Chapter 3: My first day in the harem

Sleep was a long time coming although I lay as quiet as I could so as not to disturb Ettie snuggling beside me. My mind went over and over all the events of the day and I wondered how I would survive two months of this. Certainly I castigated myself severely for agreeing to the assignment but ultimately knew that now I'd made the decision, I would have to go with it and try and save my hide as much as possible.

Just as it seemed I finally closed my eyes, Ettie woke me. "Time to get up," she said quietly. I could see others climbing off their mattresses and heading for the toilet area. I gave a cry as my swollen buttock muscles were forced to move. "Sorry," Ettie went on, "You are not going to like the next half hour. Gym or P.E. as you probably called it at school. We have about ten minutes to use the loo and then get to the gym. Having had a thrashing is not considered an excuse for missing it." I hobbled painfully to the typical hole in the marble floor type toilet. An underground stream flushed system ensuring there was no smell even though the holes were quite close together and the girls had to squat almost shoulder to shoulder. I squatted with difficulty. "They don't supply paper," Ettie told me, "We have to use the bidets and the air dryers." That at least seemed more hygienic than the paper method and having warm air blowing through my sparse pubic hair was a very pleasant experience.

Sapphire came and asked how I was and confirmed that I would have at least to be seen to put some effort into the exercises or I would be chastised again. Coach isn't really hard hearted although it may seem like it, but you must attempt what he asks. You'll probably be put on the computerised machines after the warm-up movements. Do remember that all the girls have been thrashed at least as badly as you, so they won't consider your plight anything special. They'll give you what support they can but don't expect a lot of sympathy."

Most of the harem slaves must have been in the gym. There were more girls than in the bedroom last night and there were ten males. All of us were completely naked except two girls wore brief knickers which I found out was due to their period. Only Coach, a small very fit oriental guy, wore loose clothes. My eyes quickly went to the long whip he carried but he didn't seem to use it all that often. Any slave that didn't appear to be working hard enough felt the sting of its tip but it only caused a yelp from the recipient and left a light red mark. He knew how to control it because it could have been a lethal weapon.

I soon found out how unfit I was even allowing for my painful movements. He seemed to delight in making me use all the muscles in my body and especially those in my arse. "They hurt when you use them now, yes?" I nodded, "They not hurt so much later. Promise." I didn't really believe him. By now the sweat was running in rivulets down my body and I was panting worse than my old Labrador after lying out in the sun. "You take two mouthfuls of water," he told me, "And steady walk twice round room. Come back to me and we test you." He ordered. I tried to walk as slowly as I dared and yet seem to be actually walking. Walking did seem a little easier than it did when I first entered the gym. Coach wired me up to a treadmill and started it going through cycles of various speeds that had me puffing and gasping for breath. On the faster speeds my breasts, unused to being free during any exercise, seemed to fly in all directions and I wished for a more petite pair. I vaguely recalled an article in HiYa saying the abandoning your bra helps to tone the muscles supporting the breasts and make them firmer. I wondered if it would do the same for me. In the end I just couldn't keep up and fell. The machine stopped automatically.

Coach picked me up and disconnected the wires. "Sapphire, please to take Carol to showers. Bring back when dressed. I discuss work-out schedule when I see print-out."

"I thought I was going to die." I said to Sapphire as she helped me from the gym.

"By the time you leave, that will seem like a leisurely afternoon stroll," she laughed, "He tested you to your limit for now. Perhaps it was a good thing to have a sore arse. Your limit will be lower than normal so when you're tested next there should be an improvement which will please him."

We showered each other and Sapphire found me one of the revealing blue lacy wrap-around dresses I'd already seen. Mine though had a plain belt of the same colour as the dress with a plastic buckle. "The belt and buckle signifies you are the lowest grade of harem slave. After lunch I will give you a sash to wear over your shoulder to indicate you are a free woman and for that time you can then wander around or talk or start typing your article or make some sort of diary you can sort out later. If I can get away I'll give you a tour of the palace or at least those parts you are allowed in. There are restrictions as to where even a free woman may go, much like in an apartment block you're not expected to impinge on the privacy of others and of course you are not allowed outside the palace walls."

Each bed mattress had a little cubby-hole alongside with three shelves. "Arrange your personal items on the shelves and leave your case on the bed. It will be stored with your clothing. Your laptop can go on the lower shelf. Keep the shelves neat and tidy at all times in case we have a snap inspection. You can leave anything there without fear of it being stolen or interfered with. No one, slaves or staff will even think of moving anyone's personal shelf items. This is a code you must follow too." Looking more closely at the other beds, all had an assortment of little things, ornaments or photos that were very personal to the owners.

"I must leave you now Carol," Sapphire told me, "Some of us have to work!" She laughed. Shortly afterwards the girls came flooding in laughing after having finished gym and showered. We all went for breakfast, a light meal of croissants and fruit. All the slaves, male and female ate together in their own dining room. Like the others I had to sit crossed legged on a shallow leather cushion with my food on a table no more than a foot high. Sitting made my bottom sore again but everyone chatted in a friendly way that took my mind off it to some extent.

I found out there are two classes of slaves; harem slaves whose main purpose is sexual pleasure and work slaves who do all the cooking and cleaning. The latter wore a standard type Arab dress in pale blue and white stripes often with a protective apron.

After breakfast Coach talked to me for half an hour about my fitness and then Ettie took me to the make-up area where my pubic hair was chemically removed. I had to lie on a surgical table in front of all the others with my legs spread while the beautician applied the chemical. She wore latex gloves and I found out why. The chemical stung terribly but I was assured I would never need to be treated again. Fifteen minutes later it was scrubbed off and all the hair came out too. Afterwards I had my head hair brushed and my nails manicured nicely and I was shown how to bring out my features using the minimum of make-up. I began to feel a little better.

Sex education was nothing like this at my school. There were six of us in the class with four of the male slaves and the instruction was definitely a practical hands-on (or in my case a mouth-on), experience. The tutor was a silver belt slave named Maria and she'd obviously been informed of my poor showing when I sucked the king. For almost the whole hour I sucked and sucked two of the male slaves until my jaws ached and my throat was sore. One of the male slaves, Jim an Englishman, had an unusually large prick which, by the end of the hour, I almost was able to take into my throat. He told Maria that I did passably well for my first lesson. I quite liked him, as he seemed to try and help me and had a ready smile. At the end of the lesson, Maria handed me some lozenges to ease the fire in my throat. I still had nothing to ease the ache in my arse.

I was about to go to the pool area to relax a little after lunch when Willy came in and walked straight to me. Involuntarily I began to shake thinking I had unwittingly committed another faux pas or that the king had ordered a repeat of my thrashing but he only handed me a slip of paper with "Carol to Mrs. Marenka room W43". I looked uncomprehendingly at it. "It's my first assignment as a sex slave," I guessed but I had no idea where room W43 was. "Please," I asked wondering how he would answer, "Where do I go?" Willy started waving his arms trying to signal the direction when one of the girls I'd only seen in the gym came and looked at the paper and offered to take me.

"Thank him," she reminded me and after I'd done the head to floor and foot kissing ritual she led me away. "It's a confusing place at first. I'm Marisa. The W stands for West so were going to the West wing. That's where many of the government people live. Us slaves are in the East Wing." Her dark skin and features indicated she was Arab possibly local. I made a mental note to ask her later but I was more concerned as to what Mrs. Marenka would demand of me so I asked Marisa while we walked. "I've not been summoned to her but I know she likes white girls and I guess she'll want to have sex with you. We're here. 43 will be on the right. Good luck." With that she promptly disappeared back the way we'd come.