The Prize

This is my first submission. Reader feedback is greatly appreciated.

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The stones arched through the air and bounced onto the table. They jumbled and rolled for several inches then came to a stop at the other end of the table. Though the room was packed, no one breathed. Suddenly, one whole side of the room burst into cheering and yelling. The room was obviously divided down the center, the line bisecting the length of the table. One side of the room was cheering and patting each other on the back. All except one. This man was standing, eyes locked on the man directly across from him. The other man's eyes never left the stones. The winner cautiously reached out and collected the scraps of paper that were IOUs representing everything the other man owned. He handed the papers to the man on his right and reached back to the table and picked up a key that, save the stones, was the only thing left on the table. He held up the key and turned it in front of his eyes.

His eyes locked on the loser across from him. "Where?" His voice boomed and the noise in the room dropped a few decibels. The other man answered without taking his eyes from the stones. "Door... around back... then down the stairs."

"Standar," he says to his right hand man. "Take those notes and first, take care of the widows and families, then distribute them to the men. I'll come find you in the morning."

"Yes, Brill. It will be my pleasure." And Standar turns to converse with a couple men.

Brill takes one last look at the stones, says a silent prayer of thanks to the gods, and begins to move towards the door. The going is slow as it seems all the men wanted to touch him and offer their congratulations. He finally makes it to the door and turns to walk around the big meeting hall. The few of his men still outside he directs to the Gathering now in full swing inside the hall.

He finds the door and unlocks it with the key. The hinges are old and he strains at the door before it finally moves. Grabbing a torch from beside the door, he enters and walks down the steps. The steps wind down in a gentle spiral for a couple hundred feet, then suddenly he is looking into a large room. It is not quite a dungeon, but it wouldn't take much to convert it.

A jingle of chains draws his attention to the darkened corner to his right. Brill walks over and places the torch in a holder. There, chained to the wall by ankles and wrists, is the woman he just won from Rolpe. He looks her up and down, from head to foot and back again. He sees past the dirt that covers her and the dress that hangs from her in tatters. He looks into her eyes and sees the beauty that lies deep within. A beauty that he now sees was worth the week-long bloody fights and the final winner-take-all game tonight. At stake were all his possessions for all Rolpe's possessions and his life for hers... sight unseen.

His hand reaches towards her face. Her eyes close and her body stiffens in expectation of the blow. The blow that they all use to show her who is in control, who has the authority. But it has never shown her that. She has instead shown them. She killed, in their sleep, three of her last five owners. And in such a way that she would never be suspect. What does that say about who is in control? But the blow never comes. Instead she feels a gentle touch to her face. Her eyes open as the back of the stranger's fingers slide down her cheek.

He pulls his fingers back from her soft skin and looks around the room. He sees the water bucket and retrieves it. He grasps what's left of the neckline of her dress and rips it to the hem. After tearing a strip from the dress he casts it to the floor. He pauses to admire her body: the roundness of her breasts, and the gentle curve of her hips. He picks up a ladle full of water and pours it over her shoulders. The chill water is a shock to her body as he sees her shiver, but he also sees her nipples grow and harden almost immediately. Now there are tracks of milky white skin where the water washed the dirt off on its way to her feet.

He dips the scrap of cloth into the bucket and steps close to her again. "I thought I might clean you up a bit before I take you outside."

"Let me go. Please," she asks.

"No. You are my prize. I won you, fair and square, and now I will, uh... clean you up and make you a bit more presentable. In my own way, and with your hands and feet secured. For now."

As he wipes the cloth around her face, it seems more as if he is wiping beauty on rather than cleaning dirt off. He cleans her arms and neck the same way. But at her breasts he pauses and squeezes the cloth over her nipples. As the cool water splashes off her breasts, the nipples grow more. He sees the woman close her eyes and bite her lip, her arms straining a little at her shackles. He wiped her chest and stomach clean and left the cloth in the bucket.

His hands covered her breasts and his lips kissed her neck. He felt the hardness of her nipples against his palms as his lips and tongue caressed the soft skin of her neck. She was beautiful and he could resist the urge to touch her no longer. She struggled briefly before resigning herself to his touch.

