The Empath Cycle: 2001 It Takes One - Book 1

Assuming that this was customary for slaves also, Nothing complied. Her bush was carefully trimmed with the scissors, then soap was lathered over the area. The young woman gestured for her to be still. Nothing had already come to that conclusion so she nodded to signal her understanding of the warning. Her barber began with the outer area of her labia. The sensation was not unpleasant and Nothing relaxed... a little. The woman seemed to know what she was doing. Once she finished a section, she passed her finger over it and, if she felt a stubble, she went over it again.

When she applied more soap to the remaining hair, Nothing tensed. The young woman giggled and said something. The Asian, also tittering, moved beside her and stretched on the floor. The barber lathered her labia and proceeded to remove what little stubble there was as carefully as she had shaved Nothing. The woman on the ground did not move when the youngster held her lips to stretch them or pulled on her clitoral hood. She shivered, eyes tightly shut, her lower lip between her teeth, but didn't move. Once done to her satisfaction, the young woman put away the razor, wiped any residue of soap with a washcloth, bent down and licked the bald sex the length of its cleft. The Asian woman was shaking and moaning. When the lips wrapped around her pearl, she arched her back and grunted repeatedly. After licking all the cream she could, the young one again wiped her sex clean and applied scented oil. To Nothing's surprise, the Asian woman turned around on her knees and offered her ass which was also lathered, shaved, cleaned and tongued.

Nothing was somewhat reassured by the demonstration. First, because she felt safer with the razor in the obviously experienced hands of the younger woman, and also because she now could hope to have the company of women who shared her sexual proclivity once in the house of her new master.

All through her shaving, she shivered, but held still. The young woman went slowly as she watched for involuntary movements, ready to pull the sharp blade away. Once she was done, she giggled as she ran her fingers along Nothing's cleft and collected a goodly amount of cream. She wiped soap and cream carefully and motioned for Nothing to turn around. She pouted as she had expected the same treatment as the Asian woman. With a sad smile the young woman shook her head and carefully enunciated a single word: 'mistress'.

Nothing understood. She was a commodity, not to be played with.

When her nether area was also bereft of hair, she was made to sit down again and her legs, armpits and arms were shaved smooth. Once that was done she was directed to lie in the bath again. While there, her eyebrows were trimmed short and precisely shaped with the razor.

Had she seen the face reflected in the mirror held by the young woman in England, she would have laughed out loud. Strangely, though, in her present circumstances she found it appealing.

Once satisfied that the bath oil had done its protective work on her shaved skin, the woman pulled Nothing out and dried her again, then she gave her a brief hug and a light kiss before leaving a stunned Nothing behind.

'Why did she have tears in her eyes? Did she know something of my new master? Should I fear my fate?' She wondered with dread.

The Asian gestured her to the narrow table where she was made to lie face down with her face in a padded hole. Once she was placed to her satisfaction, the woman poured oil on her back and began a vigorous massage. Nothing had heard of this, but never experienced it herself. At first, it felt like a rough kneading, softened by the oil, but as she relaxed, she realized that it was the most sensual stroking she had ever received.

It began at her shoulders, then down her back. Her buttocks were kneaded, hard. Her thighs also. The fingers came close to her sex, but didn't touch it. Their nearness was most enticing. She tried to push back to make contact. The Asian woman laughed gaily but avoided it. She went down her legs, then massaged her feet. 'How could hands on her feet feel so good?' Nothing mused. Her senses were inflamed by the unusual manipulation of her body. When the woman went back up her legs, she spread them, hoping. With a laugh, the woman gave her a slap on the ass and made her turn on her back.

She began with Nothing's shoulders and went down her arm where she massaged her hand. When she went back up her arm, Nothing's hand was still hanging. She playfully reached and cupped the woman's mound, curling a finger in its cleft. The masseuse jumped back with a squeal of surprise. She laughed as she slapped Nothing's inner thigh. She tut-tutted as she shook a finger in reproof. Nothing giggled. The woman switched side and repeated the process on the other arm, making a game of staying away from the wiggling fingers.

