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  We curled up together at the foot of the bed.

  I was in heaven.

  * * * *

  That is where Olivia found us. As soon as she woke us, we all climbed from the bed and knelt to her. She called us good girls then invited us to please her.

  We did.

  * * * *

  The next day, Olivia took all three of us with her. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was part of showing to the people of Charth what life was to be. We were on display.

  It began from the moment we stepped from the house. We picked up our honor guard right outside, although they kept a loose formation around us. We walked to Government House, drawing some attention. But then Olivia held a typical work day. I paid little attention to what she did. Instead, I knelt at her side, touching her. Between the three of us, we saw to her needs. We made tea and poured her cup. We did other little things as necessary.

  People came in to see her. I paid no attention. I couldn’t have told you who was there or what was discussed. I could only say I was happy to be with Olivia, and I was glad Dee and Bee where there, too.

  Lunch was at Government House, and later, we went home.

  * * * *

  It wasn’t until the next day that I was really aware of more. It began in the morning as I realized what clothing I was putting on. It was similar to what Dee and Bee wore, but quite different. The material felt similar, but different. There was a tunic of sorts, with laces in back. Dee and Bee helped me into it by pulling it over my back and then doing the laces. That was different from theirs, which had no seam, neck to feet, and all the way down to their gloved hands.

  Similarly, I had leggings, also with laces in back, and then a simple, short skirt of the same material.

  I wore no underclothes, and didn’t really think about it at the time. And the leggings covered my legs, with stays that attached to hoops in the tunic.

  And there was a pair of gloves. I required help putting them on as well, but as Dee and Bee were always there, I didn’t have to think about it.

  At home, we wore no shoes. When we went out, we each had strappy sandals, but once we arrived at Government House, we took them off again.

  As we were preparing to leave, I looked at what I wore, and then I turned to look at Bee and Dee. Olivia must be watching for it. I looked up, and she was watching me. She smiled. “You look lovely, Cee.”

  I smiled. I looked lovely. Olivia thought I looked lovely. And that was the last I thought about what I wore.

  We began taking more outings. Olivia went to lunch. Bee, Dee, and I saw to her needs, then knelt beside her. Conversation happened around us, but it didn’t register.

  We began going for walks.

  We were seen.

  * * * *

  The days passed. I didn’t really pay attention to them. I was in heaven. But then one day at Government House, we moved to a conference room, and there were many people. I was ready to kneel beside Olivia, but she told me to sit beside her. She looked into my eyes and said, “These people want to ask you questions. Do you think you can answer?”

  I had been talking for a while, but only when Olivia spoke to me. But most of the time, I smiled and nodded, and so I nodded.

  “Can you say the word, Cee? Tell me you’ll try to answer their questions.”

  “I’ll try to answer, Olivia,” I said. Then I grinned even more broadly. She’d told me to answer, and I had.

  She turned to the people watching. There was muttering going on, but no one was yelling. I didn’t really pay attention. I watched Olivia. “She’s a new slave,” Olivia explained. “She can talk, but as you saw, it takes a little effort. We’ve explained that. Over time, she may talk more, or she may not. It’s too early for these sorts of questions, but we know you’re all nervous, so we’ll try. She won’t be able to work with complicated topics, and she may not pay one bit of attention to any of you, so I may have to rephrase your questions. I will say this. If anyone turns rude or abusive, you will be removed. I will not have you upsetting her. And I will remind you: she responds to Cee and nothing else. Don’t try using other names today. You’ll only confuse her.”

  Then she looked over and brushed my cheek. I didn’t understand any of that, but I could tell she was looking out for me.

  “First question?”

  Someone stood up and stepped closer. She knelt down before us. I watched Olivia. The kneeling woman said something, but I watched Olivia.

  “Cee,” Olivia eventually said, “Do you see this person?” She gestured, and I turned. I hadn’t seen her before, but I did now, and I nodded, then turned back to Olivia. “Cee, she wants to ask you a question. Try to listen.”

