Tri-ethereal Ch. 01

The guard unlocked the door to our cell. He didn't say anything; he just stood there. But I knew what he had come for. The court had reached a verdict yesterday and now I was to be led there for the official sentencing.

I stood up and slowly walked toward him. When I came abreast of him I held my head up and waited while he attached two chains to the iron ring around our body's neck, one chain in front and another in the back. Then he and the guard with him -- each holding a chain -- led me to the courtroom.

The courtroom was packed with spectators. No Trimorph had been charged as such in more than a decade -- I was also found guilty of a sex crime. They had all come to see who could commit such a foul, despicable crime. They were here to see the perverted criminal get punished.

Our crime was so evil that a special prosecutor was chosen to try the case, Count Strydamu the Presiding Officer of the royal council.

John had originally been charged only with violating Tri-etherealian decency codes by propagating and participating in bondage and discipline sex. The evidence against him was some poems he wrote to his "lover," telling her of his love and what he feels when we go through what we Trimorphs call union. Both Unamorph and commoner Tri-etherealians call it sex.

Let me point out that we Trimorphs don't have sex, not normal sex, not perverted sex, not bondage and discipline sex, not any kind of sex. We are too much into union with our counterpart to indulge into something like sex.

Besides all Tri-etherealians practice bondage and discipline sex. Well not all of them, but there are a lot of Tri-etherealians who practice it. They just don't broadcast it. They are discreet. John and I were discreet in what we did too. But our poems fell into the wrong hands.

Count Strydamu cleared his throat. Then, "Johanna, you have been formerly charged as a Trimorph and for participating in bondage and discipline sex. Your original plea was not guilty on both counts. Is that correct?"

"Yes Count Strydamu," I answered. There was no emotion in my voice.

"Do you wish to change your original plea?"

"No Count Strydamu," I again answered him. I have no idea why he asked me if I wanted to change my plea, especially seeing that I have already been found guilty -- on both counts.

He turned to confer privately with the seven Lords who were seated at the bench in front of me. He held my and John's poems in his hand.

I stood naked in the courtroom, manacles on our body's ankles and wrists and another chain around our body's waist that was attached to the one binding our feet.

The body that John and I share has been chained up and naked for five months now. When we were charged as a Trimorph sex violator the clothes were torn from our body -- as a Trimorph sex violator we were not allowed to wear clothes. The voyeuristic among the Tri-etherealians like to see Trimorphs naked; they like to watch us go through union.

Next the manacles and chains were put on our body.

Then our body was thrown into a cell, the only light coming from a barred window high in the stone wall. Our bed was a cot with a mattress stuffed with straw, but we didn't have a blanket. We were lucky. We had a chamber pot in the far corner for a toilet. The other prisoners weren't so lucky. I guess that's because we hadn't been found guilty . . . until now.

Each morning Melissa, a Trimorph slave girl, would be let in to clean out the pot. She too was naked with chains on her body's wrists, ankles and waist.

Melissa had been sentenced to ten years of slavery for refusing the advances of Lord Clyton, Keeper of the Prison of Norlen. Three years ago he discovered that she is a Trimorph and wanted sex with her -- sex with a Trimorph is supposed to be exceptionally ecstatic for non-Trimorphs. That's because, unlike other Tri-etherealians, we retain our youth. Melissa is over 730 years old yet she doesn't look a day over 20.

But Trimorphs are no different than any other Tri-etherealian. We are normal in all our features except that we change sexes. At any one time our body is either male or female. We change sexes during what we call union.

In the case of me and John, he's the male and I'm the female. At any one time one of us possesses our body while one of us goes into transition -- outside our body and inside our mind.

That is, the Trimorph going into transition . . . well their essence -- the who they are -- leaves the body but their thoughts and beliefs stay inside the body's mind. It's kind of like having someone else -- a spirit -- living inside your mind who is watching over you from outside your body. This friend and lover can communicate with you and help you out in numerous ways.

