The Collaring of Chloe Ch. 20

Chapter 20 - Slave's Truth

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For a long moment, Chloe stood before the door, hand clenched into a fist to knock, but unable to lift it up to perform the act. A slight jitter passed through her body, feeling truly nervous for the first time since the day she first arrived in a taxi, unsure what was ahead of her. A part of her mind told her to just let this go and go back downstairs, but she'd felt the need for this moment since the munch that afternoon. It was like a splinter of something buried in her conscience that she could only find relief by pulling out.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand and forced herself to knock on the door with enough force to be heard. She heard Master's response almost immediately. "Come in."

"Master? Do you have a moment?" She asked as she opened the door just enough to show her face and see him, sitting there at his large mahogany desk. It was littered with ledgers and papers, the central feature of his office, and was as splendid and beautiful as everything else in his house. It seemed to rise out of the deep blue carpeting and stood out dramatically against the blonde oak paneling of the walls and shelves.

"Sure, come in, Chloe." He said with a smile, waving her in and sitting back from his work.

Despite the invitation, it took Chloe a moment to pluck up the courage to enter, not just because of her current anxiety that had brought her here, but due to the office itself. It felt like taboo territory to her. Not that she'd been forbidden from it, but it was like a place separate from the rest of the house, from the rest of their whole world. In here, he was James Brooksend, landlord to a large chunk of the town and a man of business. It looked like a law office, as well appointed as the rest of the house, but mostly lacking in the same tone.

Nothing in this room spoke of the sexual side of her Master, no erotic imagery, no reminders of his connection to the kink lifestyle. She'd never known exactly why he'd kept the office clear of it, as it was the only room in the house that didn't have at least something in it of a sensual nature. Perhaps he just needed to focus on business here, which only made her feel so out of place within the room.

Especially at the moment, wearing only her slave ring and nothing else. He blinked in a moment of surprise to see her so fully undressed as she stepped in. The last he'd seen her, before he'd excused himself to do a little work, she'd been settled in the downstairs parlor talking to Mittens and August, still wearing the outfit she'd worn to the munch. However, that little splinter had continued to ache and sting inside her mind until she'd needed to excuse herself as well. She needed to come to her Master bare-bodied so that she could equally bare her mind and conscience.

Closing the door behind her softly, she took a few steps further into the office and knelt down on the indigo carpet, palms placed flat on the floor in front of her knees and her head lowered. It was her official pose of submission, meant to be used during official protocol moments. She realized that the posture would instantly speak for her of the importance of what she needed to say to him. It told him instantly that she was coming before her Master as his slave, not as Chloe before James.

"This one submits herself for punishment, Master." She said softly, feeling another quiver of anxiety tremble through her.

There was a brief pause, Master sitting there, caught more than a little off guard, but he stood a moment later, sliding effortlessly into his role. He came around the desk and stood before her, hands clasped gently together in front of him imperiously. "Punishment for what, slave?" He asked curiously, though the voice was firm as iron. "I didn't tell you that you had done anything wrong."

"This one lied today." She responded, speaking steadily and clearly, which took some effort. "She misrepresented herself out of selfishness."

Master peered at her in ever-growing confusion, obviously trying to parse what she was talking about. After a moment, he reached out and put a hand to the side of her head, touching her only with the tips of his fingers lightly, barely brushing her temple and upper cheek. "What was the lie, slave? I do not remember you saying anything untrue."

"Master did." She said, struggled to keep the tremble from her voice. "This one lied about what made her Master's slave. Lied because she knew it would make her look bad."

There was another pause, Master obviously still not understanding. "I'm not following. Explain what you mean, slave." His tone was more sensitive now, soft as the touch of his fingers on her head.

"At the munch, Master, this one didn't say the real reason she knows she is Master's property and a true slave to him." She said, starting to feel a warm moisture in her eyes. She felt like she falling into a black chasm, about to lose something important. "This one said what should have been the correct answer, but it wasn't. Thi-this...o-one..."