He touched her. She knew he would. They all did eventually. But he was different. She did not feel repulsed by his touch. It was strong, yet gentle. Forceful, yet yielding. With the heat of his mouth on her neck and tenderness of his hands on her breasts she wanted to reach out and touch him too, if only to just stroke his hair. But she could not. She was still chained to the wall. This would be a far worse torture than she had first imagined: being touched in this fashion without being able to respond in kind. But, strangely, the thought excited her.

He started kissing her breasts. His lips lightly brushing the skin as his tongue flicked out to tease her nipples. His hands slid down and around her waist to massage her firm buttocks. Her breasts were warm and supple in his mouth. He tugged on her nipples with his lips and licked at the sensitive underside of her breasts. He could feel her arch her back as if to offer her breasts to him.

He stops and turns to the bucket, and he hears a sigh laced in disappointment. He picks up the cloth and reaches behind her to wash her back. The cool water on her back raises chill bumps all over her chest and Brill pecks her nipples one at a time. He slowly caresses her butt with the cloth. Teasing the skin and cleaning off the dirt at the same time. He dips the rag in the bucket again and raises it back to her butt. The cool rag slides down between her butt cheeks. The sensation drives her up onto her toes and a gasp escapes her lips as she longs to touch this man who touches her this way. Brill slid the rag up and down between her cheeks until she started to press herself back against his hand.

He dipped the rag in the bucket again and knelt in front of her. He smiled a knowing smile as he caught a whiff of her musky scent. Looking up to her face, he saw her breasts moving with her rapid breathing. Her mouth was open and her eyes closed as she awaited his next touch. He started washing her thighs. And as his hand slid the cloth between them he felt the heat of her arousal. He continued to wash her legs and feet. Occasionally, on purpose, he would brush his hand against the small hairs at the apex of her thighs just to hear her sigh.

He finishes and tosses the cloth into the bucket and stands. He his face a mere inch away from hers. He is close enough that her nipples brush the front of his shirt as she breathes. "You are clean once more," Brill says in a whisper.

"Thank you, sir," she replies. "Will you let me loose, then?"

"I said you're clean. But I'm not quite done with you." And Brill's fingers touch her hips.

"Please, sir, let me go" And Brill's fingers begin sliding up her waist. "Please," she whispers as his fingers move higher. "Please." Her voice is low and husky as Brill's fingertips now caress her breasts. Lightly touching. Moving around quickly to tease and tickle. "Oh! Please!" Her voice was a soft sigh as Brill's fingers slid down her stomach to tease her abdomen. Brill took a deep breath and blew softly against her skin as he knelt before her once again. The rest of his breath blowing onto her pussy.

He ran his hands from her ankles slowly up her thighs. She moaned loudly as his thumbs rubbed her lips and massaged her vulva. She thrust her hips forward and he inhaled deeply, holding her womanly scent in his lungs till they almost burst. His thumbs moved in circles on her lips. Her hips began to slowly move in rhythm with his thumbs. His face got closer and closer until he stuck out his tongue and tasted her wetness.

"Oooohh!" She thrust herself at his face as her hands pulled against the chains

His tongue snaked down between her lips. She spread her legs as wide as her bonds would allow when his tongue found her opening. Brill opened his mouth wide to take in the whole of her pussy as his tongue entered her. Again and again he parted her lips with his tongue. He enjoyed the taste of her and swallowed every drop of juice caught between his lips. He wrapped his tongue around her clit and heard her moan again. Around and around her clit, Brill circles his tongue. Flicking it. Teasing it. Massaging it. Loving her pussy with his tongue. Faster then slower. Harder then softer. Working her into a passionate frenzy.

But the woman could not take this forever. She could not touch him. The only contact with him was where he chose. It drove her completely wild. And now she could do something for this man. There was one thing he wanted that she could give him. And she was ready. She came. She came in his mouth. She squealed as the wave of passion lifted her up and moaned as it brought her back down again. Brill had had grabbed her butt cheeks as her orgasm begun and held tight against his mouth, not wanting to miss a drop of her precious nectar.

They were both satisfied. The woman hung limp in her shackles. Worn out from the passion. He kissed her and let the back of his fingers slide down her cheek and turned to retrieve his torch.

"I'll send someone down with clothes and instructions." And Brill walked up the stairs.