Meanwhile their counterpart -- who assumes possession and control of their body -- comes back into the body from transition. That is, their counterpart's essence comes back into the body they share. It's kind of like waking up from a very realistic dream.

As for our body . . . well I guess you could say that it's both sexes. But only one sex is evident at a time -- the sex of the one in possession of the body, the male or the female.

Let me point out that Trimorphs are not transsexuals. A transsexual desires to be a member of the opposite sex. Trimorphs have no such desires. Our body changes sexes from male to female and back again and again, all depending upon who has possession of it.

John and I are two completely different individuals, who share one body -- which is actually the third individual of our tri-existence. John is all male with his own personality, and I am all female with my own, different personality.

I think that he is sometimes far too liberal. Of course, he thinks I'm too conservative. I tell him that I'm only being cautious for safety. But we love each other; we look out for each other.

Nor are we narcissistic; I don't love myself. I love John and he loves me. He's a totally different Tri-etherealian than I am with his own likes and dislikes. He likes adventure and mystery; I like romance and comedy.

Anyway, once Melissa refused the advances of Lord Clyton he had her arrested. It is against the law for a commoner to refuse to obey a Unamorph. She was found guilty. Now he has her whenever he wants her . . . day and night.

As his personal slave, she has to sleep on the floor near his bed, ready at all times for his use -- or abuse -- whichever he desires at any given moment. I frequently see the marks on her body from the lashings he gives her. Luckily the scars disappear when she goes into transition.

But she told me that that was not the worst part of her slavery. The worst part is that she is not allowed to have private union with Melyssan, her male counterpart. When their union starts the prison guards pour cold water on their naked body in order to lessen their joy. Then the guards voyeuristically watch their body go through union and change sexes.

Then they have the audacity to call us perverts.

While she is in transition Lord Clyton has Melyssan chained up in another part of his castle's prison.

John and I were allowed private union in our cell only because we have influence and had not been found guilty. But now I'm sure that will change. I'm sure that all our future unions will be observed by the voyeuristic guards.

My and John's other luxury was a daily bath in the evening. If you want to call a bucket of cold water a luxury. Melissa -- or Melyssan when he had control of their body -- would bring a bucket of water into our cell each evening when she brought us our evening meal. Our body would then have an hour to eat and wash up before the slave girl would return to get the bucket and collect the dishes. She collected our breakfast dishes when she cleaned the chamber pot -- we were only given the two meals a day.

Count Strydamu pounded a gavel on the podium before him.

"Johanna, you have been found guilty as a Trimorph and for perversion against the royal monarch, against Tri-etherealian decency codes and against normal, straight sex. Do you have anything you wish to say before sentence is pronounced?"

I looked around the courtroom. To my left were the civil aristocrats and the nobility, dressed in their fine robes of purple silk and red velvet. I doubt if any of these Unamorphs had ever seen a Trimorph. They lived in their mansions and their castles, never leaving except to visit their friends who live in other mansions and castles. Even then they traveled in their enclosed carriages with guards before, aft and on both sides.

They were here to gawk, to see a Trimorph -- a naked one at that -- found guilty of indecency.

To my right and to my rear were the commoners, hemmed in by sword and lance bearing guards. They had been subpoenaed by the Count from around Tri-ethereal to come here to Norlen. He wanted them to go back home and tell their friends and neighbors what would be their fate if they practiced bondage and discipline sex. But I'm sure that many of them -- if not all of them -- were here to see the "pervert."

In the balcony were the pages, the squires and the knights. As defenders of the castle, the knights were here to see that order was preserved. The pages and squires were here to attend to the knights.

Standing naked before the court and everyone attending was supposed to further humiliate me. But I was not ashamed. I knew that neither I nor John had done anything wrong. Besides, I am not ashamed to be seen naked. I enjoy nudity; I think it's beautiful. It is those who are filled with self love, materialism and ignorance who are ashamed of nudity.

Indeed, in the evening after the library had shut down and everyone had returned to their cottages, John or I -- whichever one of us had possession of our body at the time -- would lock the doors, strip down and walk around in the nude.

