Phase One of my downfall

My name is Lady Sophia Ducas. At the time of this writing, I am 14 years old. The Kingdom where I live has laws concerning nudity. Because clothing is so expensive and difficult to acquire slaves and children are forbidden to wear clothes of any kind. Who wants to buy clothes for a slave, and children tend to outgrow them? So, it was decreed that clothing would only be for adults who could afford them.

As children, we spend most of our time playing outside with the other children. I never cared for the other noble children that lived in the noble section of the city. So I played with the children of the slaves that stayed on our property. One girl I played with the most was named Emily, she was the daughter of a royal slave.

Regular slaves worked mostly outside, did laundry, worked in the kitchen, or did other menial tasks inside the residence. Royal slaves served the Duke’s family exclusively. As a small child Emily and I spent all of our time playing. We ate together and bathed together and slept together in my comfy bed.

When we reached 5 years old we were told we had to spend part of our day learning things more appropriate for our stations in society. I was the daughter of a Duke and Emily was a daughter of a slave. In our society, if your mother was a slave then the children would be as well. This created a slave society. While the slaves could not choose their destiny and could be bought and sold at the whim of their owners, they were well cared for. It was by mutual agreement of the nobles and royalty to devise a plan to treat and care for the slaves in such a way that they would never consider revolting and fight for independence.

So, to start with each slave owner must have comfortable living quarters; the building is an open area with bunk beds. Males and females sleep in the same room but are not allowed to have sex or masturbate in the barracks-type building. Second, they must be provided with a place to cook and eat. Our slaves have a large dining area with picnic-style tables that can seat 150 slaves. We provide them with regular food as per the treatment plan. Third, there is a large bath house, it is communal as well. The bathhouse is the only place slaves are allowed to have sex. It tends to become an orgy every night. There are rules there as well.

When it comes to the nightly orgies in the bathhouse children can be present but cannot be touched inappropriately. They are supposed to stay in the shallow kiddie pool with the women who tend to them. Once a child reaches 13 years old they are taught about sex and allowed to watch but are not allowed to have sex until they are fourteen. When a boy reaches fourteen he goes through the Eros ritual. He must masturbate in front of the others. If he can ejaculate he is considered old enough to join in on the orgies. No one is forced to participate and has the right to say no. When a girl reaches the age of fourteen her ritual is a bit different. She will be given a potion that prevents pregnancy and will be masturbated by a woman who will use an artifact (Chrystal dildo) to break her hymen and stretch her a bit.

Since I played with Emily I was able to experience all of this throughout my childhood. I know that I said Emily and I bathed and ate together and most of the time it was in my suite. Her training was to follow my mother’s slaves and learn to serve one of the Duke’s family. My training was learning how to walk properly for my station, sit properly, and how to eat at a formal dinner.

Back straight, legs together and crossed at the ankles. It was tough at first because it was boring and I wanted to go play. Luckily, at first, it only lasted until lunch. After our lesson Emily and I would go outside through the servant’s passages and I would help her with her outside chores; weeding the gardens, gathering firewood, sweeping the walkways, etc. I never thought about whether or not the slaves knew I was the Duke’s daughter, as a child it never occurred to me and Mom never said anything about it. All that mattered was that I was always treated like all of the other slaves. I was Sophia to them and not Lady Sophia.

Once I reached eight Emily and I started to eat and bathe with the slaves. This was our first time being exposed to the nightly orgies that take place there. We were fascinated and couldn’t take our eyes off the carnal activities in the bathing pool we were not allowed to enter. We stood in the shallow kiddie pool watching as our caretakers bathed us. We only looked away when it was time to wash and rinse our hair.

Several years ago our kingdom had a severe population explosion of lice and fleas. Two years later our alchemists created a hair removal cream, and continued use of the cream weekly resulted in permanent hair removal. I learned many years later that it killed the root so it could not grow back. Because of the outbreak slaves were no longer allowed to have long hair or any hair at all below the neck. The very first time Emily and I bathed in the slave bath we had the cream applied to our bodies. We didn’t have any hair yet and were told this treatment would prevent us from ever growing hair below our necks.

