Chapter 14: SM03-Eta, Day 2, continued

Steve, his wives, and his slave had a nice quiet lunch with Moesha and Abema. He was pleased to see that Abema was cordial to Mary, Danielle, and Yoshi, who would be her senior wives if he accepted her, and gentle with Nytoya, accepting her servitude without question. Moesha was still confused by Nytoya, but seemed to have come to terms with it, and allowed Nytoya to serve her without appearing to notice Nytoya's collar, wrist and ankle cuffs, or her nudity.

Theresa and Consuela were still in their room, recovering and bonding after Steve's attempt to impregnate them. Li and Ko were nowhere to be seen, but as newly joined Mistress and Slave, they were most likely still exploring the possibilities of the relationship. They'd no doubt surface for oxygen or companionship soon enough.

Having just finished that thought, Steve was surprised when the room voice spoke. "Steve, I have a message for you from Li. Privacy is not requested. Will you accept?"

"Yes," said Steve, "Play the message."

Li's voice came from the ceiling. "Steve, can you please join Ko and I in our room. We need to talk to you on a matter of some importance. It's not urgent, but we do need your advice. Thank you."

The room voice returned. "Is there a reply?"

"Yes," said Steve. "Inform Li that I will be there in a few minutes." He turned to Mary and his other wives. "I don't suppose this is something you've cooked up?" At their head-shakes, he turned to Moesha and Abema, "I don't suppose either of you know anything?" Again, shaking heads. Turning to his slave, he said, "Toy?" but she claimed ignorance as well. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I guess I'll have to wing it then. Wish me luck."

"Luck!" said several voices, as he stood and left the dining area, headed for the bedrooms.

When he walked in Li and Ko's room, he knew immediately there was trouble. The confident, almost arrogant Mistress was gone, replaced by a despondent, even frightened woman. Ko, still dressed in her slave shift, was obviously distressed, even as she attempted to hold position without looking up at him as he entered the room.

"What seems to be the problem, Li? Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as he approached them.

"I sincerely hope so. Please, be seated," said Li, gesturing to the chair beside her. "I made a very disturbing discovery this morning, and I find I am not at all prepared to fulfill the responsibilities I have assumed with my slave." She paused, visibly gathering her strength, and continued.

"I discovered that Ko's need to serve, and to be used, exceeds anything I could have imagined. I also discovered that she not only does not enjoy sexual relations with another woman, she actually loathes them, nearly to the point of nausea. What I thought were moans of pleasure were no such thing. I was completely taken in by the joy she felt as she thanked me for using her. She apparently draws such great pleasure from humiliation, from being forced to commit degrading acts, that drinking from my womanhood was a net gain, the pleasure from the submission overwhelming the disgust from the act." Li stopped again, obviously finding it difficult to continue.

Steve was merciful. He picked up the narrative, having felt the same fears in lesser degree. "And you find the pleasure you felt at her touch, and at touching her, to taste of ashes now that you realize that you have been essentially raping her."

Li jerked at Steve's use of the term, then, nearly in tears, nodded.

Steve reached out, and pulled Li first to her feet, then down again, into his lap. "I'm sorry I used such a harsh word. I know as surely as I love the both of you that it was not actually rape, that you had no intention of forcing yourself on her except as a kind of game played by mutual consent. I've struggled with the same feelings with Nytoya, but I feel confident that she is in fact heterosexual, and enjoys my touch even without the dominance.

"Do you feel up to continuing?"

Li, nodded, and spoke again. Her voice shook slightly, but Steve's reassurance seemed to have helped more than his choice of phrase had hurt. "I find myself with a responsibility I can neither bear, nor abandon. If I cast her aside, she will be crushed. If I keep her, I deny her the chance to find pleasure; I can not believe that fetching my morning tea will be a meaningful relationship for her, but I can no longer bear the idea of taking my pleasure from her, not least because I can not truly please her in return.

