Queendom 08: Poppetry

"Let's leave it for now, Lady Agrafena. What is next?"

Bella smiled, pushing the file to the side.

"Let's start with the trigger, my Queen. How about erotic nightmares? You said there were plenty these past weeks. And the dream journal you gave me last week, it was pretty.. colorful. Multiple hands, overall darkness, and genuine helplessness were reccuring themes.. Is it something along the lines of sexual vulnerability, like being toyed at the hands of enemy troops? Being a war prisoner perhaps?"

"That's too personal and subjective, to suit a Queen, Bella. For a woman, surely. At the brink of sexual vulnerability, the perpetrator is the enemy, on all counts, regardless his class or creed."

"You mean, it's not so, for a Queen?!" That's interesting. Bella expected more of a raise, throwing the imagery of the Queen, at the mercy of arrogant enemy troops. Particularly considering there were no rules binding such extreme scenarios. Elanor clarified.

"Depends on what you mean by vulnerability, and more importantly how you define the enemy. There are intricacies, Bella, that even renders the Queen vulnerable, to rightful punishment. If a common maid is sentenced to be whipped bare in public, regardless her culpability, it is understandable, if she were to treat the roaring crowds and the flagellant, like her sworn enemy. It's expected of her, to curse them as she endure the public humiliation. But for a Queen.."

"I don't understand, Her Highness. A Queen, to be publicly shamed.?!"

Bella scratched her head. Maybe I should've read up, a bit more. Elanor explained.

"There are ancient codes that govern all our conduct, Bella. Especially that of the ruling monarch. The kind that's cold and harsh, enough to balance the immense power that weighs the throne, with a feather-touch. For instance, if a Queen is found guilty of conspiring against her King, she is not beyond being forced into the 'Walk of Shame and Penance'. Meaning walking the streets clad in dirty piss-soaked linen, subject to the hurling insults of the worst of the commoners. And unlike a common maid, a Queenly conduct is expected of her, regardless how harsh the crowd gets. She is to accept it her responsibility, to take in silent subservience, whatever comes as part of the punishment. And it applies to the whole blue-blood."

"That's... That is barbaric!"

"No, Bella. It is the very codex that underpins everything we hold fundamental. No one is beyond humbling, not even the King. The rest of the Kingdoms may have long-discarded the ancient practices, but our Noxtran-brothers follows some of the weirdest customs to this very day. For instance, it is mandatory for the King, on the final day of the Harvest Festival, to be subjected to his people at the fort-gates, and whipped to fifty on bare-back, while he confess the misgivings in his administration the past year. And although its largely ritualistic, with the crowds playing fair, the whipping in itself is as harsh as it gets. The customs of the old stays true for a reason Bella. Even in disagreement, I do see its point. Humbling is a way of balancing the power, particularly the unwieldy kind.!"

"Well, I believe a bit more time and research is required, for re-working the contract. I'll get it to you by next week, Highness."

"Oh, does that mean the scheduling has changed.?"

There was that worry in her voice again. Elanor didn't want anymore pause in the treatment. She could actually feel the blissful remnants, of her last outing, wane by each passing day.

"We proceed as planned Her Highness. Meet me by the back entrance. I'll send a letter detailing the dress-code by the evening. I understand you've a tight day ahead, so I won't cut into much of it."

"Wait, Bella.." Elanor suddenly realized she got very little in answers so far.

"I understand that you aren't required to disclose. Could you at least clue me in a bit, with regards to the nature of the task, tomorrow."

"Sure, Highness. And it's merely a preparatory task. An intense training session, if I may. Just a hint, though. Operation Celine..?! Ring any bells??"

The Queen stared back, blank. Surely she remembered the name, in some reports about a secret surveillance operation. Domestic espionage, that's Scarlin's cup of tea. What's with Bella, citing Scarlin, again and again?

"How about this? On the day went to Lady Adriana.. Remember me giving you a choice midway..? Whether to take left or right, at the intersection?"

Elanor nodded in affirmation. It had felt odd at the time, like Bella had multiple tasks at hand early on. With that familiar smile, Bella continued.

"Knowing our approach, and these tasks.. Imagine where we'd have ended up, had you chosen to turn left..?"

