The Kingdom Ch. 09

CHAPTER 9 -- THE AUCTION

I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing loudly in my ear. I ignored it until the ringing finally stopped. Moments later, the phone rang again. Barely awake, I groggily reached over to the nightstand, lifted the phone into the air and slammed it back down onto the receiver. I exhaled in relief as the incessant ringing stopped once more. Rolling onto my side, I felt oddly disoriented. Despite the plush mattress beneath me, my back ached as if I had slept the night on a concrete slab. My eyes opened just wide enough for me to see the red lights of the LED clock next to me. The time read 2:49pm. Opening my eyes wider, I could see that I was back in my suite. I laid in silence contemplating how I had gotten here. The last thing I remembered was... shit... What was the last thing I remembered?

Every muscle in my body ached simultaneous as I used my arms to push myself upright into a seated position. I was completely naked. I groaned as I delicately shifted my legs to hang over the edge of the bed. I felt as if I'd been hit by a bus. Staring blankly at the wall in front of me, I continued wracking my brain to find my bearings. Why on earth did I feel so horrible?

Suddenly, everything came flooding back. The kennel, Brandy, Annabelle, Katie, the extractor... The day prior had been both a physical and emotional hell. From Brandy enslaving me, to Katie planting drugs in the suite, to all three of us being thrown into the kennel, to me having my pussy vibrated to oblivion while I was trapped in a strict hogtie. Fuck, it really had been an awful day. No wonder I felt so sore. But how did I get back here?

Still staring blankly at the wall in front of me, I vaguely recalled being driven by security guards back to my suite in a golf-cart. It was dark outside, so it must have been sometime late last night. Or early this morning. I remember him saying something to me as I was carried into the suite, but I couldn't remember what... After he laid on the bed, everything went blank.

I stood to my feet, clenching the down comforter to help me maintain my balance. I walked gingerly to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet to take a piss. Damn, even my crotch ached! The extractor had really done a number on me! Standing up to wash my hands, my heart skipped a beat as I saw my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles encompassed my eyes and my hair resembled a disheveled bird's nest. But as beastly as I may have looked, my appearance was not the cause of the pit that had suddenly formed in my stomach. It was the bright red collar around my neck... My heart momentarily stopped beating. I was wearing a collar again! My hands shot to my neck in terror.

What the hell?! I ran my fingers frantically around the collar, searching for a buckle or clasp to unlock. But the collar appeared to be mechanically locked, just as my previous collar had been. "What the fuck?!" I said out loud. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus... Think, Ally. How did this happen? Who did this? Why was this collar red? After nearly a minute of staring at my reflection, the phone rang again, snapping me out of my contemplative state. I spun around in frustration and stormed back into the bedroom.

"What?!" I said loudly into the phone. "What is it?!"

I heard a click on the other line followed by a cheerful recording of a woman's voice, "Hello. This is a prerecorded message reminding you about your disciplinary hearing at... 3 o'clock PM... at the Administration Bureau. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment. Thank you."

My heartbeat continued to race as I processed the words. Disciplinary hearing? What the fuck did that mean?

"If you would like to hear this message again, please press 1."

I hung up the phone, and merely stared at it. I was still too disoriented to grasp what was going on. Disciplinary hearing??? Had the security guard explained this to me last night? Shit, it really did seem like I was living one nightmare after another.

I kept replaying the words "Disciplinary hearing at 3 o'clock PM" over and over in my head, desperate to trigger some sort of memory. Just then, I glanced back at the LED clock that read 2:56pm. Shit. Wherever the Administration Bureau was, I was supposed to be there in exactly 4 minutes. Technically, I should have been there 6 minutes ago, if I was abiding by the instructions to arrive 10 minutes early.

I quickly turned and walked back into the foyer where I'd left my shopping bags from the day prior. But to my surprise, nothing was there. I spun around, frantically scanning the suite. C'mon, Ally, I thought. Where the fuck did you put them? I walked back into the bedroom and opened the door to the walk-in closet. Nothing... Storming back into the foyer, my eye caught a piece of paper on the entry hall table that I'd missed earlier. It was a hand-written note...

