The Struggle Ch. 05a

Author's Note: This is the fifth story in the chain 'The struggle'.

The story started with 'A game within a Game' part 1-2-3.

It is divided into 2 parts (A and B).

Again thanks to my editor NJLauren!

Main characters:

Rob - main character

Helena - his wife

Marion - widow; second 'wife'

Cathy - friend (psychiatrist)

Michelle - friend

Kim - friend (local doctor)

Bridget - friend; owner of a theater shop (- and more mature items)

Lisa - owner of a bridal shop

Jenny - Rob's ex-wife

Sylvia - member of Helena's security organization, special friend of Rob

Dogs:

Nicky and Inca - Rob's Doberman dogs

Boris - Michelle's Doberman

Reader, this story is the follow-up of 'a game within a game part 1-2-3-the Struggle'.

*

The day after (the wedding).

The sky was dark. Although it was morning black clouds made it almost appear to be night. Heavy rain was falling from the sky, forming large puddles at the parking area. The black clouds drove slowly by and

lightning flashes followed by heavy thundering made Rob's dogs focus their ears. The flashing light gave a sinister effect to the trees surrounding the estate, when they were lit up by the lightning.

Helena, Marion and Rob were enjoying their breakfast in the kitchen. Rob's two dogs, Inca and Nicky, lay at his feet. It was still early, they were the only three people downstairs. They were more relaxed

now because before having breakfast, they had prepared enough coffee, tea, bread and just about everything else you could possibly think of, which was now ready to be consumed. Thermoses and warm-hold plates did the trick.

The guests were still in their rooms, but when they choose to come downstairs after their long night filled with sex and joy, they could brunch in the dining room. Quite a few guests were obviously not asleep according to Marion, but also didn't make haste to leave their bedrooms, either. Marion told them, that she had heard a lot of giggles, moans and other sounds that were not directly sleep related while she passed the guestrooms when heading downstairs.

Rob was standing in front of one of the large windows, staring outside. He quickly finished his breakfast because he wasn't in a very good mood and he wasn't that hungry either. He waited impatiently until it would finally stop raining, or at least for the rain to change into a drizzle so it would be more bearable. He was very anxious to get out and urgently needed some fresh air. For some reason he had to leave the estate; away from everybody and to clear his head. So many things had happened yesterday, and he still felt very confused - even after a good night's sleep.

What annoyed him most was the questioning by Michelle and her promise that she would become his Mistress. He surmised it was all part of an arrangement, from which he could not figure out the consequences yet, set up by Marion, Helena and Michelle. Also, he was bothered by the 'coming out' of him, dressed as a bride, and later as a French maid. He had the feeling they had in effect programmed him, messing with his sanity and thus lured him into their game. He must have gone mad to have done all that kinky stuff, in the presence of persons he didn't know, yet Though nobody had mocked or teased him, he had felt very unsure doing so in front of strangers, hence his anger when Helena told him to uncover his genitals in front of some 30 women. He felt embarrassed once again, just thinking about the event. He certainly would 'discuss' this soon with Helena, this was the very last time he would let her convince him to play along in her little games. He had felt humiliated and it didn't matter that the women themselves were also undressed, he had been the only male in front of a lot of women and he didn't like it at all - and that was an understatement. It was supposed to be a 'funny' event, especially set up for him, but now he wished he had walked out, even if that had spoiled the 'fun' for Helena.

On the other hand Marion and Helena were pleased with themselves, all had gone well during their wedding, and it had been a grand success in their opinion. They had not the slightest idea about Rob's feelings. They were still a bit tired and they knew another busy day was ahead of them, as their guests would be allowed to make use of their playroom, yet under their watchful eyes.

Helena showed them the key: "This is the key for the playroom, it's currently locked. I don't want to take any chances that the quests will go back there on their own. The doors may absolutely not be opened until 14:00 hours, under the guidance of you, Marion. Firstly, because they all need to come to their senses and recover a bit from a night of 'fun' and secondly, quite a few of our guests also have to sober up I guess." She gave the key to Marion.

