Mantua - A Man's World Ch. 03

"That depends on the man, of course. Some solitary-minded men, like Tomas over there, prefer living alone without women while wealthy men can have dozens. I hear the Proconsul in Janus City has hundreds of girls in his harem."

Looking at the woman's dowdy dress, Skyann asked, "But you're not in a harem now?"

"Of course not. Once a woman passes breeding age, her mentor usually releases her from the harem and takes on a younger woman. Some women are lucky and are kept on for life. However, many of us have useful skills, even if only cooking or cleaning. I was always a good potter so I do alright. Some women do well but others who cannot get by are taken up by the city and end up doing lowly jobs like street cleaning in return for a dormitory bed and food."

"It's equal where I am from -- half boys, half girls," Skyann said. How different this society was with such a gender imbalance. Again, the woman stared at her, amazed at what Skyann was saying.

"But what if a woman wants to leave a harem or go to another man's -- can she?" asked Skyann.

"Of course, if her mentor permits it. But most men allow women to leave as who wants to keep a miserable woman around when there are so many more available? So most mentors look after their harem well because otherwise they wouldn't have one. That said, sometimes it's necessary for a mentor to discipline his women. When I was younger, I was a right little troublemaker and got a fair few spankings. I deserved them, though," she finished with a smile.

"Didn't you mind?" Skyann asked.

"He had to correct my behavior," The woman sighed, "It is the way things have always been." She looked around and lowered her voice, "But some of us are trying to change things a little. We reach out to young women in harems and encourage them to think ahead to learn useful skills so they can look after themselves rather than relying on their man to provide for them."

Skyann thanked the woman and carried on shopping but her head was filled with troubling thoughts and she only questioned a few other women about off world interaction. When she got back to the Inn it was still light and she decided to eat alone in the room rather than with those sexist boors and their downtrodden harem girls in the courtyard. She thought they had gathered enough data and decided to request an early extraction but she could not find the communicator and decided that Colfax must have taken it. That decided her. She would have to assert her authority when that man got back.

Also, she was bothered about the way she had behaved by dancing so lewdly last night. Was this strange world of Mantua with its hormone laden air getting to her? There was no sign of that fool Quarter-Captain Jason Colfax so she lay back on the bed, slid her thong down to her knees and slipped her fingers into her sex. She was shocked and surprised by how wet she was, how her secretions were flowing freely. Was that because of this world's warmth? Was that really down to her whorish outfit? To those pheromones swirling in this planet's atmosphere? Or, deep down, was she really so desirous of a strong man to take her under control? Was she really that weak? Or was that some deep-seated need within her psyche?

She checked the door was shut and took off the rest of her scanty clothes and lay back on the sheets. Whatever the reason was, she was a woman and had her own needs and they had to be dealt with. With her left hand, she pinched and tweaked her nipples until they stood out in twin peaks. With her right, she slipped her hand between her legs and opened her slit. She was surprised at how dewy she was down there. She couldn't recall ever being so turned on. Her fingers found her vagina and she slipped two digits into her hot, wet canal, bringing out her own lubrication. She slipped past the dimple of her tiny pee-hole and up to her throbbing clitoris. She imagined a strong man taking her under his wing; a man with a thick, hard cock all ready for her. Skyann lay back dreamily and circled her swollen bud; faster and faster and faster, swirling around her engorged clit until with a muffled cry she came, her back surging upwards, her juices overflowing over her fingers. Now, she felt so relaxed and temporarily at peace. With a little smile on her face, she turned and lay on her side and within a few minutes, her breathing slowed and deepened as she sank into sleep.

When Jason Colfax staggered in from his revels late that night, he looked down at Skyann as she lay sleeping on the bed. She lay on her side, her knees drawn up, one hand near her face, the other between her legs. She looked so peaceful and content with a little smile on her face. He smiled at the aroma of female arousal lingering on the sheets then undressed and got in beside her.