Dear Jodie,

In the event that your addled state of mind caused you to forget, please note that your disciplinary hearing is set for 3:00pm at the Corrections Office. Please arrive 10 minutes early dressed ONLY in your probation collar. Once you have signed over custody of Ms. Michaels, your belongings will be returned to you and you will be free to go. See you soon,

Mistress Annabelle

Beneath her signature was a brochure map. A red circle had been drawn around the old wine distillery on the opposite side of the castle. While we knew it as the "catacombs", a dot at the entrance now read Corrections Bureau. The catacombs did seem uniquely fitting for a location that dealt with "corrections". It was basically an underground dungeon. Of course Annabelle would have her office in a dungeon. Fucking vampire.

I reread the letter quickly, flipping it over to make sure I didn't miss anything on the back side. Dressed only in my probation collar? She expected me to go there naked?! Dammit, this woman really was a bitch! With a deep sigh, I snatched the lanyard with my keycard off of the table and marched angrily out the door.

It was raining outside. Not too hard, but hard enough to piss me off that I was forced to experience it without any clothes on. Not wanting to know what would happen if I arrived late, I jogged down the stone staircase of the castle. To my relief, the square was relatively empty of guests. Likely, due to the rain. You could almost smell all the sex that was going on while everyone was staying dry in their rooms.

After a short jog around the castle, I reached the cobblestone ramp that descended beneath the castle bridge to the catacombs. A sign hanging above the door read "Corrections Bureau". I walked through the door and shivered as a gust of cold air met my wet skin. An entry bell jingled as the door closed behind me. The air felt dingy and dank down here. Stone lined the floors, walls, and hanging wrought iron lamps gave the long entry hall an eerie orange glow. In the middle of the hallway sat a woman at a semi-circled desk. Behind her at the end of the hall stood two security guards on either side of the large wooden door.

Despite my nakedness, I took a deep breath and confidently approached the woman sitting behind the counter. She was dressed just as Katie had been dressed when I first met her- White blouse, grey vest, and a burgundy choker. Her hands were handcuffed in front of her as she typed on a keyboard.

"Hi, how may I help you?" She asked pleasantly.

"Yeah," I replied slightly out of breath, "I'm here for a hearing or something."

"A disciplinary hearing?" the receptionist asked.

"Sure," I answered, rolling my eyes. Were there really other kinds?

"Very good. Please take a seat and Mistress Annabelle will be with you shortly," she replied, gesturing both cuffed hands towards the benches that ran along the entire length of the wall.

I walked over to the nearest bench seat and sat down, still shivering from the cold dank air. The receptionist returned to typing feverishly on her keyboard. I crossed my legs, attempting to cover myself as much as possible.

Less than a minute later, a loud buzzer sounded, causing the guards in the back of the room to enter the office. Moments later, they reappeared through the doorway dragging a naked bald guy in a red collar. He shouted into a large ball-gag, twisting and tugging to escape their grip, but the guards seemed relatively unfazed. Behind them followed Annabelle, dressed in a tight-fitting purple pantsuit.

"Don't fight it, Mr. Leland. Be a good boy and you'll find that a week in the kennel will go rather quickly," Annabelle said patronizingly. She followed them as they walked past the front desk and exited the building. Leaning out the doorway, she shouted after him- "I'll stop by in a few hours to make sure you're settled in properly."

With a satisfied grin, Annabelle let the door close and walked back to the semi-circled desk.

"Mistress," the receptionist greeted her quietly, bowing her head.

Annabelle ignored her picking up the clipboard. "Who's next?" She asked.

"Me," I replied, standing to my feet. My face was expressionless and I attempted to look as tough as possible.

Turning toward me, Annabelle's face suddenly lit up. "Miss O'Connell!" she replied. "Long time no see!"

"What's the deal with this?" I challenged, pointing to my collar.

"It's only temporary, dear," she replied. "I'll remove it once you've signed our agreement."

"Was it really necessary to force me to come here naked?" I asked.

Annabelle paused and looked back at the clipboard in her hand. "Hannah, Is there a reason that Miss O'Connell's name isn't on the sign-in sheet?" She asked the receptionist, placing it in front of her.

"I'm... sorry, Mistress. I forgot to ask her to sign in," the girl replied sheepishly.

Annabelle leaned forward, placing both hands on the desk. "You forgot?" she asked.

"Yes, Mistress," the girl replied.