That did the trick. It all clicked together in Elanor's head. The left turn from the main intersection, if you go past the market street.. The place where the the pretend-moralists amongst the nobility flock to, once dusk sets in. The cradle of 'Operation Celine.' But such a place..? For a one-time task, maybe. But to have regular visits, with the risks involved..? Are you sure, Bella.?

For once, Bella was pleased to see the turmoil in her Queen's eyes. The kind she preferred in her obedient Demura.

"We'll leave early. Be ready, Highness"

***

**

*

Roped to Train

"Greetings, Lady Agrafena.. We're honored for the Head of Households taking an interest in our oversight."

Said the unusually mirthy voice. Bellatrix returned the bow.

"I'm merely doing my duty. Rossetta, right?"

"Queen's guard Roussetta, at your service, Lady. I must say, I was surprised by your suggestion. In-person oversight, that too twice a month. That's more imperial attention we've gotten in a decade. The royal seal almost gave me a heartache, fearing if the Queen herself would make an appearance.!"

Well, she's here anyhow. Elanor smirked inside, as she largely stuck to Bella's shadow. She was impressed with the greater care her employee put in this time around. While seeming over-complicated at first glance, in light of recent events she knew there was no taking cover once they had started the ball rolling. Any and all privacy measures had to be done well, even if it meant double the effort. And yes, the bulk of the effort was taken by Bella, it was her job after all. All that was asked of Elanor was a strict adherence to the set plan.

It wasn't hard for Bella to arrange for a spot for them, alongside the nuns who made weekly trips to the morally wretched corners of the town, evangelizing belief back to the downtrodden minds in the nutshell. More than the imperial influence of the Head of Households, it was the personal connections, from growing up in the orphanage, that helped her negotiate effectively with the relatively young and ambitious abbess, who had fallen out of favors with the clergy, and was in desperate need of funding. Again, money played a role, but not nearly as much as the good faith Bella managed to establish with her.

Which is how the Queen found herself dressed in the monotonous religious habit, repeating the chants as she walked down the hallways of the most reputed brothel of Wolkenshire, the once-proud Heavensworth Manor. Both lecherous men and working prostitutes parted their way and the habit followed the lead of the young abbess, reciting religious verses as the thick white incense from her swinging thurible forced them out of stupor, and reconsider their moral priorities. The Madam stood by the side and watched, not enthusiastic about turning off her customers, but not too irritated as well. As far as she knew, it only helped weed the crowd, giving an out to the cheap ones. The ones with too loose a purse would always return the same night, once free from the grip of moral ambiguity, and those often turn out to be the best spenders.

The fact that both the working girls and the paying men had a hard time meeting the nuns' gaze provided Bella and her employer with enough of an opportunity to stay undetected, and to sneak away once they reached the corridor that led to the infamous surveillance pod. But even Bella was surprised to see another working girl, Roussetta within, as she had been expecting an ordinary operator. This girl was so pretty, and so innocent looking. Roussetta said.

"Please forgive the mess, but it isn't everyday you receive notice for an inspection. Pretty much unheard of, really. Am I in trouble?"

Bella said walking past, as the Queen followed.

"Why worry, Roussetta.? As long as everything's by the book, there's nothing to worry about, I suppose.."

There was an inherent mock in her voice, one that was hard to mask. One that Rousetta had gotten used to, from their internal meetings, every time she had to explain her duties. But it was one thing to get the smirk, from a greying old brass, up-top. It coming from another girl, much younger than herself.. It hit differently. Hiding the embarrassment, Rousetta answered.

"Well, you must understand Lady Agrafena.. Mist your predecessor's considered this project an overindulgence, regardless the results, saving the Kingdom at crucial moments. Some even actively tried to shut us down, citing our existence to be an exercise in perversion. And, about the Queen.. Well, you can imagine. It's one thing to explain it to a King. But to a Queen.."

"You mean, to a woman.."

"Not just any woman, Lady. The quintessential symbol of feminine epitome, the Queen of Wolkenshire. Her being the true ruling monarch, only adds to it.."

Elanor looked around what this place meant. And what it had in store for her. With her cursory knowledge, Heavensworth is the last place she expected for its implementation. What sort of secrets were they interested in uncovering, exactly, given the nature of the location.

"Shall I start the tour then?"