Both of us had short hair on our heads. Mine was two marks long and Emily’s was one mark long. To explain our measuring system; we used a strip of fabric half a mark wide. If you look at an adult woman’s hand the marks are as far apart as the second and third knuckles of her hand. Then they have shorter marks between them. The smaller marks are halves until there are seven smaller marks between each longer mark. At eight years old Emily and I are forty-eight marks tall.

When I first started my lessons I got in trouble a lot because I was confused about how I was supposed to act. Sometimes when I was supposed to be the daughter of the duke I acted like a slave. Sometimes when I was being a slave with Emily I acted like the Duke’s daughter. What I mean is that I would show the poise and grace of a noble when I walked and ate with the slaves.

You are probably wondering why a noble’s daughter would be spending time with lowly slaves. I suppose it started when I met Emily. She was the first person to be my friend when we were children. Then, I suppose, my association with her caused the other nobles’ children to shun me. By that time Emily and the other slaves were the only people who were nice to me and accepted me.

One day the woman who was bathing me told me something I had never considered. “Sophia, we slaves know that you are the Duke’s daughter. We have watched over you as your father requested. We treated you as if you were one of us. The overseers were instructed not to whip you and Emily. However, you two are ten years old now. Normally, what I am about to suggest is done on your birthday but we chose to wait until both of you had turned ten so we can do this for you both at the same time.”

“What are you wanting to do to us?” I asked her.

“A piercing. For men, the nipples are pierced with a polished steel ring, and a small bar is put through the skin under the penis and behind the head. I know you have seen this on adult males. For girls, the nipples are pierced with the same rings as the men get, and a ring is put through the hood that hides a girl’s little button.”

I must have shown my fear on my face. “You don’t need to worry child. We know you are not one of us so you will have the choice to not have it done. However, if you don’t you will not long be allowed to continue to play and work with Emily among the slaves. You will have to be a noble’s daughter full-time.”

“And what happens if I chose to get the piercings?” I asked her.

“There are two ways this can go if you choose to allow the piercings. One, they can be sealed like ours and you will have to give up being a noble’s daughter and be a slave like the rest of us. Two, the rings can be left unsealed and removable. That way you can take them out and place a tiny bit of wire in the hole. It would not go well for you if anyone living in your home to see that you have been pierced.”

“I will allow the piercings but make sure they can be removed. I don’t mind spending time with Emily and helping her with her chores but I do not want to be a slave,” I told her.

It was two days later when Emily and I were led into the barracks. A weird-looking chair was set up in the common room of the barracks. I was instructed to lie in the chair. It was reclined and had metal stirrups to hold my lower legs and feet. I was nervous but trusted the women who were going to pierce my sensitive flesh. One of the women spread a clear gel onto my nipples and the spot between my legs. I lay there talking to Emily for about five minutes before the woman returned with a tray. On the tray was a glass jar with a clear liquid in it. In the liquid at the bottom lay three rings. I could smell it now and knew it was alcohol. She was sterilizing the rings.

I began to squirm and arch my back as the woman pinched, twisted, and pulled hard on my right nipple. I screamed. I have never felt such pain in so sensitive of an area; I had never felt such pain anywhere before. The pain relented for a brief moment before an even greater pain followed, then I felt a weird movement in my nipple.

When it was over, for that nipple at least, I looked down at it. I liked the way it looked. My nipple was still erect. From what Emily and I were told the ring would make the nipple permanently erect except in my case they would go down when I removed my rings. I endured the same treatment to my left nipple and was lying there drenched in sweat and breathing hard. When she started on my hood between my legs I passed out. I know, ‘Poor noble girl can’t handle a little pain.’ In my defense, I had never experienced such high levels of pain and had not developed a tolerance for it. Now that I think about it I imagine that’s how the slaves handle being whipped. Then maybe not. What do I know? At this point, I am a ten-year-old noble girl.

