Chapter 1

Having been stripped of her fine dress the night before by her jealous fellow prisoners and thus clad in only her underclothes, The Lady Lucia Josephina Maldonado Santiago De La Cruz felt her heavy breasts sway in their bindings as the bailiff rudely shoved her forward, the heavy chains on her wrists preventing her from lifting her arms to in any way mitigate the spectacle being presented to the packed courthouse.

It was exactly what they had come for, to see a noble brought down, humiliated, destroyed.

At six feet tall she towered over her fellow feminine cohorts, both in height and in beauty. With her full lips, fair features, large breasts and slim figure, there wasn't a nobleman in Spain who hadn't secretly fanaticized about her, although none would have dared say so to anyone. Such an impropriety simply wouldn't be tolerated in noble society. One could think it, but could never say it.

Encumbered by the chains on her ankles, she slowly made her way to stand in front of the simple triangular bench reserved for the accused until the court magistrate make his pronouncement.

NEXT!!!

Rudely pushed onto the small bench, she had to suffer the next indignity in what would be a long string of indignities. After a large upright beam was attached to the back leg of the bench and adjusted properly, a large iron collar was fitted tightly around her neck and affixed to the beam, holding her head rigidly in place. A large leather strap that did the same to her waist followed, but that was only the beginning.

With great delight, the spiteful throng indulged themselves as each iron ankle shackle was secured to the legs of the bench, and her wrists were drawn back and secured rigidly to beam, thus further accentuating her more than ample bosom.

Only then was the last humiliation heaped upon her as the bailiff forced her to open her mouth to its widest possible extension to accommodate a wooden cylinder, which inserted deep into her mouth and secured in place by way of a small leather strap around her neck.

Finally rendered unable to move or speak, she was ready to face her trial, but the magistrate, always ready to play to the crowd for his own benefit gave them more of what they wanted.

"In order to better prepare ourselves properly for this most important judicial procedure, in the name of our glorious Queen, I declare a recess for a time of contemplation and nourishment"

Thus forced to endure the snide observations and insults of the crowd, as well as the physical discomfort of her bindings, she suffered both for the next two hours until the magistrate returned and, one by one, the witnesses against her were called to testify. She had been provided no defense, but it didn't matter. She had no defense.

Packed off to a convent at the age of eight by a family with too many daughters, she had always thought she would be a nun, or in some way a servant of the church until, at the age of thirty, she had been married off for political reasons to a nobleman twenty years her senior.

Nevertheless, she had served him well, if not sexually, due to his own shortcomings, at least socially. Over the next ten years she had become, in fact, well loved by her contemporaries. She was a most pleasant conversationalist and had become a well trusted friend and confidant to many, but just as suddenly as her first life in the convent had ended, so did the second.

On the first day of summer and just past his sixtieth birthday he took a short walk to a most pleasant place alongside a nearby creek and blew his brains out with his military pistol.

It was only then that Lucia found out that she was destitute. Unable to face the shame of financial failure, he taken his life, and sentenced Lucia to life in a debtors prison, which was no life at all, only a certain slow and painful death.

Not really listening as each accuser recounted and documented the debts not paid, it was another three hours before the agony of her uncomfortable position on the bench was relieved and she was blindfolded and removed to the dingy darkness of some cell in the bowels of some unknown fortress to meet her certain fate, never to be seen again by anyone.

Feeling a sharp sting on her ankle, Lucia awoke with a start and kicked at the rat that had bitten her, only to see it retreat just out of reach, knowing just how far it had to go to, just how far she could extend herself given the chain which secured her ankle to the wall.

Cursing herself for falling so deeply asleep, she knew it didn't make any difference. The rats would get her sooner or later, or some disease, or the malnutrition. She didn't know how long she had been there, but she was getting ever thinner, ever weaker. It wouldn't be long, a few weeks more, maybe even a few months, but certainly no more than that, certainly less than a year, much less.

Trying to erase such thoughts from her mind, and also trying not to think of the happier days of the past because it was too painful, despair once again descended upon her until she was reprieved by the sound of voices and the soft glow of a lantern which got steadily brighter until both the voices and the lantern were at the bars of her cell.

"The prisoner will stand and approach," came the order from one of four hooded figures now staring at her.

Slowly doing as she had been told, Lucia made her way as closely to the bars as she was able, given her ankle chain, and tried to focus, her eyes having become accustomed to only darkness.

