Chapter 2

“Are the statements, that the Lord Executioner made, true?” the Village Chief demanded sternly.

“Yes, Un ... Uncle,” the young man finally answered very quietly.

“A week in the stocks,” the Village Chief pronounced, “and the same for those two friends of yours.” The Village Chief then turned to me to apologize. “I am sorry I doubted you, Lord Executioner. It would appear that I need to pay closer attention to what is going on with the workers in the fields.”

“An excellent idea,” I replied, “also insure that they are all being fed adequately, as that is part of the law also.”

Having finished our breakfast, we retired to the bath house. It was located near the edge of the village, just above the river. It was a small building with only one bathing area, which was used by both men and women. There were two girls there to help us with our clothes and to help bathe us.

“Are we to wash your clothes also, Master?” they asked.

“We are leaving shortly, and will have our clothes washed when we stop later,” I informed them.

The bathhouse was kept quite warm by the fire that heated the large cauldrons of water used for bathing. I had my own soap and towels, as those of most villages were not to my liking. After bathing me, the taller girl shaved me. She did an excellent job. While the one was finishing me, the other started on Esther. I knew she had been whispering to the second girl when I was being shaved. While I was being dressed, Esther addressed me.

“Master would it be allowed for the girls to use some of your wonderful soap. It smells so good and is much better than our brown village soap.”

“Yes, that will be fine, Esther,” I answered. When she had finished helping me dress, the taller girl joined Esther and the second girl in the bathing area While they enjoyed themselves, I retrieved the clothes that Esther would be wearing on our trip. I had the clothes laid out when Esther and the two girls returned to the dressing area. They were all wrapped in towels. When she saw the clothes, Esther turned pale, and her hand few up to her mouth.

“Master,” she whispered in a quavering voice, “is this what you intend for me? I could not wear those clothes, or be what they represent. It would be better to leave me here, and let me be beaten than to go to a life like that.”

“What type of life do you think they represent?” I inquired.

“Master, these are the yellow of an Apprentice Prostitute. They lead a life of base sex and debauchery. How could I be such a one? It would be better to die here.”

“Answer me several questions, Esther, before you make your decision,” I rejoined.

“How many of the village men have had sex with you?” I asked.

“Almost all of them, Master,” she replied, “I am a slave.”

“How long has this been happening?” I returned.

“For the last four planting seasons, Master,” she replied, in a quavering voice.

“What have you to show for all of this, Esther?” I asked in a low gentle voice.

“What do you mean, Master? I do not understand.” Tears were falling from her eyes, and she was breathing raggedly now. The other two slave girls watched in rapt attention.

“What money, clothes, possessions, or skills have you gained from four years of sexual abuse here in the village?” I asked, again in a low soothing voice.

“I have gained none of those things, Master, I am but a slave,” she wailed, as tears streamed down her face, and her body was wracked by sobs.

“Let me tell you something about the life of an apprentice prostitute,” I said gently. “To begin with, she or he is an apprentice, and all of the Guild Rules for Apprentices apply to her. Clothing appropriate to the profession or craft must be supplied to him / her. They must be fed an appropriate diet for their profession, and fed a minimum of twice a day, and more often if required. They must be housed with a bed and blankets for each one. Their health must be maintained as required. They must be taught the skills necessary to make them functioning members of their Guild. They are to be paid at a rate determined by the local Guild Masters to be appropriate for their area and particular trade. All of this is enforced by the local Guild Masters Council, who are very jealous of their power and prestige. Those who do not follow the rules are punished severely.

“But these are just the minimum Guild Rules. An apprentice prostitute will usually share a room with one or two other girls. She will eat in the main dining room with the others. She will bathe at least every other day, and usually more often. She will have her own underclothes and share a pool of formal and work clothes with several other girls who are the same size as she is. Usually they are her roommates. Some Houses have physicians on staff, while others have an agreement with the Physicians Guild. All girls must learn to read and write. Counting and basic arithmetic must also be learned. There are voice lessons to teach them to speak properly. There are lessons in etiquette: the proper spoons and forks to use; when to drink wine; how to and when to curtsy; proper forms of address, as well as how to dance.

