Slave's Choice to Surrender Choices

A slower pace for this story, but one I would love to expand into a series. Let me know if you would like further chapters of these characters.

*****

A cool wind passed through the courtyard, touching Delphi's bright red hair with a ticklish delight. She sat in a proper posture on the hard bench, oblivious to its hard surface. The bright sun and warm air distracted her from the minor discomfort. With a pass of her wrist, she pressed out the nonexistent wrinkles on her white skirt. After pulling her crimson curls away from her face, she closed her eyes and absorbed the sun's radiant warmth. The breeze passed again, chilling her bare arms and rustled her light peach-colored top.

Quiet steps began to echo across the marble floor, approaching where Delphi sat. She opened her eyes, but remained seated until the figure approached. Into the courtyard strode a young girl a few years Delphi's junior, dressed in comfortable tattered jeans and a simple but flowery blouse. Her hair fell just below her jawline, a golden blonde that shone like the warm sunlight. Her blue eyes were as deep as Delphi's were emerald. As the girl walked in, she barely noticed Delphi sitting contentedly still on the wooden bench. It was only when she was quite close did she notice her and step over.

Delphi rose gracefully with a smile, holding out her hand, "Good afternoon. You must be Claire."

"Uh, yeah. I was told to come on in," she answered, "This is an odd place for an interview, but I like it. It's a nice house."

Delphi nodded and looked around, "Mr Montrose's estate is quite beautiful. I'm always afraid that I will begin to take it for granted, but I still have not. Can we talk here or would you prefer somewhere more comfortable?"

Claire shook her head, "No this is fine. It's a nice day out, why waste it?" Delphi led her over to a shaded gazebo, sitting on the bench and motioning for her to do as well. Claire noticed the red headed girls perfect posture and tried to mirror it.

"So before we begin, I want to make sure you understand the position you will be filling," Delphi said clearly.

Claire took a deep breath, wondering if the query was her first test, "As it was described to me, I will be Mr. Montrose's personal assistant, fulfilling any request and keeping his house and personal surroundings in order."

Delphi looked up and tilted her head in thought, "In a way... yes. But you will be both more and less than that."

Claire squinted at her well spoken contradiction before answering, "Okay, I'll be honest. The one who told me about this was pretty purposefully vague, but told me to keep an open mind. I tried the whole 9 to 5 job, and I tried college for a couple years. Neither felt right. Take that as you will, but that's me, good or bad. I'm looking for a better... purpose, for lack of a better word."

Delphi smiled widely, "Anthony thought you might be what we were looking for. I am glad he found you. I think you will do well here, but he was right. It will require an open mind." Claire shrugged, glad that her little spiel had not immediately disqualified her for the position.

Delphi rose, and led the younger girl through the house. They entered a sparsely decorated room, barren of furniture or decoration. The only aesthetic was the houses bare architecture, with dark wooden beams leading up the walls to a vaulted ceiling. In a neat pile on the floor was a simple outfit. Claire was instructed to change and wait in the room. Delphi left the girl to it, and conversed with a few of the house staff as she waited. After a few minutes, she entered the room, finding Claire wandering along the opposite wall, looking in boredom for any discrepancies along the smooth white surface.

"Does everything fit properly?" Delphi asked.

Claire nodded gratefully, obviously holding back a comment on the plain off white pants and shirt, "They are nice. Comfortable too."

Delphi glanced over to the corner where the girls discarded clothes sat in a messy pile. Hiding a bit of irritation, she silently bent down and folded the clothes in a neat pile before setting them back on the thin carpet floor. "This is where your training will begin," Delphi explained, "It will end either when you have completed it to my satisfaction or when you decide to leave." She kept her tone soft and kind, but her words still held a certain authority. Claire seemed a bit startled by the circumstances, but did not object. Delphi smiled, "First thing, and perhaps the most important is this: Excellence. Strive to do everything with excellence." She glanced meaningfully over to the near pile of clothes, "Do even the small things with an air of perfection and it will improve the perception of yourself that you offer the world around you."

Claire nodded sheepishly, feeling guilty about leaving her clothes in a mess.