She went down Nothing's torso, bypassing the heaving breasts. She massaged her abdomen and her legs, again avoiding the vulva. When she went back up, she laughed when Nothing thrust her pelvis in her direction, but she kindly patted the junction of the parted legs and she said something in a sing-song language.

She gave Nothing a tender kiss and directed her to the bath to wash off the massage oil. When she dried Nothing, there were tears in her eyes and her gestures were almost motherly. She too gave Nothing a brief hug and light kiss before motioning her to the stool and leaving.

Nothing was confused by the seemingly opposite gestures. What was happening? Should she be worried as she had thought earlier?

Another woman entered the room. She was not naked, but wore a silk wraparound dress. She went to a mound of clothing Nothing had not noticed before. She brought back flat sandal pumps and wrapped their golden laces around Nothing's legs up to mid-calf. She had Nothing stand up and arranged a gold webbing around her breasts. Unexpectedly, though they were left exposed, their weight was supported, forming a cleavage such as any good English bodice would. She was made to put on a patch covering her sex much like Mistress' own. When she asked what it was called, pointing at it, she was told it was a kaupinam. A pale blue length of silk was intricately wrapped around her hips and legs, to below the knee, giving the appearance of a mix between pantaloons and a skirt. Three gold bracelets on her left arm completed her outfit. The woman, also misty eyed, gave Nothing a brief hug and kiss, then left the bewildered woman.

The next woman to enter brushed Nothing's hair to a sheen, then bound it in a braid with gold laces. When the hug and kiss came, she expected them this time.

Lastly, the middle-aged woman who had gotten her from the barracks returned and gestured for Nothing to follow. They walked down a long corridor and up marble stairs. When they reached a pair of ebony doors, Nothing was directed to stand beside them.

No stranger to that kind of exercise in patience, Nothing stood straight and waited.

Nothing was dozing on her feet, a skill she had acquired during long nights where a lapse meant pain as her nipples were pulled by the gold chain linking them. Her mind was at rest, thinking of nothing in particular. Oddly enough, she found it a peaceful way to pass the time.

She became aware of a presence and her eyes snapped open, afraid she had failed to hear Mistress. At first, she thought the masseuse stood before her, but, if this Asian woman resembled her, there were differences. For one, she wore a light leather armor, a sword at her left hip, a dirk at the right, and her eyes were hard as she looked Nothing up and down.

Satisfied by what she saw, she gave a sharp nod and patted Nothing on the cheek, a smile softening her features for a moment. "You will do." She said in halting English and left as silently as she had come, leaving the perplexed woman standing in the empty corridor.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Nothing stood straighter and beamed. She would see Mistress one last time before she was sent away.

Mistress went by Nothing without a word or a look in her direction and opened one of the doors. She left it ajar as she stepped into the room. After a few moments, Nothing heard the words she has hoped for. "Come in, little one." Her heart soared.

Mistress had changed from the shipboard clothes she had still worn when she passed Nothing, to a diaphanous light green robe. She was barefoot and her braid was undone.

Not sure what was expected of her, Nothing stood in the middle of the large room. She spared a glance for the view of the desert through the windows spanning the wall to her left, the huge four-poster bed with its mosquito net tied open, the mahogany desk with a pile of scrolls, but her attention was on Mistress who was lounging indolently on a wide couch.

Mistress had a strange look in her eye as she examined Nothing who unexpectedly blushed under the scrutiny.

"You clean up good, slave."

"Thank you, Mistress."

"For the time being, you will not be sent to the auction block. This is my household. There are no men allowed in the palace as a general rule, except for the occasional worker or guest. Your training will be modified. You will not be asked to service men from now on, but you will be expected to learn to give pleasure to women. You will also be expected to learn Arabic in short order. You are not in your barbaric England anymore and you will learn to communicate like a civilized person. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mistress. I will, Mistress." Nothing was overwhelmed with joy. She would stay with Mistress if for only a short while longer. She would be the best slave ever, she vowed to herself.