I finally recovered and woke to find myself lying on one of the slave beds. I looked closer and saw no opening in the rings. I began to pull at the one in my right nipple and it wouldn’t come out. One of the other women rushed over and pulled my hands away.

“You mustn’t pull on them, child. The opening for the ring is turned so they are hidden inside your flesh. You will need to move the ring periodically to keep the flesh from attaching to the ring as it heals. At first, you will need to come here to have a cream that will prevent infection and speed up the healing. You will sleep here until they are healed so that one of us can make sure you do not have any swelling or infection. It will make it easier for us to apply the cream. Your caregiver has been told of the situation,” the woman told me. “For the next two weeks, you will live as a slave, eat with the slaves, bathe with the slaves, and sleep here with the slaves. For the next two weeks, you will be one of us. The overseers are still under orders not to whip you so Emily will take any punishments for your mistakes. You are still in training at your age so your punishments are lighter than ours.”

I lay there looking at her, not knowing what to say. I was playing with the rings while she talked to me.

“No,” she said as she swatted my hands away, “you are not allowed to touch yourself in the sleeping area, only in the bath.” She took my right hand and began to tie it to the bedpost above my head. She then tied the left to the opposite post. “You will be tied like this every night until you learn to resist the urge to touch yourself. Starting tomorrow Emily will be punished each time you are caught touching yourself even if you are just messing with the rings. Good night, Sophia.”

I noticed the bed was smaller than the beds the adults slept in so I must be in the slave nursery. There were several bunk beds in the room and off to one side were several smaller beds for the babies and toddlers. The slave beds did not have covers so Emily and I were left tied to the beds. I soon fell asleep as my heart slowed and my body relaxed.

Twice in the night, I felt someone rubbing an ointment around my nipples and hood rings. It was not enough to come fully awake so I quickly drifted back to sleep. By morning – way too early – I was stiff from sleeping in the same position all night. I was eventually released from the ropes. I rubbed my wrists and flexed my body to relieve the stiffness. I was led to the dining hall and had the usual morning oatmeal. Emily and I were given our first tasks of the day. We were to accompany the women to the market to shop for the Duke’s family and the slaves for the week. I was scared someone would recognize me.

“Miss, I can’t go to the market. What if someone recognizes me?” I stated in a near panic.

SLAP! I was stunned that she had just slapped me. Tears started to run down my face. She turned me around and lay five quick slaps on my bottom. Emily was nearby and watched. When I stood up again my face was streaked with tears. A collar was placed around my neck and a leash was clipped on. I was led to the horse-drawn carts. I walked with my head bowed hoping no one would recognize me.

We arrived at the market a short time later. I was told to get out of the cart and help carry stuff. A basket half as big as me was strapped to my back and one in the front. I know I was strong (I have been helping Emily with her chores since we were five and can see the same muscle definition as the slaves) for someone my age and especially a female noble, but I was concerned about whether or not I could carry this much stuff. The woman who held my leash was pulling me along as she put stuff in my baskets. If I didn’t walk fast enough she would pull on my leash and nearly cause me to fall. I knew that would get me or Emily punished so I stayed close to her. Both baskets were almost full and were becoming quite heavy. My movements were getting slower and I was breathing heavily. My minder was getting impatient with me and beginning to raise her voice saying humiliating and derogatory things to me. I started crying again but I kept quiet.

Finally, I was led back to the cart I arrived in. Four women helped lift the baskets from me and I was helped to climb into the cart. I crouched down in between the baskets and hid as much as I could. I did wonder if I had been recognized even though no one said anything.