"What do you suppose might help you not forget in the future?" Annabelle asked, leaning forward and placing her hands on the desk.

The girl hesitated. "I don't know, Mistress," she answered quietly.

"I think I know just the thing that will help," Annabelle answered. She reached forward and pressed a button on Hannah's office phone. "Security, this is Annabelle. Please send a replacement for Hannah at reception."

"Yes ma'am," a male voice on the other end answered. "Do you have a preference for her replacement?"

"Uh, yes, actually. Shannon if she's available."

"Yes, ma'am," the male voice replied.

"And please send a guard to escort Hannah to the kennel," Annabelle added. "She'll be spending the rest of her shift in corrections-"

"Oh good grief," I said, storming over to the desk. Annabelle's eyebrows raised in surprise as I grabbed a pen and scribbled my fake name on the sign-in sheet. "She didn't forget to ask me. I refused."

Annabelle stared at me for a moment, contemplating her next words. "Is this true, Hannah?" She asked.

The girl named Hannah hesitated, her eyes glancing nervously back and forth from me to Annabelle. Then she gave a slight nod. "Yes, Mistress," she whispered.

Annabelle and I continued staring at each other until the male voice on the phone interrupted us, "Um, is that all ma'am?"

After a pause, a sinister smile came across Annabelle's face. "Yes," she answered. "In fact, please inform Shannon that she will be my new acting secretary. Hannah has been reassigned."

"Yes ma'am," the voice replied, followed by a click and dial tone.

"Oh come on," I interjected. "I just told you that it was my fault. You don't have to be a bitch."

"Hannah, repeat after me," Annabelle said coldly, still staring at me. "Miss O'Connell-"

The girl stared down at the desk and softly replied, "Miss O'Connell-"

"Thanks to your insubordination-" Annabelle continued.

"Thanks to your insubordination-" Hannah repeated.

"I have lost a coveted desk job that I worked very hard for."

"I have lost a coveted desk job that I worked very hard for."

"You may have thought that you were helping me by lying on my behalf-"

"You may have thought that you were helping me by lying on my behalf-"

"-but you have actually made my circumstances much... much worse."

"-but you have actually made my circumstances much much worse."

The girl's voice was now shaky and it sounded as if she was now on the verge of tears. I glared silently into Annabelle's eyes, feeling my face flush with anger.

"What was originally set to be a mere two hours of corrections-" Annabelle continued.

"What was originally set to be a mere two hours of corrections-" the girl echoed.

"-has now become 24 hours in the kennel."

"Please, Mistress- I didn't mean to-" Hannah interjected softly.

"-has now become 48 hours in the kennel," Annabelle corrected herself.

Hannah took a deep sigh and continued, "-has now become 48 hours in the kennel."

"Followed by a permanent reassignment as..." Annabelle tilted her head, staring off into the distance in thought, "resident at the Laughing Place".

Hannah began to whimper. "Please no," she begged in a whisper.

"Finish it," Annabelle ordered forcefully.

Hannah continued, now in tears, "Followed by a permanent reassignment as resident at the Laughing Place." Hannah sobbed and hung her head in misery.

From behind me, I heard the wooden door creak open. A security guard escorted a young petite Indian woman to stand next to us.

"Guard, please see that Hannah finds her way to the kennel," Annabelle said. "I'll be along shortly to see that she's processed and settled in."

"This isn't necessary," I said forcefully, "She didn't do anything wrong!"

Annabelle's finger suddenly shot up to my face. "Another word and her kennel visit turns into a week."

I could do nothing but grit my teeth and scowl. I couldn't ever remember hating someone so much. She was torturing this poor girl just to hurt me. After witnessing me vouch for Katie last night, she had obviously realized that I was an empathetic person. And now, she was using that against me...

The guard grabbed Hannah by the arm and pulled her to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," she said through tears as she was tugged away to the door. Annabelle ignored her as she walked past

A few moments later, both Hannah and the guard disappeared through the door and into the rain. The girl named Shannon sat down in the empty seat behind the desk without saying anything.

"If I remember correctly, poor Hannah had only one request listed on her application. Please no tickling." Annabelle gave an exaggerated shudder. "She's not going to enjoy the Laughing Place." Then, Annabelle turned her gaze back to me. "Okay!" she said, cheerfully, as if nothing had happened. "Follow me to my office."

