hoods as well, once I've had a soak and a chat with Melissa."

Belle gave her a long look, but just said "yes miss," quietly. Melissa had left her collar on, the heavy leather one that was the hotel's, but Manon took that off, leaving the girl naked. "Still very beautiful," Manon said, getting a quick smile from her.

"Now undress me, and then get into the bath with me, I want you to make sure I'm pink and clean all over," Manon told her. Melissa expertly did as she'd been told, giggling slightly when Manon bent over and told her to make sure that her arse was properly clean, and then they lay in the bath together, Melissa resting back on Manon.

They could hear the sounds of people talking and moving about coming from the sitting room, as the hotel staff set the cross up, but Manon pointedly ignored it, despite Melissa's obvious nervousness.

Belle came in, uncharacteristically knocking first, probably because she suspected what Manon intended and didn't like it. She had stripped to her underwear, though she'd put clean things on.

With a clatter she set down all the restraints, and Manon saw that she really had guessed, as there was a butt plug and a set of clamps on chains, that would link nipples with a third clip that would go on the wearer's vagina.

"Thank you Belle. Out you get Melissa, Belle will dry you and put your chains on. No, don't look so worried, nothing else is going to happen to you," Manon said, seeing Melissa was close to tears.

"Miss?" Melissa asked.

"Hush girl, I'll explain in a minute," Manon said, and closed her eyes and lay back in the cooling water.

"Done," Belle said after a little while. Melissa had her wrists cuffed in front of her, with a chain linking them to her new collar and her ankle cuffs. She had a panel gag buckled around her face, and was looking wide eyed at Manon.

Manon stepped out of the bath. "Belle, until tomorrow morning, you are in charge of both of us. Melissa dear, you will do whatever Belle tells you, without question, you understand?" Melissa nodded.

Belle looked decidedly rebellious, which got worse when Manon knelt on the bathroom floor in front of her, water still dripping from her body. "Belle, I know you don't want to do this, but I am ordering you to. More than that my darling, I need you to do this for me, you understand?"

Reluctantly Belle nodded, "yes miss."

Manon let out a long sigh, pleased. "Please Miss Belle, I'm reporting for punishment," Manon said, looking down at Belle's feet.

"Look up at me girl," Belle ordered. "Tell me why you are here girl," Belle said.

"I failed in my duties miss," Manon said. "It was my duty to protect Claire, Kitty, Romarin," Manon went on, her voice cracking a little, "Sage,Thym and Madame Persil. And I failed them all miss, and because of that they all died."

"I see, that is a terrible failure girl. What is your punishment to be?" Belle asked.

"Whatever you decide of course Miss Belle, but my lady told me I would be beaten with a tawse, whipped and caned repeatedly as a minimum, and used by you and this other slave in whatever way you see fit," Manon said.

Melissa squeaked behind her gag, but Belle shushed her, without talking her eyes off Manon. "Very well then girl, let's begin. Stand up and do not speak unless you're spoken to from now on."

"Yes miss," Manon replied, getting an immediate hard slap across the face from Belle, rather as she expected.

"That's a strange form of silence girl," Belle said. "Melissa, go and kneel by the cross in the other room and wait for me." Melissa left quickly.

Belle started to restrain Manon. She put the ankle cuffs on first, then the wrist cuffs and the collar. "No safe words?" Belle asked, "you may answer."

"No miss," Manon answered. Belle sighed heavily.

"Very well then. I don't want to do this, and I don't think it is necessary, but I know you need it anyway, so I will do this properly. Open wide," Belle said.

Manon did as she was told and Belle pushed a large gag into her mouth, the plug was so long and fat it was almost making Manon gag and filled her mouth, forcing her mouth to stretch open painfully. Once it was buckled on, Belle pulled a discipline hood over Manon's face, tying it tightly at the back on her head, plunging her into darkness and muffling her hearing.

Manon felt a chain lead being attached to her collar then, and with a sharp tug followed Belle out of the bathroom. She was left standing then, and heard Belle talking to Melissa.

"Now, this girl is going to be punished Melissa, beyond anything you have seen so far from us. This is why you are gagged, so that you don't interfere or cry out, you understand?"

"If you do interference in anyway, you will be punished too, but if you do as you are told when you are told, all will be well. Now get a cushion and put it on the floor where you can kneel and watch," Belle said.

"Bend over girl," Manon heard Belle say, a hand pushing on the small of her back leaving no doubt the order was meant for her. "Stay still," Belle said, slapping Manon on the bum hard. Manon felt a cold liquid running down her arse crack and then a finger spread it over her anus before it withdrew.