Delphi just ignored the girls red face, "We will begin with some basic etiquette that you will need to memorize until it is second nature to you." The two practiced many different behaviors, from how to eat, to how to sit or smile or walk. They were simple things, and Claire caught on quickly, as her own natural rhythms were far from awkward. After a couple hours, Delphi was looking pleased with her progress. "Good. I think you are ready to fully realize your new position. Come with me."

Claire followed dutifully, leaving the room with curious eyes. Delphi chided her gently to keep her eyes forward, and Claire listened, desperate to keep her healthy progress going. By the time the pair left the small room, dusk had fallen, and a muffled mix of noises rolled softly through the house. As Delphi led her through the halls, the sounds grew louder, until they walked onto a dimly lit balcony over the gardens behind the mansion. Below, a formal party was being hosted, a sea of fine dresses and men in tailored suits. Delphi waved Claire over to watch the crowd below.

"That," said Delphi, pointing to the edge of the crowd, "Is Mr. Montrose. He is your employer." Claire looked where she was directed, and saw a tall man standing at the head of a group, laughing over something. His chiseled jaw was covered with a short, well groomed beard, raven black as his short hair. His suit was black as midnight, with a red vest below. He was built like a one of those fantasy pictures on the front of a romance novel, and Claire could not prevent her eyes from going wide. Delphi pointes again, "and that, is the job you are applying for."

Behind the impressive man, stood a girl, about Claire's age and just as beautiful. Her dark hair fell lightly over one shoulder leaving her face clear for them to see. She stood with hands clasped, eyes down, not partaking in the conversation. Claire seemed surprised.

Delphi grinned, "You expected a girl in a bun, holding a day planner with a bluetooth in her ear?"

"Well, yeah I guess," Claire replied.

Delphi nodded, "Most picture that, but like I said, you are both more and less." The girl was obviously still confused, but she stayed quiet, waiting for Delphi to explain. "I could give you a more flowery description, but I do not want to give you any false illusions as to your purpose. You will be a slave."

Claire's eyes shot open wide, and she looked sideways at Delphi. The red headed girl did not react, "Bear with me. I say slave, and your mind goes to an unpleasant place, but like I said, you may leave at any time. It would be a mistake however. You would be surrendering quite the opportunity. The girl down there, she is the one you will be replacing. When she leaves, she will begin her new training to become the head of household for a new Master."

"Is that what you are?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Delphi nodded, "Very good. I'm glad you understand. Some do not even let me get through a sentence before running away."

Claire was obviously deep in thought, "So at one point, you were also a..."

"A slave, yes," Delphi finished for her, "I belonged to a brooding but intelligent man by the name of Dunkirk before I was trained and sold to Mr. Montrose."

"Sold?" Claire uttered.

Delphi nodded, "You must understand, in this role, we are property. That sounds demeaning and unpleasant, but we are property of the most precious variety. There is no place in our profession for low quality goods, so those who are not suited for it are dismissed without fuss. The very few that remain, become a rare and valuable resource. Our Masters are not flaying and beating the disobedient, they are merely dismissed from service."

Claire seemed to ease a bit, visually grappling in her head what she faced. Delphi took her hand, "Now is your time to decide. If you do not wish to stay, I will understand, but you must choose whole heartedly or not. If you enter this life with any reservations, they will build and ruin you down the road."

Biting her lip, the blonde girl finally looked up, "Will I be asked to do anything physical?"

"As a Master's possession, your body belongs to him as well," Delphi answered honestly, "It is a complete surrender to his will, and in turn, he will provide anything that you require to serve your duties effectively. As such, the reputation of his name will be attached to you, both for you to guard and honor, as well as to bring you under the umbrella of his protection. Few dare insult or harm a member of a recognized Master's house."

Claire thought for a while, and Delphi stood silently as the girl pondered. After several minutes, they met eyes. Claire looked resolute, "I'm in. This life, even at this lowly standing seems amazing. It would be an honor to be a part of it."

Delphi's cheeks rose with glee, "Then tomorrow we begin your training in earnest."