"Just a brief one will do, Rousetta. We're already short on time. Demura, go ahead and familiarize the inner chamber."

"This way.."

Rousetta noticed the timid maiden step aside from Bellatrix, and walk towards the chamber, after bowing her way. Something felt off about this one, the poise with which she bowed. Indicative of a noble upbringing. Unlike Lady Agrafena, or herself.

Walking into the uniquely structured room, Elanor could hear the girl go on, about the history of the place. It was an unusually cold, tall and hexagonal, with really old large stone brick walls, much like the signature hexagonal pattern repeated throughout the manor, making it architecturally unique. The bricks directly at her eye-level, however, seemed to be a later addition, like a permanently boarded up window. The placement of widows too seemed odd to the Queen, to have windows for an inner chamber. What confused her initially was the metal pipes coming from each wall, all connecting at the main hub, on the long wide table, built to match a quarter of the hexagonal layout. She could still hear Rousetta from the other room.

"It was in the imperial confiscation of the Second Fleishian war, under King Novius, that we found these secret chambers. Lord Heavensworth, the original master of the manor, had gifted it to his favorite mistress, Madame Gaul, the first madame of the brothel-house. Heavensworth himself was a famed lover, an odd combination, of notorious philanderer, and heartthrob of the noble maidens. His estate continued to receive a share of profits from the house. And it wasn't a surprise, considering his appetite, finding these secret peek-holes, directed at the playrooms."

"But don't you find it odd..? King Novius, the infamous puritan, exploiting something so inherently perverse.?"

Bella was genuinely curious. She might have been read up on a bit more history, while researching unusual royal precedence, for the upcoming contract amends.

"That's very insightful, Lady Agrafena.."

Roussetta nodded in agreement, as she continued.

"King Novius wanted to reform the place, but the espionage wing convinced him what a goldmine of information it could actually be. And to his credit, he was open-minded. That, and the abundance of conspiring rebels, forcing his hand. He was adamant however, in his puritanical ways, destroying all the two-way mirrors used to observe the licentiousness. The surveillance was to stay strictly auditory."

"Still Roussetta.. We are talking about the man who laid the cornerstone of the Cathedral. The very first one to be blessed by both the Bishops. It's hard to believe he'd.."

"Well, there's one thing, Lady Agrafena. An espionage legend we juniors jock about all the time. King Novius had vehemently opposed the then General Jesep, who later designed this whole apparatus. But the King wasn't without his vices. Every once in a while, he spends a night wih his secret mistress, the aforemantined vice. And this one night in point.. must have been an amazing sesion, because he found himself boasting off about the battle plan, his genius suggestions, in an attempt to impress her. The same plan, that the General had reminded him at dinner, to keep close to his heart. And this was a woman who'd bend over backwards to please his every whim. Incredibly out of character for him to act so boastful, not to mention.."

"So, that reminded him of the soft-spots of pillow-talk. Hehe.. That's a good story. Plausible, I'd say."

Bella chuckled.

"Well wait till you hear this. Just as it sparked in his mind, he got up, took a drink, and immediately got dressed. Which confused the poor lass... I mean, there's no worse place than the bad graces of your King. But thankfully Novius wasn't mad. If anything he was impressed. And it is said, as he kissed her good bye, he whispers to the scared, blushing maiden. Tell your husband. If he names the project after you, consider it approved..! Class act, huh?"

"Operation Celine! You don't mean.. Oh, I thought it was a terribly misspelled anagram for 'listen'. Wait, you mean to say the husband.."

"The same. General Jesep. Like I side, the worst place to be is beyond the King's good graces. Jesep was a strange man, and the Celine was known to be wild. I don't understand those people, be it values or motivations. But I'm grateful of the job..!"

Nodding alng, Bella couldn't help but think. I sure hope I don't end up clinging to such logic, to justify all this. I don't won't to end up in such a legend. And I sure hope the same for Nora.

Elanor kept looking around the strange contraptions. Some of those made no sense, dome even looked freshly installed. There were a few strategically placed hooks, and pulley systems, that in common sense, had no place in a surveillance set up. There was a box of what looked like wooden pegs, clips that her maids used to hang dry flimsy clothing. Only these looked well-crafted, custom-made even. Especially with the rubber-coated teeth, probably to prevent damage to expensive fabric. And the additional spring mechanism, acting as a stop-gap, at its pivot, made zero sense.