When we returned to the Duke’s compound I was told to help take the food into the Family kitchen and separate it. Emily and I worked with the kitchen staff to put away the food. By the time we were done, it was lunch time so they gave us thick sandwiches and long strips of potatoes fried in oil. Emily and I went to the well to wash our hands and faces before seeking out our minder. A minder is not the same as an overseer. The boys have one, too. They are experienced adult slaves tasked with caring for children ten to fourteen years old. Once a slave child reaches the age of fourteen they are collared and if they are staying at the Duke’s home they are branded. If they are to be sold then their new owner will brand them.

Slaves are not allowed to bond with their children. Women give their babies to other women to breastfeed. The new mother will then feed other babies at random except her own. That makes it easier when it comes time to sell new slaves.

This was my life for the next two weeks. Every Friday Emily and I had to be coated in the hair removal cream, wait several minutes, and have it rinsed from our bodies. It seemed to me that it was a waste as we didn’t have any hair to remove. But I knew it wasn’t my place to say anything, not that it really mattered that much to me. I liked the feel of the air moving over my hairless skin. I loved to feel the sun on me. I used to get coated in a special oil that helped to prevent sunburn. Since I have spent so much time outside naked my skin is quite tanned. Emily and I still oil each other down because we like it and no one complains. Last night we had our hair trimmed to keep it within the specified length. Two marks for me and one for Emily.

Finally, my two weeks were up. My piercings were pronounced healed enough that I could remove them and insert the sleepers, as she called them. She showed me how to remove them and insert the sleepers. I removed them and put them in the jar of alcohol and put the lid on it to keep the alcohol from evaporating. I left it with the woman and left to report to my caregiver and tutor. When I entered my room from the servant’s passage the room was empty.

Just as the opening closed my caregiver, Janet, entered and ushered me to the bath she had prepared for me. At this point, I was aware that many people knew about my time as a slave. I suspected my parents knew even though they never said anything. I saw their protection in some of the things I was told during my time with the slaves in the last two weeks. I was scrubbed roughly from my hair to my toes. When I got out of the bath I was covered from my feet to my face in a very pleasantly scented oil. It was much thinner than the sun protection oil. This was rubbed into my skin so it wouldn’t rub off on the furniture or clothing.

My toenails and fingernails were painted in a muted pink with a glossy clear coat. ‘Uh, oh” I thought, ‘I must be going to meet my parents.” My hair was mostly dry by the time she finished with my nails. A matching pink lipgloss was added to my lips, eyeliner, and a light layer of eye shadow. When she was done I was asked (ordered is more like it) to follow her. This is the first time in years that I have been allowed to leave my suite and enter the main part of the house.

I followed Janet through the house, following two steps behind her. I was checking out her nude body and noticed how pale it was compared to mine. I may be a noble’s daughter but I like my tanned skin. I wonder if I can continue to be nude even as an adult. Finally, we reached my parents’ living quarters.

“Sophia, please come in and join us for breakfast,” Mom said as we entered the room.

Janet led me to an empty chair. And assisted me to sit and pushed my chair closer to the table. Another assistant (they are still slaves but called assistants to recognize their position in the mansion) placed a plate of pancakes slathered in melted butter and maple syrup just the way I love them to be and a large glass of milk and a glass of orange juice.

I noticed that I had been eating larger meals. I was told that it was because I have been burning more energy working with Emily. No one has yet to say ’working as a slave’ and I’m okay with that. I like working with Emily, she is my only friend but I don’t want to be a slave. I was surprised that I was able to carry the basket in the market, even though I am sure they weighed more than I do. At ten years old I am only 48 marks tall.

“Emily, how have you been? It’s been quite a while since we have had the time to spend with you,” Dad said.

“Yes, it has, Father,” I said to him. “Janet has treated me well and has been a good tutor. She always makes certain I have mastered a concept before moving on to the next.”

“The reason we set aside this time was to inform you about school. Normally, children from noble families are sent to the capital to attend the academy at the age of twelve. You just turned ten two weeks ago. We are sorry that we didn’t get to spend it with you. Would you like to have a party and invite some of the nobles?” he asked me.