  The woman spoke. I don’t know what she said. I smiled at Olivia.

  She nodded. “This becomes easier in a few more weeks. Cee, look at this woman.” She gestured again, and so I turned to look. “Do you know who this is?” I nodded. “Can you tell me who this is?”

  “Mama,” I said.

  And before me, my mother began crying.

  “Cee,” Olivia said, and I turned my head. “That’s right. This is your mother. She’s worried about you. Do you want to comfort her and tell her you’re fine? Think about that. She’s your mother, and you love her, Cee.”

  I loved my mother. I turned to her, and she was crying. She shouldn’t cry. I looked at Olivia, who nodded. “You may comfort her, Cee. Only comfort.”

  And so I slipped from my chair and moved to Mama. We hugged, and she spoke soothingly.

  “Tell her how you feel, Cee.”

  “Happy, Mama,” I said. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry.” I rocked her slowly. “Don’t cry.”

  Mama looked up at Olivia. “You treated her like a friend, and then you did this to her.”

  “Everyone in this room dressed in leather has had this experience,” Olivia replied. “It is part of our society. For Cee, this is two months. For me, it was a year.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I can’t prove it,” Olivia replied. “This could all be a conspiracy. Cee, how long will you belong to me?”

  I looked over my shoulder at her. “Cee,” she said. “Do you remember?” I nodded. “I need you to help me. I know it’s hard. You need to help me.”

  That broke through to me. “Olivia,” I said. I turned back to Mama, and I kissed her forehead. That brought new tears. “No, Mama,” I said. “Olivia never lies.”

  “She told you to say that.”

  “No,” I said. I turned my head again. “Order truth.”

  She smiled at me. “Cee, you will speak only the truth from now until you no longer belong to me.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Truth.” I looked back at Mama. “Olivia explained. She gave me choices. I chose her. She treats me very well. I am happy, Mama. Two months.” I looked over my shoulder. “Then what?”

  “Then I let you go and comfort you for a few more days,” she said.

  “You did this for a year,” I said. “Made money. Clever.” I laughed. “Insulted judge.”

  She laughed with me. “That’s right. I did.”

  “What is she talking about?” Mama asked.

  “Can you answer, Cee?”

  I nodded. “Sixteen: two weeks. If you wait until seventeen, then one month. We’re all eighteen this year, so two months. But if you’re twenty-one, they sell you for a year. It’s a big game.”

  “A full explanation is probably too much for her,” Olivia said. “It’s in the information we’ve been sharing. Waiting until you’re 21 carries risk. A year is a long time. It can be very difficult to shrug off the deep submission after that, and many women seek a life of permanent slavery afterwards.”

  “But they’re happy and cared for,” I said.

  “Yes. They’re happy and cared for,” Olivia agreed.

  I crouched lower and looked into Mama’s eyes. “It’s okay, Mama. We can’t fight them. We can’t leave. So we should join them.”

  There was silence
, and then Olivia said, “I didn’t think she’d be able to speak that much.”

  I looked back at her. “You need my help.”

  “Yes, I do,” she agreed. “Ms. Rosebush, your daughter is happy, and I’m taking very good care of her.”

  “As your sex slave,” Mother said.

  “Yes. As my sex slave.”

  Mother clung to me for a moment and then stood. I stood with her but then moved back to my chair. She looked at Olivia. “No one is going to want me that way.”

  “That’s not necessarily true,” Olivia said. “Although it is more likely you will serve your time in another capacity. You operate an inn. You do the books. You have skills.”

  “I can’t imagine I can do those skills if I can barely talk.”

  “Pleasure slaves are typically pushed much deeper than others,” Olivia said. “An ability to talk isn’t terribly important, after all.”

  “This is disgusting.”

  I stared at the floor then reached over and took Olivia’s hand.

  “Perhaps, but this is how it will be. Now, this tone is beginning to upset Cee. Is that what you want?”

  “What do you care?”

  “I am very fond of your daughter, Ms. Rosebush. I have been impressed with her since the day we met.”