Curious, she took out one and attached it to her left pinky. It had a soft, yet surprisingly firm grip, the rubber shielding her skin of any impressions. Look at that! The Queen marveled. The design made it almost impossible for the teeth to properly bite, with that unique spring in between. What an unusually over-engineered accessory?! She scoffed, noticing the tiny bronze hook hanging on the other side, tied to the spring. Curious still, her right hand gave it a tight tug, and.. Ouch!! Her eyes instantly welled up, as a muffled squeal struggled through her tight lips. The tug pulled the spring, and the wooden teeth dug into her soft flesh, like some exotic fish mid-frenzy.

Bella heard the gasp coming from the other room, but chose to ignore, as the girl explained to her the surveillance records. Queen looked around at a familiar scent, and found a ball of thread. Jute thread, dipped and sun-dried in processed sap, for improved tensegrity. Same as they used in bow-strings. These sure take a long time to break. No place in surveillance, still. Then she saw it, bundled at the far corner, as her fingers caressed her biceps, as if to rub off an impression from memory. A very familiar bundle of thick, white rope. The kind that had always left her, with fond memories, every time she was left tied up.

Okay, now that makes sense.The Queen realized the obvious, finally. These aren't surveillance aids, but Bella's toys and tools, for the day. Did she come in early, to set this all up? That is unlikely.

It took her a while, longer than anticipated, to send Roussetta away. The girl just kept on talking and talking, with her innate enthusiasm, but somewhere alongside Bella began getting the feeling that she was gathering information. Every answer of her ended in a question, in a different tangent, forcing Bella to give something, simply to lead the conversation to its natural conclusion. She was very mindful, however, to not slipping up, with regards to what she shared.

Securing the room from inside, Bella changed from the thick black nun's habit, into a more comfortable simple shift. She was pleasantly surprised as she walked into the inner chamber. Sitting on her knees, on the cold stone floor, was the Queen of Wolkenshire, with her rear to the door, wearing nothing but her sweat and scent. Her wrists crossed each other, resting by the small of her back, signifying her willingness to be bound. On the floor to her left was a bundle of thick white rope, the kind Bella used to restrain her Queen, in her own chamber, for so many nights. Elanor used to hate this part, as she recalled. But now she sat here, like an compliant little pet. A sub deserving her Mistress's attention. As she circled the royal, whose obedient gaze stayed fixed on the ground, Bella saw the only piece of clothing she retained from the nun's costume. A thick black choker, reminiscent of her old leather collar.

There was a strange energy about the Queen, in her natural state, Bella noticed. She didn't seem shameful, nor submissive. She seemed truly willing, in granting Bella a chance to redeem herself. Bella sat down right behind, and began binding the rope, around the Queen's lower torso, into a comfortable harness. Over the months, Bella had gotten used to tying up her employer so much, that she did it almost without looking at the pristine naked form before.

Something was off, and Elanor felt it immediately. Bella never stayed silent, when tying her up. She would either lay out the night's instructions, or ask about the day. Always making sure to act deeply disinterested in the actual answers, or cut off before she could make a point. Her way of easing the Queen into a verbal subspace. And she used to do it so effortlessly, but now, she stayed silent. Like she was afraid, to upset. To offend. Elanor couldn't even sense that usual domineering presence in her Mistress anymore.

"Bella.."

"Yes, Highness.." She said, in a low voice.

"Shouldn't you be disciplining me, for not using proper honorifics, Mistress." There was a bit of mischief in Elanor's voice. A hint of playfulness. The kind that was devoid in Bella's response.

"Yes, Highness. I mean, Demura.. I should, I.. I will.."

What happened? Elanor wondered. She didn't sound the same at all. Hesitant, unsure. She had no trouble when they spoke earlier on. Nor in the court, the other day. Is it because they were alone, like absolutely alone.?! Elanor couldn't figure.

"Mistress, are you okay to proceed..?"

"No bother, Highness, I'm.. I mean, when you called me Bella, I thought you preferred remaining the Queen, for a while.. There's nothing bothersome here. Minor confusion, that's all."

Her words were sensible, but her voice betrayed her true fears.

"Bella, are you alright?!"