“Yes, Father. I would like to invite only children my age and one year younger to one year older. I don’t want to be surrounded by people who look down on me because I don’t associate with them. I know I spend a lot of time with Emily and she is being trained to be my assistant. At least by the time her training is complete, she will come into my suite as a better assistant because she will already know me,” I told him.

“Yes, I see your point. But you don’t want to spend too much time with the slaves. You might get mistaken for one of them and branded. If you do get branded you will become a slave for real and lose your birthright. I wouldn’t want to see that happen to you, my daughter,” he said without looking at me. I knew enough to recognize the warning in his statement. I sat silently for a moment as I found out how interesting my glass of milk was.

“One other issue of importance I wanted to tell you about was school but I got sidetracked. Back to the issue. Since Janet has been teaching you reading, writing, and math you are ahead of most children that attend the academy so we are delaying your entry. For the next two years, you will learn from Janet how to run a noble household. It will include politics and diplomacy. Until you are old enough to wear clothes you cannot be seen attending meetings so you and Janet will watch and listen from the entrance to the servant passage. Janet will be informed of all meetings and their locations within the house. After the meeting, you will be summoned to discuss what you heard. All questions will be answered. Nothing will be kept secret from you. Your mother is the financial wizard in this family so she will tutor you on how to keep a budget, not just for the mansion but for the city and the people we govern.

“We know about the time you have been spending with Emily and playing little slave girl. I want you to continue to associate with them. You have earned their trust. I am going to fake sending you off to school. When you are not studying with Janet you will be living as a slave. You will eat breakfast with the slaves, work with the slaves, bathe with the slaves, and sleep in the slave quarters. You will no longer have access to your suite. I have ordered that the access panel be locked until I say otherwise.”

“Why, Father? Do you want me to be a slave? Do you no longer want me to be your daughter?” I asked scared and nervous.

“On the contrary, I want you to take over when your mother and I can no longer rule here. What I have planned is for you to learn to take our place by learning how to deal with the conniving, backstabbing demons we call nobles. The time you spend pretending to be a slave will allow you to learn the state of the city and its people. I have spies everywhere that keep me informed of trouble and other issues that need to be dealt with before it escalates. By living as a slave you will learn how the city runs; what works and what doesn’t,” he explained. “Also, since you have separated yourself from the noble children they have no idea what you look like. Some have even forgotten you exist. I want to capitalize on this and use you as a spy. You have access to the servant’s passages and I want you to use them to learn what is going on with the guests.

I am certain some of them are plotting against our noble house and I need to know who is plotting what so I can prepare for it. My family is important to me but I care for the servants, the slaves, and the free people as well. I refuse to allow the two-faced demons to have my city. Will you do this for me? And you can’t tell anyone, not even Emily. To help with your task you will be randomly assigned to chores that will allow you maximum exposure to people. I heard about your trips to the market. I will put the word out that you are to be selected first to be a messenger. I want you to run everywhere. It will build up your stamina and strengthen your legs.

“I am going to allow whippings for punishment. It would look suspicious for a slave to not have marks but they are not to scar you. If they do just say that a spoiled noble boy whipped you because you refused his advances. It’s happened many times so it can be used as an excuse. Your mission starts today. I have sent a letter to your minder explaining everything. She was instructed to burn the letter and tell others that you are being ignored by us because you spend more time pretending to be a slave than you do learning to be a noble’s wife. You haven’t lost your birthright so you are not to be branded. I hope that will work. Good luck, my daughter.”

“Thank you, Father, for breakfast and for trusting me. I hope I will succeed and not fail you or this noble family.” With that said, I rose from the table and left the room through the passages. I would not see Janet until I was needed for a meeting. So I headed to see Margo, my minder. ’I guess this means no birthday party,’ I thought to myself.

“Hello, Margo. My father said he sent you a letter explaining what I will be doing for the next four years or sooner if I can complete the task he has set before me,” I stated.