Her resolve broke suddenly, a wave of pure emotion hitting her like a wall, and she began to cry in earnest, her chest hitching with uncontrolled sobs. In the next moment, Master was on the floor beside her, arms around her and pulling her into him, tossing aside his posture of authority for the comfort she needed at that moment. A part of her wanted to wrench back, to keep it a matter of their roles to each other, but her need for his arms, for his love, won.

For a few minutes, he let her cry out the knot in her chest, still seeming very confused, but holding her close and tight, making her feel safe to let out the emotion that was getting in her way of doing what she needed to. Finally, she felt more stable and, gently, she pulled back, trying to return to her official posture.

However, Master, put a hand to her arm and shook his head. "Just talk to me, Chloe. Tell me what this is about." He caressed the side of her face with the back of a hand. "You wouldn't be this upset over something as trivial as just having not accurately explained something."

For a moment, she thought to fight to keep it all 'official', but she relaxed her posture, shifting into a more natural seated position with her legs crossed in front of her. She took an additional moment to inhale deeply and let it out slowly, steadying herself. "At the munch, Master, when that miserable woman attacked my role as your slave. I..." She gave a sigh. "I realized that if I told her what really made me your slave, it might make me, both of us, look bad. And with August there, I wanted to make sure she heard what should be the 'right' answer to what the difference was."

"I thought your answer was very good, Chloe." Master said softly. "And I would hope that I do have your trust in that I would never abuse your role as my slave."

She looked to him, eyes trying to convey her adoration and trust. "Completely, Master! That was the truth! I do trust you with my whole being. But, that's just it: I trust you NOW, having come to know you and being in service to you." She rubbed a little at her eyes, which felt hot still, but were thankfully not still shedding tears. "However, I had already dedicated myself to being your slave before I ever met you, before I knew how much love and trust I would feel for you, Master. That is why I see myself as a TRUE slave, because I sold myself to you before we had that."

She gave a sniff and looked off, trying not to break into tears again. She felt as though she'd somehow betrayed something sacred within herself. Had cheapened her dedication as a slave and sold her choice short, just to save face to a rude woman and not be judged by her. "When I first arrived and you told me that I would have to wait three days, I fully expected you to throw the worst you had at me, to test my resolve and try to make me give up my choice. To prove myself as your slave. I...I was not just expecting it, I was looking forward to it. To getting to show you how determined I was to be a real slave, without choice or say or liberty. I vowed that I wouldn't let anything you did to me or made me do sway my choice."

She looked back to him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "You surprised me by showing me so much love and wonder though. I had come to be your true slave, to worship whatever Master I'd been sold to no matter who he was or what he was like, but I found myself falling so deeply in love with you and Mittens. I don't regret any part of it, but there is still a part of me that feels that I never got to prove that I was truly yours. And now I feel like I ultimately did fail the real test of being a true slave by lying about what made me so."

Master cocked his head at her, a slightly bemused expression on his face. "Chloe, you have nothing to prove to me. I believe you when you say you are my slave. Not just a submissive, but my property and belonging. You no more need to prove that to me than you did to Lynn. And," He scooted a little closer, cupping the side of her face in a hand. "you are wrong. You didn't lie. I didn't let you sell yourself to me before you had gotten to know me. So, you came into the role, officially, as my slave with that trust intact."

Chloe sighed in exasperation. "Master, that doesn't matter, I had already—"

"Ack!" Master said suddenly making her start and holding up an admonishing finger. "What you'd felt before you were officially my slave doesn't matter to me, Chloe. I came into ownership of you in love and trust, not before. You owe no further explanation to any other person. You are welcome to count the time before as further proof, FOR YOURSELF, of your commitment to being a true and real slave, not just as a 'role', but you do not have to validate that to anyone else, ever. Not me, definitely not to anyone outside of us. You gave yourself to me. That's all that matters. Not why, not how. No answer would have been the 'right one' with her. The one you gave made me proud of you, my property. It is as much the truth of your choice as is that you gave yourself completely without any guarantees. Do you understand?"