"I totally agree," Marion said. "I'm still a bit drained from yesterday, since we tend to do what we can to entertain our guests, and while we had fun ourselves, it's exhausting. I believe that was your idea, Helena," she teased. "And how do you feel, Rob?"

"Like shit. I'm having second thoughts about yesterday. I'm also a bit sore in my backside. I wasn't really prepared for you to use such a large dildo on me." He wasn't all that happy about what she had done to him and thus didn't give her a very cheerful glance and the words were spoken with some anger.

"Girls learn to enjoy it after a while," Marion said, mockingly; but when she saw his face she didn't like the look he presented her. Her smile disappeared from her face and she looked for help from Helena.

At first Helena just smiled while listening to Marion's teasing - until she then, too, suddenly realized that Rob was not happy at all. She decided to ignore his reaction and to hope for the best.

She changed the subject. "I think Sylvia is cured from her madness. I was in shock when she acted so very strange. Deep waters..." She didn't finish her sentence.

They all understood. Sylvia, their personal bodyguard, always strong, cool, and sometimes even cold, had acted peculiarly last night. From a feared bodyguard she had changed into a submissive woman who would do

almost anything, just to please her Mistress. While in the playroom, such behavior was fine, but outside the 'scene', they expected to see her old self, the self-assured and fearless woman on whom they always could rely on.

It was as if Sylvia had read their minds, they all heard the knock on the door and then she entered the kitchen, clad in her usual dark clothes: black elastic pants, a black shirt which she usually wore when dressed as bodyguard and black knee-high boots. Her face was made up, some black mascara around her eyes, her hair in a ponytail and she had a faint smile around her vaguely red lips.

She appeared to be a bit uncomfortable with them this morning and after a few uneasy, silent seconds, she finally started to make some excuses. "I want to apologize for my behavior last night, I didn't know what came over me. I have never been like that before. By seeing all these 'things' something must have been awakened in me, which I didn't know I had in me. Hell, I have seen these kind of things plenty of times nefpre, but I never had second thoughts about it." Her head drooped and it looked like she felt a bit embarrassed.

She wanted to say more but Helena cut her off. "It's alright Sylvia. I have known you for so many years, somehow you didn't know yourself as well as you always thought. Be glad it happened here and you were amongst friends. Please sit down with us and have some coffee."

With some uneasiness Sylvia sat at the breakfast table, but seeing nobody was referring to last night she became more relaxed and soon she was consuming her breakfast. Rob looked a bit warily at her because she had been so determined to make love to him. In his mind, she probably had lusted after him for a long time and she had finally been allowed to have sex with him, which was supposed to be her reward for bringing him back to Helena after his outburst. This morning she hardly dared to look him in the eyes, and he decided to try to ignore her, as he didn't want to make it more difficult than necessary for her.

"I have to go out, bad weather or not. I don't suppose anyone wants to join me?" he looked at nobody in particular, hoping he could walk solitarily with his dogs.

"I will walk with you," Helena answered.

"I want to go outside, do you mind if I come along as well?" Sylvia asked. She had eaten fast and quickly emptied her cup of tea as well.

"I don't mind at all," Rob answered before Helena could say anything.

"Yes, you all go, I'll keep an eye on our guests," Marion then said. She winked at Helena, who smiled back. Rob noticed that and asked himself what was going on, once again. Another plan of these wicked women? He groaned inwardly.

He whistled for his dogs to come. His dogs expected this and stood waiting for him at the front door. Then the three of them left the estate. Although the rain was still pouring down, the temperature wasn't

very cold and they decided to walk toward the nearby forest, where they would have at least some shelter against the wind and the rain. It had stopped thundering and the morning light was trying to break through the clouds. Soon the weather would improve.

"Sylvia," Rob started, "I promised you a private session in the examining room yesterday evening, but I think we better postpone it until another day next week, when we have our house to ourselves completely and we are a bit more relaxed."

"I totally agree," Helena said. "Sylvia, today you'll have to keep an eye on our guests, because Rob and I will not be present this afternoon!" she said rather forcefully. Rob wondered what she was up to, so far he wasn't aware of any plans, there was of course the wink that Marion gave Helena.

"So you want me to be present back at the estate right now?" Sylvia asked, a bit confused.