“Yes, it is a heavy burden to place on one so young. While you were having breakfast with your parents I had a meeting with Janet. We will coordinate with each other to facilitate your daily schedule. To help keep your secret you will not be working with Emily quite so much. We will also be creative with your training and punishments. You are entering a pit of vipers that will have no problems killing you or using you as leverage against your father,” Margo told me.

“You don’t have to worry about me being used as leverage. Father made it clear that he would sacrifice me to save his people and his family.” Margo had inserted my rings while we were talking. I felt her spin the rings and looked down. I was shocked to see she had put the metal sealer on the openings. Now they would have to be cut off to remove them.

“Why did you seal the rings? Now I won’t be able to remove them,” I asked.

“You won’t have to worry about that. They won’t be removed until your mission is complete. And never if you get branded. Not only that but since you will be acting as a messenger on occasion bells will be added to your rings so others will know where you are.” Margo said with a mischievous smile. She flicked a finger over each of my three new bells and I heard them tinkle. ‘This will take some getting used to,’ I thought.

Margo told me who I needed to report to for my first assignment. Oh joy, I was to learn how to chop wood. The woodcutter handed me an ax and showed me how to swing it. At first, I spent time swinging it into the stump used to set the wood on. He watched me swing and patiently corrected my technique. After an hour of swinging the ax, he set a piece of wood on the stump and told me to chop it in half. I missed the first time but got it on the second. The ax didn’t go all of the way through, guess I’ll have to work on those muscles. That is the point of this task, is it not?

I spent the rest of the morning chopping wood with the woodcutter and I was exhausted. I could barely lift my arms, I had started to slow down hours ago but I refused to quit. My family and my future depended on my not quitting.

After lunch, I was tasked with carrying the wood to the house and slave barracks and stacking it. Normally, a small cart is used to haul the wood but this was a strength-building exercise so I gathered up as much wood as I could carry and hurried off as fast as I could. I managed to get half of the pile moved before dinner. Since I failed to move all of it I would be punished after dinner.

I ate slowly, not because of the punishment but because I was so exhausted I could barely move. After dinner I went to see Margo, She had poured a hot bath in a separate tub and had me soak in it until she returned. I was not bathed, just told to soak. By the time Margo returned I had dozed off. She woke me up and I notice padded shackles had been attached to my wrists. She told me to get out. When I did she attached two more to my ankles.

I followed her from the bathhouse to a tree. Two ropes were thrown over the limb and attached to each of my wrist cuffs. I was hoisted up thirty-six marks from the ground. Two more ropes were attached to my ankle cuffs that had weights on the other end. As long as I let my arms stretch out the weights rested on the ground.

“Now, for your punishment. For one hour you will suspend the weights off the ground. Every time one of them touches the ground you will receive five swats from this paddle. If both touch the ground you will receive five lashes from this willow branch. It doesn’t matter how you do it; you can use your arms to lift your body or lift your legs, just keep them off the ground for one hour. After that, I will bathe you and put you to bed. Although, I may have to carry you by then,” she said the last with a smile.

When I lifted with my legs I could feel it in my stomach muscles. So I knew I was working my abdominal muscles as well as my legs. I kept the weights off the ground at first. I was already exhausted from the day’s work and now this. It wasn’t long before I received my first lashes from the Willow branch. It set my butt on fire.

Before I passed out I had counted two hundred-thirty-five hits between the paddle and the switch. I don’t remember being let down from the tree, bathed, or anything else until I woke up the following morning. My arms and legs were tied to the bed. I lay there on my stomach the whole night.

“It’s about time you woke up. You missed breakfast. If you don’t get up you will miss lunch too,” she said.

I groaned as she released me from my bonds. The shackles had been removed as well. I tried to move but couldn’t on my own. I screamed when Margo grabbed me under my arms and lifted me from the bed. She carried me to the bathing room where I soaked the day before.