"In the morning, you will come with me to the bathing room where you will be taught to bathe me. For the rest of the day, you will attend me. In the evening, we will again go to the bathing room. When we are in this room, unless otherwise instructed, you will stand by the door or you may sit on the stool over there."

"Yes, Mistress." Nothing couldn't believe her good fortune. She would be allowed to touch Mistress.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Nothing, Mistress."

"What are you?"

"I am nothing, Mistress."

"So you are and so are all my slaves. None is more important than the other. Remember that at all times. There are only a few free women in my employ. You will come to know them. I do not tolerate squabbles between my slaves. There is no right or wrong. If slaves fight for any reason, both are sent away. When we have visitors, always remember that your behavior reflects on me."

"Yes, Mistress."

"At night, you will sleep on the cot at the foot of my bed."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Now, stand by the door or sit. I have work to do."

"Yes, Mistress."

The daily routine was not onerous. Nothing got up at dawn with Mistress, stood by as she trained under the tough tutelage of her armsmistress, the woman in armor who had come to inspect her, then she bathed Mistress and served her a light breakfast. After that she bathed herself quickly and had language lessons with the masseuse, Xia, whom she learned was the sister of the armsmistress, Xian.

She was fascinated to learn their story. They moved to London from Hong Kong, but could find no proper work because of the prejudices toward Asians. So they traveled Europe, then south to the Mediterranean, where they heard of Mistress. Curious, they had come to her palace and offered their services. The eldest as her sword craft teacher and bodyguard when Mistress was ashore. The youngest as unarmed combat teacher and, eventually, masseuse. The last after she had succored Mistress when she suffered a bad cramp while training. She did it mostly for the pleasure of it.

Nothing found, to her surprise, that she had a talent for languages. Soon, she could make herself understood though the other slaves laughingly told her she had an atrocious accent.

After attending Mistress at lunch, they retired to her room for a nap during the hottest hours of the day. For the rest of the afternoon, Nothing's time was her own, unless Mistress required her for some task. She took that opportunity to explore the palace and socialize with the other slaves. She particularly liked Cook, a lively woman who regaled the slaves with improbable stories of her youth in the courts of Europe where she had learned her craft. She always offered delicious pastries to Nothing who did not accept often because she wanted to stay pleasing to Mistress.

For that reason, she asked Xia to show her how to work out effectively. She was so motivated that she was soon in the best shape of her life, having shed every ounce of superfluous fat. She preened with pride when Mistress commented on it as Nothing was bathing her. "I do it for you, Mistress, so you will be proud of me."

After a late supper, Fatma, the young woman barber, joined her in Mistress' room and instructed her in the fine art of pleasing a woman. It was very different from her first sexual training. She discovered that her own servants had only serviced her because of her brutality, not because they wanted to please her. She couldn't believe the pleasure a willing woman could give another.

In fact, as she shared the life of Mistress' slaves and listened to them laugh as they worked and made a game of it, as they socialized and formed loving couples, it slowly dawned on Nothing what a poor excuse of a human being she had been.

One night, crying quietly on her cot, she was startled by the soft voice.

"What is wrong, little one?"

"Nothing, Mistress. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping yet. You have been sad for days and I would know why."

"It's nothing, Mistress. Do not trouble yourself with me."

"Come here, little one."

Nothing rose and stood beside Mistress' bed, eyes lowered in shame.

"Now, tell me what troubles you so."

"I... You... You were right, Mistress. I am nothing. Less than nothing."

"When I say it, I mean something. I suspect that you give another meaning altogether to the words."

Nothing tried to explain how she was in her former life. She knew she made little sense as her words were interspersed with heartfelt sobs, but she did her best to tell Mistress how she admired her as a mistress and as a person.

When she was done, there was silence in the room. Then the mosquito net was pushed aside.

"Come here, little one."