She promptly turned and walked toward the office door. I followed slowly, shocked at how someone could turn such cruelty on and off with such ease. This woman had to be the closest thing I'd ever witnessed to downright evil.

We made our way to the end of the hallway where Annabelle opened the door and motioned me inside. Trying my best to appear confident, I walked in without hesitation. Annabelle closed the door behind me and crossed to the tall leather chair behind her desk.

I had no choice but to stand facing opposite her, seeing as how there was no chair for me to sit in. I imagine this was intentional to force her guests to stand in her presence.

"You're an enigma, Miss O'Connell," Annabelle continued, lifting her spectacles to her face and looking at her computer screen. "Looking at your records from last year, I see that your previous owner graded you highly submissive. 'A natural-born subby,' he writes. 'Never resists, never talks back, never objects. A true slave at heart.'" Annabelle looked up from her computer and studied me. "It almost as if he's describing an entirely different person..."

My heart skipped beat as I felt a pit form in my stomach. Did she know that I wasn't actually Jodie? I held my breath, attempting to appear as expressionless as humanly possible. "People change," I replied.

Annabelle stared back at me and said nothing for several seconds. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. My mind raced, suspecting the worst.

"Clearly," she finally replied, breaking her stare with me. "Well, whatever the reason is behind your new misguided sense of self-worth, I'm thoroughly looking forward to being done with it." She picked up a folder on her desk and slid it toward me. I stepped forward and picked it up.

"Inside are transfer documents for Ms. Brandy Michaels," she said. "Once you've signed on the last page, she'll be transferred into my custody."

"And Katie?" I replied as I opened the folder.

"Yes," Annabelle said, removing her spectacles and leaning back in her desk chair, "Katie Huff... After several hours of research and legal consultation, I'm afraid that there is... no mechanism in place for directly transferring Miss Hoff into your custody."

"What?" I challenged, blinking dumbfounded at her. "We had an agreement-"

"I'm aware of what we agreed to, but I misspoke," Annabelle replied, almost sounding exhausting. "I've looked into every possible option and believe me when I say-"

"That's just it. I don't believe you," I cut her off. "Look, it's a simple trade. Brandy for Katie. It's what you agreed to."

"The problem..." she began, taking a breath to seemingly compose her impatience, "-is that she is not mine to trade. She is not anybody's to trade."

"Oh for fuck's sake," I replied. "Then, don't trade her to me. Just let her come stay with me. I don't give a shit about custody."

"That's not possible," Annabelle answered.

"Why?" I challenged.

"Because she has already been tried, convicted, and sentenced for being in possession of illicit drugs," she explained. "She pleaded guilty in front of our magistrate and was sentenced to 21 days in corrections."

I stared at her with my jaw open. This was all so absurd! "So, you're telling me that there's no way to commute her sentence? She's just stuck in the kennel for the next month?" I asked.

"There is a way," Annabelle answered. "But it would require her officially change her status from a staff member to contestant.

"So, what's the problem?" I asked.

"The problem is that she did not participate in the hunt," Annabelle fired back in an aggressive voice. "She wasn't a contestant during the hunt. Therefore, having never been captured, she cannot be treated as property. If she were a contestant who'd been caught, she could be traded. If she'd been collected by a gamesman, we'd have been happy to trade her to you. But she doesn't belong to us. And even if she became a contestant at this point, she still wouldn't be ours to trade."

"This is so fucked up," I muttered, stroking my hair out of my face and staring at the ceiling.

"Believe it or not, these rules were put in place to shield employees from unwilling enslavement by their superiors. They protect the staff from being traded or gifted against their will," Annabelle explained.

I simply stood there in silence, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.

Annabelle finally broke the silence. "According to our attorneys, there's only one solution to this predicament."

I looked back at her, waiting for her to explain. "Which is..."

"Katie would need to officially become a contestant..." Annabelle paused before finishing with, "And submit herself into the auction this evening. At that point, you would have the opportunity to buy her."

"What?" I spat incredulously. Annabelle simply stared back at me with her hands crossed on the desk in front of her. "No way! Are you serious? I'm not gonna let Katie be auctioned off. Are you crazy? What happens if I lose?!"