Finally able to do so, she recognized three of the figures as the magistrate, the warden, and her Bishop. The last, a beautiful young woman with exceptionally curly flaming red hair she had never before seen.

"Prisoner Lucia Josephina Maldonado Santiago De La Cruz," the warden finally barked at her after they had all taken some time to look her over, "We are here to offer you a mitigation of your sentence if you would care to consider an alternative. Would you be so willing?"

"Yes," Lucia managed to reply softly, hardly able to speak, it having been so long since she had done so and mostly overwhelmed by the sudden and unexpected nature of the situation.

"We are prepared to offer you the alternative of your permanent removal from Spain to the custody of another jurisdiction and lifelong indenture with the status of slave."

"You are assured, My Lady," the Bishop now spoke, that as a lady of nobility and a devout woman of the church, you will be granted the dispensation that the act of sexual intercourse without your consent will not be visited upon you, however, in all other aspects and conditions your status will be that of slavery."

"How say you. Is it your decision that you will remain here to finish your sentence or that you will accept this mitigation?" asked the warden.

Having recovered her senses, Lucia now comprehended her situation. Some money had been spread around and whomever the girl represented was behind it. Everyone would be just as happy to have her gone anyway as the imprisonment and death of any noble could be politically problematic someday and if there were some money to be made from it so much the better. It didn't really matter, she had no choice. To stay in prison was certain death.

"I accept," she responded, simply.

Standing placidly as the cell was opened and her chains were removed, her momentary freedom was just as quickly taken away as a leather belt was placed around her waist. Specifically designed for the purpose, it sported a buckle in the front and a set of cuffs riveted to the back into which her crossed wrists were soon secured. The final preparation was both humiliating and fearful as the young woman produced a soft cotton rope and tied it around her neck.

"Follow me," the young woman ordered, after the Bishop had given her a final blessing, "Easy now, let's go." Dutifully doing her best to follow the order, the young woman allowed her to proceed slowly until she had regained her legs and by the time they had reached the prison gates she was able to assume a normal walking pace. Following the young woman as they worked their way through the back streets of the city, in was some time before they reached the seaport.

Proceeding along the docks until they came to a large merchant vessel, the young woman promptly led Lucia onto the deck and through the captain's quarters to a small platform which had been custom built out over the water.

"Take your clothes off, all of them," the young woman ordered, after she had removed the leather belt and the rope around Lucia's neck, "and throw them into the water."

Promptly left alone after she had completed the task, Lucia slowly took in her surroundings. The platform had been built off the Captain's quarters, which strictly controlled any access and was also shielded from view of the crew by the overhang of the aft deck.

It was clear than no one was to know she was there. No one was to even know she had ever left Spain. In very little time, as far as Spain was concerned, it would be as if she had never existed.

Her eyes now well accustomed to the dark, she did an inventory of the platform finding it had a surrounding rail, a small bed with no blanket, a big jug of water, a bowl and spoon, a wooden box of corn silk for toilet paper and nothing else. To her great dismay it was clear she was to remain naked for the foreseeable future and when she had to relieve herself it would have to be over the side and into the sea.

Taking a seat on the bed, she had little more time to think about much of anything before she heard the ringing of a bell quickly followed by the noises of the crew as they left their own beds and scrambled up on deck. In quick order the sails were set and the big ship slowly eased away from the dock and Lucia watched the only home she had ever known slowly recede into the darkness never to be seen again.

Making the most of her situation as the days went by, Lucia at least began to feel healthy again. The plain sailor's meal she was fed every evening was like heaven compared to the maggot infested slop of the prison and the young woman had carefully tended the wounds from the insect and rat bites, even though it was a supreme embarrassment to be naked in front of her.

Since puberty she had never been naked in front of anyone, including her husband. Even during their infrequent and brief intimate unions she had maintained her night dress, only pulling it up to provide him access and she wondered with great trepidation when she would again be provided clothing, desperately afraid her nudity might be viewed by anyone else.

For the rest of it, the days went by pleasantly enough, unless it rained, which sometimes reduced her to long periods of shivering.

She knew they were sailing West which told her their destination must be somewhere in the New World and she couldn't help but be fearful of what a life of slavery might hold, but for now she at least had food and there seemed to be an interest in keeping her healthy. She also couldn't help but notice that as the days got longer and she had more and more time with the morning sun, her skin was beginning to turn a pleasant brown.