"In addition, I find myself without the hope of physical pleasure with anyone. Conseula and Theresa are obviously a couple, and undoubtedly monogamous, except perhaps with you. Moesha and Abema are heterosexual, and I'll find no pleasure there, except for conversation. All of the rest of the women have attached themselves to you, and I have no desire to poach. And so, I am alone, unless I can convince you to accept me, and I have already told you that while I would no doubt find pleasure in your bed, I do not think I will find love, at least not the love I seek."

Steve stroked her head. "While I agree with your assessment of the women who have not taken me as their husband, you may be premature with respect to my wives. Before we speak to that, there is another party to this problem that needs to be dealt with."

Steve looked at Ko, who was still kneeling by the chair where Li had been sitting. "Slave," he said firmly, "Look at me." When she did so, he continued, "Your mistress has said that she can not and will not hurt you by casting you aside, now that she finds she can not accept your service. Will you serve her one last time, by promising to serve me as you did her? Look me in the eye, and speak."

Ko shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "I have failed her. I do not wish to fail you as well."

Again, Steve spoke firmly. "You will not fail me, as you have not failed her. She misjudged you, and the nature of your service, but the fault was hers, and she has paid and will continue to pay for it. You did as you were bid, and did it well, to judge by her comments yesterday. I have every reason to believe you will serve me as well as you did her. I do not dress my slaves, so remove your garment, and kneel before me."

Steve guided Li back to her chair, as Ko stripped, then knelt before him.

"Take me into your mouth, and show me that you know how to pleasure a man. Swallow what you bring forth."

While Ko was sucking his cock, and doing quite a good job of it, he spoke to the room voice. "Room, message to Danielle. Danielle, please come to Li and Ko's room. I require your advice. Message ends. Advise me of her reply."

"Message accepted. Message delivered. There is a reply." came the response from the room, followed by Danielle's voice, "I'm on my way, darling."

Steve stroked Ko's head as she serviced him. Speaking to Li, he said, "There's one of your problems taken care of. You didn't discard her, I simply took her away from you. As to the other, when I took my wives to my bed, I asked them each if they had any special needs or interests of a sexual nature. Danielle's response is relevant to your problem."

Before he could continue, there was a tone from the doorway, and Danielle's voice was heard. "It's Danielle. May I come in?"

Li's voice quavered only slightly as she said, "Yes, of course."

Danielle entered the room, and took in the scene at a glance. She saw Ko nude and on her knees, sucking Steve's cock, with tear tracks on her face, but no new tears tracking down them. Turning, she saw Li, with a tragic look on her face, and finally Steve, looking rather inscrutable. Steve gestured to a chair next to him, opposite and facing the one were Li sat.

Steve began his explanation. "The history is a bit complex, but suffice it to say that there's been a change in Ko's status, as a result of a discovery Li made this morning. Li is technically bisexual, but in point of fact is only marginally interested in intercourse with men. Ko, on the other hand, is in fact completely heterosexual, which was not obvious at first due to her need to be dominated, a need that Li can no longer fill. Obviously, I have taken Ko into my possession, but there is a remaining issue, the fact that Li finds herself without anyone to enter into a sexual relationship with.

"She correctly concluded that neither Theresa nor Conseula is interested in outside relationships. She further recognized that neither Abema nor Moesha is interested in a sexual relationship with a woman. Since you, Mary, and Yoshi are my wives, and Nytoya my slave, she reasoned that you were unavailable as well. She is understandably saddened by this line of reasoning, as it leaves her with no options other than her own fingers, and me. The prospect of sex with me is not without some attraction, but only as an occasional change of pace.

"Which brings us to why you are here. I intend to offer Li the option of becoming a sort of 'junior wife', a concubine, perhaps. In exchange for the occasional sex act at my request, she becomes part of the family."

Steve was watching Danielle closely, which was lucky for him. Her face remained calm, but her eyes suddenly flashed. He suddenly realized that he was about to make a terrible mistake, one that could cost him Danielle's affections. Fortunately, he had a lot of experience at tricky negotiating, and switched horses without an obvious bobble.