For a long moment, Chloe sat there, staring up at him, feeling a heady swirl of too many emotions to parse fully. Irritation, love, fear, adoration, sadness, and complete relief. A part of her felt a little exasperated at him, felt he wasn't really getting why this bothered her so much. Another part felt that he was wiser than she could ever be, probably understanding just fine, but also seeing it more clearly than she could. And yet another realized just how truly lucky she was to have become the slave of this man and not someone else who would have put her through hell, just to prove a point.

"I understand, Master." She finally conceded, though still feeling conflicted. "Thank you. I do feel a little better." She took a deep breath and gave him a genuine smile. "Still, there is a part of me that wishes you did do more to help remind me of my place as your slave. I know, I know, I have nothing to prove to you." She paused, looking down, suddenly realizing the real truth of her moment. "Just, sometimes, I DO need to prove it to myself, though."

Chloe looked back up at him for a moment, before quickly rearranging herself back into her previous slave protocol posture. "I want to be pushed and for Master to remind me, occasionally, that I belong to him and not myself. To be made to feel like the slave I call myself. I want to be made to do things that I'm not comfortable with, to be put in my place. I do trust Master to know when I'm being pushed too far, but sometimes I want to be taken to those lines."

Master leaned back, looking at her deeply. "I have no desire to damage you, Chloe. I'm not interested in having a broken slave. What I love most about you is you spirit and your passion. It makes your loyalty and your obedience that much sweeter and more powerful."

"I know, Master." Chloe quickly responded, desperate to be understood. "And I'm not asking you to break me or damage me. Just remind me sometimes that I don't belong to me. Make me prove my dedication, even if it is just to, and for, me."

For a moment more, he looked at her searchingly, as though he were looking down into her. "Okay." He said at last. "But I won't be rushed into it. The truth is, I still don't know enough about where those lines lay so that I can push you in ways that don't risk doing you harm. It will take a little time for me to properly prepare, but I'll make sure you get reminded and show your dedication to me."

"Thank you, Master." Chloe said, tears again welling in her eyes, though these were tears of joy and not anguish. "I'm sorry that I—"

"No." He said suddenly, with that calm Dominance that resonated as firmly as if he'd shouted the word through a megaphone. "You are not allowed to be sorry for coming here with this or feeling conflicted about it. Saying that you're sorry suggests you made a mistake. No part of this is a mistake. You needed this. WE needed this."

He stood up, returning to his Dominant posture. "You have done the right thing coming to me with this, slave. You are absolved of any assumed wrong-doing." He gave her a soft smile. "And I am proud of you. Good girl."

Chloe felt such a powerful flutter of joy at his words that she wouldn't have been surprised if she'd floated up off the carpet. "Yes, Master." She burbled. "Thank you, Master."

For a long moment, he looked down at her speculatively, obviously thinking. Slowly, a grin spread across his face. "Go to your room and put on the black gartered cincher, a pair of stockings, gloves, and the four-inch Victorian heels. Then come down to the lower study. I will use you there."

The words sent a chill of excitement through Chloe, everything else flushed out of her mind at the command of her Master and the thought of being 'used' by him. "Your slave lives to obey, Master." She giggled, looking up at him and only barely managing to make herself wait for his gesture to comply with his orders.

It took almost no time to find the clothes she'd been ordered into, far less than it took to get into them. Still she paused long enough to check herself meticulously in her mirror and brush her hair, touch up her make-up, and make sure she was fully composed into her proper mind-space before she left the room and started down the stairs to get to the lower study. However, it wasn't until she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up the hall to where the door leading to the solarium was that she suddenly remembered August. She chewed a lip in embarrassment, but chuckled to herself.

She felt like a bad host disappearing for so long, but she knew Mittens likely had her so engrossed that they'd probably not even noticed how long she'd been gone already. She was grateful that they'd become friends themselves, making it easier to sneak off for this, but she also felt a little guilty. However, she was a slave and had been commanded by her Master. For Chloe, there was no higher mandate.