Manon groaned quietly into the gag as the butt plug was pushed into her without any preamble, Belle pushing hard until it was in as far as it would go. Another slap on her bum and a command of "up" from Belle saw Manon stand, wincing slightly in discomfort as the plug inside her shifted. It was as large as anything she'd ever been penetrated by, and was very uncomfortable.

Manon felt a sharp tug on the leash, and she followed, and knew where she was when Belle lifted her wrist up and out from her body and fastened it to one arm of the cross. After a moment her other arm was pulled out and over as well, before it too was fastened in position.

She was stretched really tightly, the strain on her shoulders was noticeable already, but then her leg was kicked outwards, and her ankle was tied down, before the same thing was done to her other leg. Now she was really straining. Her legs were so far apart that the stretch was burning in her leg muscles, pulling at her inner thighs, and she had to stand on the balls of her feet to relieve the strain on her arms.

In short it was perfect. Belle knew her business, and had stretched her lover out like she was an insect pinned to a board. The restraint was completed when a strap was fastened around Manon's head, holding her face tight against the padding of the cross and preventing her from moving her head at all.

Manon's stomach curdled when she heard Belle talking to Melissa. "I'm going to flog her first, all over, but not very hard ot too long. It will make her skin pink and sensitive, so she'll feel what happens later even more."

Manon waited, tense and nervous for Belle to start, but nothing happened for what seemed like ages, but then she felt the tails of a flogger being gently run down her back, tickling her and making her groan. It stopped and then Manon felt it flick out and slap across her bum. Another pause, and the tails were trailed over her shoulders and down her sides, before another snap of the tails across her calves this time.

Apparently Belle tired of teasing Manon, as after that the blows started to land regularly, as Belle started to flog her from her shoulders down. Once she'd flogged down both Manon's legs, right down over her heels, she stopped.

"Just warming up," Belle whispered in Manon's ears, running her fingernails down Manon's back making her wriggle, or at any rate try to, to get away from the sharp scratch of it on her sensitive skin.

Then pain exploded across Manon's back, just on her waist, the resounding slapping noise alone telling her that Belle was using the tawse. The next strike was high up on Manon's shoulders, only just short of her neck, and then Belle methodically worked her way down Manon's back and over her bum, as Manon screamed into the gag as her whole back ignited.

As Belle worked down her legs individually, not showing any mercy to the soft sensitive skin on the back of Manon's legs, Manon panted and gasped for air, screaming impotently one moment before desperately trying to suck enough air in through her nose the next, despite the snot that was running freely from it as she cried and howled in pain.

There was a pause then, as Manon felt the gag being loosened and taken out. "Let her drink, only slowly mind," Belle said, and Manon gratefully sucked in sips of cool water. A wet flannel wiped her mouth and nose then, before the gag was forced back into her mouth and pulled tight again.

"Stay still girl," Belle said, "Melissa, last warning, if you interfere again, I will spank you until you can't sit for a week," Manon heard Belle say. Manon braced herself then, as she knew what was next, the cane.

"And so we begin again," Belle said, and started to methodically cane Manon from her neck down to and over her feet. Over stimulated already, and over much more sensitive skin, Manon screamed her pain along with her rage and grief into the gag.

When it stopped, Manon could feel the pain burning through her still, just as though she was still being beaten. Instead she felt her head, wrists and then her ankles being released, and she was supported as she was turned around, her back being pushed against the cross. She winced at the pain that flared as she was pressed back, which flared again just as it had been settling to something between a low burn and a throbbing ache.

"Tie her ankles," Belle said, and held Manon up, while Manon felt Melissa tying her ankle cuffs to the cross. Holding Manon up by pressing her back to the cross with her body, Manon could feel the warmth of Belle's skin on her tummy and chest, as first one and then the second wrist cuff was tied to the cross.

Belle untied the hood at the back of Manon's head, making her blink in the sudden light, while the strap was done up around her forehead, holding her head back against the cross again.

Across the room, Belle had at some point stripped naked, and was undoing Melissa's gag. Melissa was kneeling in front of Belle, her face stained with tear tracks. Belle removed Melissa's gag, and said "Stay there girl," pointing at the cushion. "If you are quiet, and good, I won't gag you again."

"Yes miss," Melissa answered quietly, returning to kneel on her cushion. Belle knelt and picked up the nipple clamps with their ominous extra clamp dangling from a chain, making Manon wince in anticipated pain.

"You see Melissa," Belle said conversationally, as she fixed Manon with a look while she stood holding the clamps, "Manon here, my darling love, my mistress, is complicated. So all this is happening because she needs pain to atone for what she sees as her failings. Do you understand?"