Let me point out that, except to go the market, to draw water from the town well or to go out for recreation, John and I never left Lord Kennington's library. Before we were arrested, we lived and worked in his library. He provided us with a small room in the rear with a bathing room attached that we used as our living quarters.

Anyway, one day while I was upstairs dusting the books, I discovered a book on Trimorph union. I was intrigued by its leather bindings -- that's how it caught my eye. It was an ancient book, hand written by the Trimorph scribes of old. That evening I began to read it. I was amazed by what it said. Written in it were things that the ancient Trimorphs did before, during and after union in order to enhance their union.

I told John about the book and he too began to read it. It said that nudity enhances union. So at night we began walking through the isles of books in the nude. Sure enough our unions were enhanced. After that we would remain naked from the time the library shut down until it reopened the next day. Other things the book told of we also did and our unions soon became a lot more ecstatic and blissful.

"Yes Count Strydamu, I understand that John and I have a choice. We can choose banishment into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal or death?"

"That is correct. You understand that the only reason you have been given a choice is because of the influence you have with some members of the royal council and the royal court? Were it not for their intervention you would be burned at the stake. Your crimes warrant death."

He looked over and frowned at Lord Thomason, Chief Juror, and Lord Incolyn, the only two jurors who voted not guilty. The other five, Lords Nyxion, Rygon, Fiord, Rovelt and Bashmynn, all voted to have our body burned at the stake.

Lord Kennington came to our defense as a character witness. He could not be on the jury because he is the Keeper of the Records of the city of Norlen and the kingdom of Tri-ethereal. But his testimony was enough to help convince Lord Thomason and Lord Incolyn to publicly go against the majority and vote not guilty. It is he who has the real influence.

During the trial and after the verdict, Lord Kennington fought bitterly to have our life spared while an appeal was made to His Majesty King Andrew and Queen Marina. He argued that there were special, extenuating circumstances in our case that demanded that our body not be burned at the stake.

Lord Thomason, Lord Incolyn, Lord Kennington and several other Unamorphs -- both nobles and civil aristocrats -- are also trying to get the laws changed. They are trying to get all the corrupt, discriminatory anti-Trimorph laws repealed, although Lord Thomason, Lord Incolyn and some of the Lords only covertly oppose the laws.

Count Strydamu only gave in when they threatened to remove their support of his nomination for a seat on the royal council. That's how we ended up with a choice between banishment and death. He wants to be among the noble class; they have more political influence than civil aristocrats.

He was a normal, civil aristocrat before his election as Presiding Officer of the royal council. Tri-etherealian law then allowed him to add Count to his name. But that's not enough; he wants to be nobility.

It has been years -- decades -- since a Trimorph has been thrown into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal. John and I choose to be banished from the kingdom of Tri-ethereal because there is a chance -- rumor really -- that we can be repatriated from it. No one has ever returned from Corporeal. In fact, no one is really sure exactly what banishment entails.

When Count Strydamu learned that we would choose banishment he became livid and wanted to revoke our choice. He believed that John and I would choose death over banishment. But he couldn't go back on his word as that might damage his chances for election for a seat on the royal council, which he cares for more than his hatred of me and John.

The papers for our exile into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal were signed yesterday afternoon right after the verdict was handed down. Today John and I are to be officially consigned to our fate.

"Yes Count. Both John and I are grateful for this choice."

"What is your choice?"

"I have communicated with John extensively on this. Neither of us wishes to be burned at the stake."

"You choose to be exiled into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal, to be banished from the kingdom of Tri-ethereal over death?" he said with mock amazement. His question was meant to intimidate me into choosing death.

"Yes Count Strydamu."

"You realize that once you are cast out of Tri-ethereal you will be in total misery for as long as you exist; for all eternity you will labor and toil in sweat and agony?" Again, trying to intimidate me. He has no idea what life is like in Corporeal. No one does.

"Yes Count. John and I have both chosen . . ."