Making a mental note to apologize for it later, she quickly made her way to the study. She wasn't sure how she'd feel to have August come through the parlor door to go to the bathroom and see her standing there, otherwise dressed but fully exposed. While she'd had her fantasies, they'd yet to cross that path in their relationship yet. Master had been kind enough to allow her to stay dressed whenever they'd invited her over, just to make things more casual.

As she entered into the study, her first sight was Master standing in the middle of the room with a full collar and a chain leash. A second later, however, she realized that August and Mittens were sitting together on a scarlet loveseat to her right, cuddled up and grinning almost wickedly. August had removed her shoes, but was otherwise still dressed, but Mittens had removed her shirt and shorts at some point and put on her paws and fuzzy leg warmers. She was still wearing a bra and panties, but both were, ironically, completely see-through.

Chloe instantly felt a rush of embarrassment and discomfort, feeling suddenly very naked and shy in front of her new friend. August, however, showed no discomfort at all with the scene, seeming actually quite intrigued to watch what was about to happen, as well as quite impressed by what she saw. It struck Chloe like a bolt of thunder that not only was she now seeing her essentially nude, but was about to watch her have sex with Master. Up close.

So much for keeping things casual.

When she looked back at Master, however, it all fell suddenly into place. He was already giving her what she needed, already 'putting her in her place'. Though the flush of embarrassment didn't diminish, it became something exciting and heady. Seeing the eager look in August and Mittens' eyes, ready to watch the show, made her feel exactly the way she'd just been asking to be made to feel. She relished the sense of apprehension and discomfort, knowing that she'd quickly forget both, but savoring them while they lingered.

Stepping up to him, she gave Master the briefest of bashful grins before putting on her dutiful expression as his official slave and lowering her head in supplication to him. "This one submits herself to her Master for use." She intoned, making sure it was loud enough for August to hear clearly. If she was going to be made into entertainment, she would do her Master proud.

"Turn and kneel, slave." Master said in a formal voice, producing a key for the lock of her slave ring. She complied quickly and adroitly, pivoting on her heels and sliding down into her official slave pose, head extended extra forward to best expose the back of her neck. Master disengaged the lock, removed her ring, replaced it with the full leather collar, and reconnected the lock to it. He paused in this only to kiss the back of her neck before connecting the collar, a formal show of his love for his property.

Instead of vocally commanding her to her feet, he gave the attached leash a soft pull, firm enough to convey his unspoken wish, but gentle enough not to hurt her. Chloe rose to her feet, turning back to face him, head still tilted forward in supplication. "Inspection pose." He said, almost casually, to which she immediately raised her hands up and placed them behind her head. She waited there while he walked slowly around her, the cold steel of the chain wrapping around her torso as he made the circuit and then going slack again as he returned back around. He stood a moment longer, as though making sure everything was as he wanted it to be. Then he gestured to the loveseat where August and Mittens were snuggled together.

"Bow to your audience, slave." He said lowly. Chloe complied instantly, turning crisply and bending fully at the waist, hands clasping her knees to keep steady on her high heels, and holding the position for a five count before straightening. "Good girl." Master continued. "Now turn to me. Kneel and unfasten my pants."

Again, Chloe gave no hesitation in following his commands, lowering back to her knees on the thick shag carpet, the chain leash clinking as it piled up at her knees, and deftly unfastening the front of Master's slacks. At his further command, she removed his manhood, already swollen and aroused, and lovingly put it into her mouth, working it gently and methodically, slowly working it further and further back into her throat until she was soon taking the full length of it.

He let her set the pace, though rested a hand on the back of her head with no pressure, more a caress than anything else. She could feel the rest of his body reacting in pleasure to her work, her rhythm building comfortably, occasionally taking breaths without noticeably interrupting the flow. She felt proud of her skills with this, found herself wanting to impress August with how good she was with it. Spying a glance towards her friend, she could see that indeed she was.