—————

Training was arduous, but efficient. Claire was a good study, learning and adapting quickly. Delphi had trained several others before Claire, but the young girl was by far the fastest to pick up the new concepts, though she was not without faults. The main driving force behind the training was empathy. She would have to develop a bond with her Master's needs and desires so strong that her own faded away. To strengthen this bond, Delphi would reward successful actions with a warm smile and kind words, but failed attempts with sighs of disappointment. Sometimes, she would wordlessly leave the girl alone in the plain room for hours after a fault, letting her stew in the last image she saw of Delphi leaving with an unhappy look.

The whole charade was for Claire's benefit, but it did not stop her from becoming reliant on the approval of Delphi's kind smile. After a few days of vigorous training and teachings, Claire became more and more dependent on the satisfaction of her teacher, becoming excited and gleeful at Delphi's smile, and openly distraught when she disappointed her. Delphi spent the better part of the week reinforcing these reactions until they became ingrained in Claire's unconscious mind, all the while making her signs of affection or displeasure with the young girl more subtle. She would not receive such open flattery from Master and would need to learn to take his near unnoticeable signals as approval or disapproval.

By the end of the first week, Claire was quite malleable, faithfully following Delphi's every instruction with no resistance or wavering. She had spent the entire week in the small blank room, leaving only to relieve herself or bathe. It had made her fidgety and irritable at first, but near the end of the third day, Delphi had seen a noticeable shift in the girl's demeanor. The young blonde had a extraordinary ability to understand not only that every aspect of her training was not only a test, but also a lesson to be learned. Claire understood that the training was conditioning her, but had no opposition to the concept.

The entire second week was spent teaching more etiquette and behaviors, most of which came easily once she understood the nature of her position. Delphi helped to explain how every part of her station was about being both a symbol of authority, respect, and beauty for Master, but also to easily fade into the background until needed. By the third week, Delphi led her out of the room and began coaching her interactions with various staff members and other slaves, often role playing to fine tune her posture, language, or movements.

It was almost a month before her first interaction with Master since seeing him from the balcony. Delphi led Claire through the quiet halls of the house one morning, the warm light warming her soft skin as she passed each window. Claire followed close behind, hands clasped in front of her and eyes down, the soft rustle of her off white outfit sounding louder than the pairs' soft footfalls. After a short journey to a large wooden door, Delphi stopped, Claire stopping just behind wordlessly. With a low groan, the heavy door swung inward, and they entered.

Inside was a massive room lined with shelves, drawers, and rods. Outfits of every color and variety occupied them all, shoes to match lined neatly below.

"It is time we dressed you properly," Delphi informed, "Go ahead a take a look around." Claire lifted her eyes and struggled to keep back the look of awe. She stepped around the room, fingering through stacks of dresses and blouses, imagining with wonder where each would belong. She pulled a long red dress from a hanger, holding it against herself and looking to Delphi with a silent request. The red headed teacher looked at her plainly, with no response. Claire blushed and replaced the outfit.

"Remember that the choice is not up to you," Delphi scolded, "You are not to attempt to influence Master's decisions in such a way."

"I apologize, Madam," Claire answered eyes low. She winced to herself, upset that she had made such an obvious mistake.

Delphi calmly pulled an outfit from the racks, laying it across a small bench in the middle of the room, "Go ahead and get undressed, I will find some shoes to match." Claire did as she was told, quickly dropping the plain outfit to the ground, followed by her bra and panties. Delphi had seen her countless times over the week as she changed, watching closely to help the girl abolish the sense of embarrassed modesty in another's presence. Claire did not mind now, making no effort to hide her slender frame as she carefully folded the outfit and laid it beside the new one.

After setting down the outfit, she stood back up, clasping her hands in front of her, having not received the explicit instruction to dress. Delphi smiled to herself. She had purposefully omitted the command, wondering if she could catch the girl in another mistake, but was pleased that she was so attentive to the detail. Behind them, the large door swung inward with a groan, and the pair turned to see Master Montrose enter the changing room. Delphi dipped her head slowly on reverence, and Claire dropped quickly to her knees, eyes down and still entirely naked.