"Yes dear. I appreciate that you want to walk with us in this awful weather, but I would rather have you back there to help Marion. I absolutely don't want more of a mess. Our servants will have a busy week anyway - I'm even thinking of hiring some extra hands to clean up the bedrooms," Helena answered. She looked a bit sorrowed. "This wedding has been fun, but not without its costs. And I'm not speaking about the financial costs, if you get my meaning."

"I think everybody behaved last night," Rob said, wincing.

"I agree - but I want to be sure they keep behaving. They are probably more relaxed now, their curiosity has been satisfied, but I absolutely don't want any troubles. So, there lies the task for you, Sylvia."

"OK. I will go back then," Sylvia replied, a bit disappointed. She had hoped to talk some more in private with Rob and Helena, clearly this was not a good moment. She saw the sympathetic glance Rob gave her and she smiled gratefully at him and headed back.

Rob turned to Helena. "I have never heard you speak like that to Sylvia," he said, accusingly. "You have something on your mind."

Helena just nodded.

"So you have something planned?" he asked suspiciously. "I saw Marion exchange a wink with you, so I guess you are up to something."

"Yes, it is one of the reasons I came along. I do like the peace and quiet of this early Sunday morning even when the weather is as bad as it is. But it also gives me the opportunity to talk to you about our next little surprise. Only if you are up to it, of course."

Rob looked at her a bit warily. "I have no idea what you're talking about, and I don't like surprises, at least not the ones you and Marion come up with. Most certainly, not after that awful surprise in front of

all those women!" He growled the last words.

Helena grew weary from his accusations. She sighed. "Remember our conversation yesterday? That I would ask Michelle to be your new Mistress? We have had so many misunderstandings and fights, I'm afraid

- and so is Marion - that our relationship will suffer and those misunderstandings will be devastating to our marriage. I don't want that to happen anymore. I don't want to hurt you unintentionally and from

now on every game we will play will always be explained in advance. We will still act as your Mistresses, but like you, we will be trained by Michelle - on both sides of the whip." Rob looked flabbergasted.

"Yes dear, Marion and I will both become the subs of Michelle, to learn and to feel ourselves what we inflict upon you or anyone else."

"That whip is the least of my fears. Your games, and especially those humiliation games, I will not ever accept again. Do you understand? And who do you mean by 'anyone else'?"

"You were not humiliated - only in your imagination."

Rob protested, but Helena just carried on, overruling his objections. "Let it pass - everybody thought you were brave. And yes, others. You saw Sylvia, her behavior last night will not end like that.

She wants more; she has tasted it - and there is Lisa, and there's Kim. They are all our friends, we cannot say no to them after they have received what they needed. And I have to admit, I like to give it to them, I get aroused by doing it. I like being a Mistress, but I want to be a splendid Mistress, like Michelle. I never thought it would be so erotic, so sexy and so satisfying. I still remember I warned you about Marion and Jenny's plan back then, and now I am becoming the same..."

Rob was silent. He tried to be patient and polite, and was thinking fast. To give him some more time before answering Helena's statement he fetched a piece of wood out of the dirt and threw it far away. Nicky and Inca picked it up - each on a side - and started to pull. With a snap the stick broke, and both dogs carried a piece of the stick proudly in their mouth.

"So you are becoming a genuine Mistress? Maybe even a professional?" he finally asked.

"I guess so. I thought you wanted me to be - your Mistress... And professional; only in the good sense of the word: professional to you and to our friends. In fact; I already am, more or less. And that brings me to the other reason I am here with you. You are my life, you know that, and Marion thinks exactly the same about you and me. We knew what was coming and we both had an in depth conversation with Michelle before she examined you. Marion too acknowledged the superiority of Michelle and while you are currently wearing Marion's collar in the playroom, we thought about what would be the best thing for you to do. And that is: to give the collar back - temporarily -- to Marion, and then she will hand you over to Michelle - not in person, but you know what I mean: for the time being and for as long Michelle thinks she needs to guide you. I would like to do that this afternoon. Marion is taking care of the guests for the time being, and I was planning to accompany you to go to Michelle's and talk things over, with just the three of us; if you want to, of course. Michelle is awaiting my phone call right now, I promised to let her know what you decided. I want to make it perfectly clear that YOU decide to go along - or not. It's completely your choice - and your choice alone - we only can advise. Another possibility for you is to wait for our lessons, until we are more experienced, even Marion knows she is hardly as capable as Michelle, and I think Cathy too wants to join in for some lessons. So we all will be very busy - with or without you."