Nothing was shaking as she knelt on the soft bed beside Mistress. She knew what a remarkable honor she was given. No one had shared her bed since they came to the palace.

"Look at me, little one. You have come a long way in a relatively short time from the haughty English bitch I captured at sea. At first, the training was to break you so you would be a sexual slave to a man, but I saw something different in you. From the start, I could see your true self trying to come out. You have blossomed since we have arrived here and this proves me right."

"Thank you, Mistress, for making me a better person. I am indebted to you. I will be your willing slave forever."

"From now on, you are Nothing no more, You will be known as Blossom and I would share my bed with you if you wish."

"Oh, Mistress." Blossom forgot herself and lunged at Mistress to hug her and rain kisses all over her face.

Laughing, Mistress returned her embrace. Soon, the women were kissing passionately, moaning their pleasure at finally being together. One exulting in being allowed to show her devotion, the other at having stopped resisting what her heart had been telling her for weeks.

For the longest time, the embrace and kisses were enough to express their emotions. When they broke the kiss, they remained in each other's arms, cheek to cheek, their tears of joy mixing.

"Since that first day in your cabin, you've brought forth something I didn't understand. You've shown me that I had chosen the wrong path to express my needs. Moreover, you've made me realize that I did not know what these were truly. Then, as I've come to know you, Mistress, I've seen that authority and leadership, tempered with fairness command loyalty as fear never could. Since we've come to your palace, I've also seen that compassion is not synonymous with weakness. You are the most wonderful person I've ever met or heard of. I am yours, body and soul, to the end of time, if you will have me."

"Little one, you, in turn, have brought back to life something I had thought long dead and forgotten. I became a feared and cruel pirate because the love of my life was captured, then raped and killed by an English captain years ago. That is why I mutilate every one of them I can get my hands on, in the hope that he is to the one who did this to her. I thought that I could never feel such sentiments for another. I was wrong. Unfortunately, in my culture, I can never acknowledge you, a foreigner, a hated English woman, as other than a slave, but when we are within these four walls, if you want me, I too give myself to you."

Their kiss expressed their mutual happiness. "Mistress, you've made me the happiest woman in the world. To other people, I will be your best trained slave and, to you, I will give all my love."

"My name is Yasmin."

"Thank you for this honor, Mistress. The name suits you perfectly. You are indeed a Gift from God. Now, please allow me to show my devotion to you."

Blossom got to her knees and spent a long moment simply looking at Yasmin, lightly running her hands the length of her body.

"Please get on your front so I can show you some of what I've learned."

After kissing Yasmin on the neck, she gave her a sensual scalp massage which she had appreciated so much she had asked Fatma, the young bathing girl, to teach her so she could do it to Mistress when bathing her. When she had her moaning in delight, she bent to her ear. "That is only the beginning, my love. I have learned much and applied myself in the hope you would one day allow me to touch you other than as your bathing slave."

She knew Xia had not yet taught her all she knew, but she had told Blossom she showed promise. What she had aplenty was motivation and now the object of her drive was under her hands, at long last.

She pulled Yasmin's hair to the side and began by massaging her shoulders, from the neck muscles to the articulations. She applied the pressure required to relieve the knots of tension and the small extra amount to stimulate the nerves. She took Yasmin's moans as an indication of her proficiency and moved to the muscles along the spine. She wished she had massage oil so she could slide her hands better. She improvised by licking an area at a time and using her saliva instead. Though it was a poor substitute, the caress of her tongue more than made up for any lack.

From Yasmin's lower back, she went up her sides. Sighs became moans as her hands arrived at the thorax. When Yasmin lifted her torso to give Blossom better access, the latter giggled. "All in good time, my sweet, all in good time."

On her way down, she paid special attention to the beautiful ass she had fantasized about for so long. She kneaded the muscles deeply, spreading the cheeks both to caress the area of the brownish hole and to tease it. Unable to resist the temptation, she gave it a kiss and licked it. It was with great difficulty that she kept from loving it with her tongue.