  “And so you enslave her.”

  “And so I gave her a variety of choices. And I asked her to lead the way, to take the first risk, to show all of you. But I care about her. I have been careful with my emotions, as the situation remains delicate, but I could easily grow to love her.”

  “I bet you love what she does for you.”

  “I do, but I meant once she is free and has become a citizen.” She paused a moment and then said, “Today is for questions. We have accepted as many temporary slaves as we intend. Once these have served their time and recovered, we will begin to give the rest of you your chance. Do you have more questions for Cee?”

  Mother glared at Olivia. “If you’re lying to us about this, or if you hurt my daughter, I will be the one to lead the revolution. Maybe we can’t win, and maybe you’ll drug all of us the way you have her, but we’ll kill some of you, and I promise you, we’ll all be coming for you. We have knives and pitchforks and sticks and teeth and fists and rocks. We have fire.”

  “Before you begin to raze the town,” Olivia said. “Perhaps you will give Cee this time. I will return her to you, Ms. Rosebush, once she is ready.”

  “You better not be lying,” Mother said. And then she turned and stormed out of the room.

  * * * *

  The meeting broke up after that. I clung to Olivia. She kissed me and said, “Let’s take you home.”

  Recovery

  My two months passed, largely in a blur of pleasure. I didn’t realize it was over until I woke and wasn’t wearing my slave clothing. My head was in Olivia’s lap, and I stared ahead for a while.

  We were in bed together, and she was reading.

  “It’s over,” I whispered.

  “Yes, Claary,” she said. She set her book aside and began to stroke my hair. That was when I realized I’d been quietly crying for a while.

  * * * *

  Bee and Dee helped Olivia take care of me. She didn’t let them give me pleasure, but they offered comfort, and they helped with my personal needs when I couldn’t do it myself.

  For several days, I spoke very little. But I clung to whomever let me hold her, with Olivia my preferred choice, but she wasn’t always there. Bee and Dee both let me hold them as much as I wanted, and they gave me other comforting touches.

  And in that moment, I was quite jealous. They wouldn’t go through this. They were Olivia’s forever.

  I spent an afternoon wondering if I should ask her to enslave me permanently. I was ready to ask, and then I didn’t, and then I was ready to ask again. But I didn’t.

  That evening I said, “You did this for a year.”

  “Yes. And yes, afterwards I was every bit as needy as you are, and for a lot longer than you will be.”

  I laid my head in her lap. She stroked my hair for a few minutes then asked, “Have you thought about begging me to do this permanently?”

  “All afternoon.”

  I stayed there for a while then rolled onto my back and looked up at her. “You’re doing this wrong.”

  “Soothing you?”

  “You’re misleading people. How do you feel about that?”

  “Not very good, actually.”

  “That should tell you something.”

  “You’re not ready for a proper discussion.”

  I rolled back onto my side, this time facing her stomach. I closed my eyes. “How long will I be like this?”

  “A week or two. I enjoy taking care of you, Claary, and Bee and Dee love it.” I knew the last part.

  “I can’t be proud of you if you’re lying to everyone, and while you may not be speaking false words, you’re lying.”

  Her hand stilled, and then she bent down and kissed my head. “You need to get strong.”

  “No permanent slaves.”

  “I’m not promising that.”

  “You admitted you don’t feel good about what you’re doing.”

  “Anyone breaking the laws is enslaved, Claary. Anyone who asks is enslaved. We’ve been getting some interesting inquiries. You spent the afternoon thinking about asking. I wouldn’t do it, not yet. But some of you are going to ask for it, and you know it.”

  “Fine. But not the other way. How much authority do you have?”

  “Queen Lisdee is pleased. I have some leeway, but there are limits.”

  “You can’t let me go until this is resolved.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “If you’re keeping the old plan, you’re going to need to do something about me.”

  “I know,” she whispered again. “I need you to promise to give me time.”

  “You won’t implement the remainder of your evil plan during that time.”