"So you have been very active the days I was 'awol'?"

"Yes - I knew you were coming back..." her voice trailed off. "At least, I thought you would be - until that awful misunderstanding," she said softly.

She remembered her feelings when she was convinced that he wouldn't come back. She also knew he wasn't planning to come back, not until Jenny and Sylvia had persuaded him that he was responsible for her wellbeing; God, she had felt so lost...

Of course Rob remembered what event she was referring to, but he didn't regret his follow up action, his disappearance. He had come back because he didn't want to lose her, not like that, but they had humiliated him so very badly, he still felt a twist in his stomach sometimes. He was hurt, in the deepest part of his soul and he knew the scar wouldn't leave him, as long as he would live. The action itself was harmless - but totally unexpected; and unwanted; and it felt as the utmost betrayal: Marion and Helena had peed over him, while he was bound and blindfolded. The humiliation he had felt had made him literally sick, he had vomited afterwards. They didn't stop peeing while he safeworded, they defended their behavior by saying that it was impossible to stop peeing, but then seemed to think it was a good joke. But this he had never expected it to happen, not without a warning and not from his wife and his best girlfriend, now other wife. He felt the twist in his stomach again while thinking about that bad scene.

Somehow Helena saw the pain in his eyes and she took his hand. "It still hurts, doesn't it?" she asked softly.

"Yes - and it will never pass!" he answered brusquely, letting go her hand and walking away from her with hasty and large steps.

Helena stood perplexed, this she wasn't expecting, not after yesterday, the marriage and all preparations she had carefully planned to make this an event to never forget.

She ran to Rob and when she walked next to him she took his hand again. "Rob, please wait. Let's talk!" she said, upset.

"About what?" he asked defiantly. "I did my duty yesterday, I came back, didn't I? I played along - but that doesn't mean that everything is over and forgotten. I'm not even considering, while I am thinking more clearly at the moment, of giving up my old home. Too much shit has happened and I quite frankly fear the day when something bad will happen again and I won't have a hole to crawl into!"

The anger was written all over his face again. "And that stunt you pulled on me - humiliating me in front of all those women - what were you thinking? I behaved because I didn't want to embarrass you any more than I already had, but believe me, again I was on the brink of leaving you. I DON'T LIKE SURPRISES and I surely don't like to be humiliated!" He almost shouted these last words.

"But that's why we have to talk with Michelle. She will guide you and if things go wrong - you cannot blame me or Marion. That's the whole point of that exercise. We don't want any surprises; ever again!" Helena panicked a bit. 'Not again' she thought - 'Dear God - not again. After all the trouble we had to get him back' - she didn't want to, but she started to cry. She let go of his hand and turned.

Slowly she walked home - her spirit was broken. She needed to rest now - a lot of rest - and maybe like Rob said earlier, it would be better to tear down the playroom. No more games - way too risky in losing

him again. It was not worth it - she would speak to Marion and Cathy immediately.

Then she felt his hand taking hers - and Nicky and Inca darted alongside and chased after an imaginary rabbit or something. Her face cleared up a bit and she looked at Rob, whose face still was rigid, but the anger she just had seen appearing was gone.

"Maybe it is the best thing for us both to talk to Michelle. You probably are right - as always." He sighed. "So you want me to surrender completely to her?"

"Yes. Trust her." The relief on her face was clearly visible, she wiped off her tears. Rob pretended not to see.

Helena continued "I think she is the best option for you; you already like her very much and she is fond of you. She lives nearby, she went home last night - when everybody visited the playroom, she came up to me to tell you she said goodbye - and that she is expecting you today. But knowing you, she is aware that you may be very reluctant and that she will not be offended should you decide not to go to her place."