The young woman, however, was a continuing mystery. She only saw her once a day when she brought the evening meal and she allowed no conversation. She still didn't even know her name. Once on board she had assumed the clothes and the guise of a ships cabin boy, tending to the Captain's quarters and uniform and serving him his meals. It was clear the presence of women on board was being kept a secret from the crew, a fact that suited her fine for obvious reasons.

With boredom as her only companion there were still many pleasant moments as she stared out over the sea or up into the night heavens and contemplated their beauty and vastness, but at the same time, her other constant companion was fear of what was to come.

Thus passing the time, she couldn't help but notice when the ship suddenly changed course to the Northwest and the next morning her anxiety grew as she saw seven more ships, all on the same heading as her own and bearing flags from several European nations. By her count they had been at sea for many weeks so it was easy to deduce they were all headed to the same place, somewhere nearby, wherever that might be.

Still sailing through the night, it wasn't until the early morning that she heard the sentry call out, followed by a loud cheer from the crew. With her forward view obstructed by the ship, it wasn't until they pulled into a large bay that she caught sight of any land, but only a short time thereafter until the ship was secured to the docks.

Now extremely anxious as to where she was and what her fate might be, she didn't get all that much time to think about it as the young woman soon appeared and once again she found herself tightly ensconced in the leather belt and her wrists securely cuffed behind her back, but this time, instead of the plain rope being fastened around her neck, the girl produced a woven metal collar with a locking hasp at the rear and a small ring at the front to which she attached a long thin metal chain and one admonition.

"Don't speak."

Without further explanation the young woman simply led her through the Captain's quarters, off the ship and onto the broad and bustling avenue of the waterfront.

Mortified and humiliated beyond imagination to be naked in public and with the spectacle of her big breasts bouncing about in full view of anyone who cared to look, the situation became more than she could bear.

Within moments her vision narrowed to hardly more than a blur and she was hardly aware of anything as she was led across the big avenue and along the storefronts which lined it until they arrived at one store, apparently selected by prior arrangement, and the young woman simply attached her chain tether to a big post that served as support for the porch before leaving her and entering the establishment.

Needing the most part of an hour to regain her senses, Lucia finally did so and began examining her surroundings. The first thing she noticed, which made her feel safer, was that the young woman had taken up a chair in the shade of the porch. Turning her attention to the broad waterfront, there seemed to be four types of people circulating about.

The first and by far the most populous were the common slaves, who were all Africans and invariably dressed in white shirts and sand colored short pants held up by either suspenders or a simple rope belt. Mostly loading or unloading wagons to and from the ships or stores, they were also the busiest, getting no relief from their labors under the careful eyes of the white overseers, who were invariably dressed in straw hats, white shirts and long pants with high topped black boots.

The next group, of which there were not so many, were the better dressed African slaves, both men and women, who served as personal attendants to the least populous group, the plantation owners themselves.

Dressed in the finest attire, they were primarily engaged in one of two activities, the women roaming the stores, mostly in pairs, and the men visiting with ship captains and merchants, examining goods, talking business and making deals.

Horribly humiliated to be standing entirely naked with her wrists bound behind her back and tethered by her neck for all to see, Lucia carefully avoided making eye contact with anyone, but couldn't help but notice their actions as they passed by her.

Most surprising to her was the fact that they barely noticed her at all. The women didn't seem to find any embarrassment in turning their heads to inspect her as they passed by, but then would save their comments for afterward, putting their heads close together and whispering their observations.

The men, of course, would make a quick appraisal of her breasts, but then move on with no break in their conversation or stride, making it clear that she was of no consequence nor of any interest to them.

Having no recourse but to stand naked in the street for all to see, Lucia gradually became resigned, at least to some degree, to the situation, but was subjected to a much more profound and deeper humiliation as the other ships began slowly unloading their cargo of new African slaves.

Naked and bound as just as she was with their hands behind their backs, they were also tethered by the neck, usually in groups of six, and she couldn't help but make her natural observations, almost all of which surprised and shocked her.

The first was the size of men's reproductive organs. She had never actually seen a naked man's penis before as her husband's penis had been as hidden from her as her vagina had been from him, but she had felt it inside and she knew that even expanded twofold his member wouldn't have equaled neither the length nor the breadth of even the average African.