  “There are currently 34 women of Charth who are recovering the way you are,” she said. “About a third of you have already begged to be permanently enslaved. Some of you will move past that, and some won’t. In addition, two more were so out of their minds that we had no choice. That happens. Two out of 36 isn’t that many, but I think we’ll have a few more in the next week or two. What do you want me to do instead?”

  “If someone begs, then do what you would normally do,” I said. “But you can’t set people up. Mother deserves a proper chance. Everyone deserves a proper chance.”

  “Your mother threatened me.”

  “Are you going to blame her?”

  “No, and so far, she hasn’t stirred up any trouble, but I want to bring her to dinner tomorrow. I want her to see you. Can you handle that?”

  I nodded. “I won’t share any secrets, but this conversation isn’t over.”

  “No.” She paused. “I’ve assigned one of my officers to your sister. They’ve developed an uneasy friendship.”

  “Then they should both come to dinner tomorrow, too. And maybe Captain Bess.”

  “All right. Yes.”

  * * * *

  “Hello, Mother,” I said. “Hello, Lisbon.”

  They both stepped forward, looking at me carefully. I opened my arms, and Mother began crying as she moved to me. I held her tightly and told her over and over I was fine.

  Then Lisbon was there. I held her just as tightly and whispered I loved her. “You’ve never said that before,” she said.

  “Well, I should have.”

  “I love you, too.” She pushed away. “So how was the sex?”

  I laughed. “Unbelievable,” I said. “Absolutely unbelievable, but it’s about more than sex.”

  “Uh huh. Sex party. Orgies and stuff.”

  “Jealous?”

  “Yep.”

  I laughed and hugged her again. Then she pushed away. “Claary, or do we call you Cee now?”

  “She is Claary,” Olivia
said.

  “Claary, this is Lieutenant Deenie.”

  She indicated a woman of about twenty-five years. I clasped hands with her but then she made a point of setting aside her sword and removing her insignia. I saw Captain Bess did the same thing. “Now I am simply Deenie,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Claary.”

  “This is Bess,” I said. “She’s the one who did my census interview. I liked her, so I asked Olivia if we could invite her tonight.”

  “Let’s get settled and maybe have a little something to drink,” Olivia said. She led the way through the house. Dee and Bee were waiting. Mother and Lisbon stared at them.

  “Mother,” I said. “Lisbon. This is Bee, and this is Dee. You won’t be able to tell them apart, but they won’t mind if you get their names wrong.”

  “Why are they here?” Mother asked coldly.

  “Please don’t be like that,” I said. “They’re my friends, and they’re helping me recover. Tonight they’ll help serve. Bee, I don’t want any alcohol tonight. What do you have?”

  “Hot or cold?”

  “Hmm. Pick something for me.”

  “Yes, Claary.”

  Everyone gave their orders, with Olivia encouraging wine. And she told the twins to have whatever Bee prepared for me, and to sit with us. And so I sat beside Mother with Bee on the floor, leaning against my legs. Dee did the same with Olivia’s legs, but then Olivia whispered to her, so she shifted and leaned against Lisbon’s legs instead.

  “What’s she doing?”

  “Sitting,” I said. “She’s very sweet.”

  “She’s a sex slave.”

  “Pleasure slave,” I said. “And she’s very sweet. Be nice to her, Lisbon.”

  “Is that a euphemism?”

  “Only if Olivia offers something more,” I said. “She’s not mine to offer.” I set my hand on Bee’s shoulder then bent over and kissed her hair. “Thank you,” I whispered to her.

  Lisbon said nothing further, but later, I would see she gave Dee the same sort of attention I offered Bee.

  “Ms. Rosebush,” Olivia said.

  “Everyone else in here is using first names,” Mother said. “Mine is Kathareet.”

  Olivia nodded. “Kathareet, your daughter is still needy and vulnerable. If you were accustomed to dealing with this, I could send her home to you. But I do not want her stepping into public yet, unless I or someone I trust very, very well is there to protect her.”