"This court cannot take your word on what your counterpart wishes. Matters of law demand that we hear from him. He must tell us himself what sentence he desires. You understand that if he chooses death then you will be burned at the stake."

"Yes Count Strydamu."

I wasn't worried about what sentence John would choose. Neither of us wanted to be cast out of Tri-ethereal. Neither of us wished to be thrown into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal. But John and I figured that exile couldn't be worse than death; we would both still be alive. So we choose banishment.

Although according to the legends, unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal is a fate worse than death. But then no one has ever returned from exile to verify that, or to reveal exactly what unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal leads to. That's why john and I considered it a myth. At least, we both hoped it was a myth.

"Guards return Johanna to her cell until John comes out of transition," the Count bellowed. "As soon as their union is complete and he is in possession of their body bring him here for his sentencing."

That's a laugh. John and I are going to be banished for being a Trimorph and for propagating and participating in bondage and discipline sex -- the first Trimorph in 75 years to be charged and exiled. Yet they strip our body naked, chain it up, throw it in a cell and then demand that we perform union this way -- in violation of their law.

Like I said, I'm not ashamed to be naked or to be chained up. Our unions are a lot more ecstatic if our body is naked and bound in any way.

The Count is a hypocrite. Rumor has it that he practices bondage and discipline sex. If that's not enough, Melissa once told me that he and Lord Clyton frequently, repeatedly rape her. Although he wears a mask she knows who it is who assaults her.

But of course, he can get away with it because he's the Count. He's a civil aristocrat; he's a Unamorph. But John and I . . . well we're just lowly commoners, as are all Trimorphs. At least I've never heard of any Trimorph who is also a Unamorph. We're not allowed any kind of sex except "normal, straight" sex. That's why we were also charged with violating Tri-etherealian decency codes.

I sat down on the edge of our bed.

"Did you hear, John? They want to hear from you." I said aloud to my counterpart.

"Yes I heard Johanna. The guard is watching you."

I turned around and looked at the door. Then in the most belittling tone I could muster, "Could I have a little privacy here guard? John will notify you when our union is complete."

My comment surprised him. I guess he figured that since my back was to him then I wouldn't know that he was there watching me. But John can hear, feel, see, taste and smell everything that I do when I am in possession of our body and vice versa.

In fact, the one who is in transition can perceive things that the one who is in possession of our body cannot hear, feel, see, taste or smell. The one in transition can give this information to the one in possession of our body. That's how John knew that the guard was watching me.

Also, when I am in possession of our body and John talks to me from transition, I am the only one who can hear him -- and he is the only one who can hear me talk to him when he is in possession of our body and I'm in transition. It's kind of like a whispering in our inner ear. But no one else can perceive the one in transition in any way. That's why the guard didn't hear John tell me about his watching me.

The guard sneered at me and closed the small window in our cell door.

"You didn't have to use that tone of voice with him Johanna. It's not his fault that we're going to be banished into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal."

"He should give me a little privacy when I'm enveloping you. What is he some kind of pervert voyeur who has to watch us go through union? Is that how he gets his jollies off, by watching Trimorphs perform union?"

I buried my face in my hands and started to cry.

"Don't cry Johanna. Everything's going to be alright."

"No, everything is not going to be alright," I said through my tears. "We are going to be exiled to Corporeal. There is no union in Corporeal. How will we perform union once we're thrown out of Tri-ethereal?"

"We don't know that there's no union in Corporeal. There has to be some form of union in that world. In our discussions, we've both come to that conclusion. How else could that world survive without any kind of union?"

"I don't know. John I'm scared. I'm scared that once we're in Corporeal we'll be separated and I'll never be able to go through union with you again. I miss you already."

"We'll manage somehow Johanna. We'll find some means of coping with our sentence and we'll do it together. We'll find some way of having union."

Deep inside I knew he was right. Together we would find some way of completing union. Although neither of us knew what it would be like living in Corporeal. No one knew. We had only the legends to go on. True, the legends were based upon cries for help that in the past could be heard occasionally coming from Corporeal. This only happened during the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.