Claire's heart raced, and every tendon in her body had to tense to control the nervous shakes that rolled over her. She had not expected to meet Master so soon, and certainly not in this state. She wished that she could clothe herself, but she had not received the command. All she could do was hope that her current image was not too awkward or distasteful as to ruin her first impression to him.

Despite her raging nerves, a sparking excitement ran through her. Claire had seen him from some distance at the party nearly a month prior, but now, even the quick glance she had caught of him before diverting her eyes gave her chills of adrenaline. He was incredibly handsome, wearing a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled back comfortably. No tie or bow adorned his neck, instead the shirt hung open a couple buttons down, revealing a hard smooth muscles chest. Unlike her own sapphire blues, or Delphi's emerald greens, Masters eyes were a rich brown, like the darkest chocolate.

Master stood in the doorway, eyeing the two women, "How is our newest slave?" When he said "slave", it was with an air of respect and possessiveness, just as Delphi had explained her first night.

Delphi answered calmly, "Very good. One of my best. She is very intelligent and fast to learn." Claire unwillingly blushed at the compliment.

"Good," Master's smooth low voice replied. He stepped toward her, polished shoes stopping just at the edge of her dipped vision. "What is your name?" he asked her.

Claire answered without hesitation, "I am whatever you would call me by, Master."

He let out an almost indistinguishable hum of approval. The small sign made butterflies flutter in her stomach, making her excitement grow as she pleased his first inspections. She had to dig her nails into her palms to calm her electrically charged nerves.

"She is quick," he said over his shoulder to Delphi before turning back to Claire, "I will call you by your given name. I find it easier and less awkward than calling 'slave' and watching a half dozen people answer. So, what is your name?"

"I would be called Claire if it so pleases you," she answered timidly.

He nodded with another hum of happiness, "A soft, kind name. It suits you. I am glad to meet you. With Delphi's tutelage, I think you will do well here." He turned and left, returning Delphi's deep bow with a quick nod and leaving the room. After the door clunked closed behind him, Claire let out a flurry of quick deep breaths, risking Delphi's chastisement but worried she would pass out if she held it back any further.

The teacher said nothing, letting Claire calm after a few seconds. Delphi finally spoke after a time, "Exhilarating isn't it? The first time I met my Master was quite similar. I was clothed at the time however. Get dressed and ask what I know burns your mind."

Claire gratefully stood, taking the thin silky outfit that had been laid out for her, "If I may speak openly..." Delphi nodded while she watched her dress. "He is incredibly handsome," Claire admitted with a blush, "and he has an air of authority about him."

"That he does," Delphi agreed, "Master has worked hard for what he has, persisted through much to overcome those who would see him fall from his position. There are many in his circles that merely inherited their assets and standing, but Master achieved his through intelligence and perhaps a bit of guile. So understand that he appreciates hard work and dedication."

Claire smiled and grinned happily, "I'm lucky to serve one so wonderful." She finished pulling in the outfit, meeting an approving look from her mentor, "I want to make one more request."

Delphi circled around the girl, inspecting her attire, "Go on."

"I want to start training to... um..." Claire struggled to find the right word, her modesty still holding back.

"You wish to learn how to serve your Master with body as well as mind," the elder girl smirked to Claire's sheepish smile, "I was hoping you were ready. We will begin today."

———————

After Claire's first meeting with Master, she was allowed to wear more extravagant clothes, each day waiting naked on the dressing room floor as Delphi picked her attire for the day. After dressing, the two would go through a series of practices and drills, keeping Claire's acquired skills honed, as well as keeping her reliant on Delphi's direction. After a few hours, she would help in the kitchens, learning how to cook and prepare meals at request. The last part of the day was spent in a special training room in the corner of the mansion.

Over the course of a couple weeks, Claire learned how to best present herself and use her thin fit frame. Delphi drilled certain concepts into her: Do not rush, make the wait worth it; Listen and observe, meet their desires whether they ask with words, looks, or actions; Their will transcended any want or need that you have, no matter how important or trivial.