“Girls are also taught how to apply makeup and how much; hair dressing; the proper smile and other facial expressions. There are also classes in various arts for girls who show an aptitude for them: sewing; painting; writing; singing; playing musical instruments; cooking, and baking.

“Of course all apprentices are taught the arts and pleasures of sex, BUT sex will only take a girl so far. Eventually a man will require more than sex. Even before sex, men want a woman who they can have an intelligent conversation with. One who can intelligently converse on the play they saw that evening, or who they are not ashamed to be seen with in a restaurant, or at a private dinner.

“Girls are checked twice monthly for diseases. This is a must to insure that social diseases are not spread. An apprentice prostitute is not a tavern whore or a street walker. Those are usually freemen’s wives or slaves. Instead she is a well paid professional. It is not unusual for a girl to save three gold coins a year from her wages and often more than that, as many customers are good tippers. In four years, you could have at least twelve gold coins saved for your retirement. Often the best girls are bought out of a house to become the mistress of a wealthy man. They are well cared for in most instances.

“So tell me Esther, how this is worse than being a slave in this village?” I finished.

Esther stood with her chin down on her chest. Tears were running down her face, her body was shaking, and her breathing was ragged. Finally she spoke.

“Do you hate me, Master?” she whispered, not daring to raise her eyes. “I’m so stupid, you must.”

“Esther, child, come to me,” I asked, as I held out my arms. She moved up to me, and I gathered her into my arms and held her close. “Esther, I don’t hate you. You are a sweet child and had no knowledge of what an apprentice prostitute’s life was like. All you knew was what you had heard others talk about from their travels in taverns and towns. Now put on these clothes. We have quite a distance to travel today yet.”

The two slave girls had been standing there through this entire encounter. Their mouths hung open, and their eyes were large. It looked like they were in a trance, but at my final words, they both seemed to come alive and moved Esther over to start dressing her. They rewashed and dried her face. Then helped her put on the clothes. The undergarments were a light yellow in color and made of very soft cotton. They consisted of a slip, panties, and a bra. The bra required some adjustment. The stockings were the same blue color as those of this morning. The sandals were those of the morning. The robe was made of soft wool with a cotton lining. It was also a light yellow in color, and extended a full two hand widths below her knees. There was a wool cloak of light blue, and a hair ribbon of the same color. When she was dressed, Esther turned toward me. She was beautiful beyond words.

“Do I appear acceptable, Master?” she whispered, shyly.

“You are more than acceptable, Esther,” I replied. “You’re beautiful.” My words were echoed by the slave girls, and Esther seemed pleased at this.

“Thank you, Master,” she whispered.

Previously, I had sent the boy who tended the fire to the stable to have my horses brought up. The stableman and his assistant loaded the saddle pack on the pack horse. I helped Esther mount the mare with the side saddle. Then I mounted my own stallion. As we passed back through the village, a large crowd had gathered. There was much whispering and pointing from the village women when they saw how Esther was dressed. Her beauty was not lost on the men either. We said our goodbyes to the Village Chief, and set off on our journey.

I was sure there would be much more whispering, and complaining, among the slave girls tonight. The two from the bath were sure to report on every word they had heard to the others, and I was sure the village men were in for a hard time.

We arrived in the capital after two weeks of steady travel. We were both worn out and glad that the trip was over. Esther was also apprehensive. What would this new life be like she wondered? We went right to the largest House in town. It was the one run by the local Guild Master, and I was well known there. The groom, out front, took our horses away to be cared for. The saddle pack would be brought up to my room later.

We entered through the large front doors, and went right into the main salon. We were warmly greeted by the Guild Master herself. Obviously, word of our arrival had proceeded us.

“Welcome home, Brother,” the Guild Master said, as she gave me a big hug. Esther’s eyes popped out and her jaw fell open also.

“Sister,” I said, as I returned the hug, “I have brought you a new candidate.”

“Candidate, dear Brother?” she asked. “She would appear more like one who has already been accepted. Of course, I have your assurance that she is acceptable, no doubt.”

“Guild Master, may I present candidate Esther, and yes, you have my assurance that she is acceptable,” I said.

“Well Esther, I hope you realize that my Brother’s assurance is quite an honor. He does not bring us many girls, but those he has brought have always been of the highest caliber. You have much to live up to,” my Sister, the Guild Master, stated.

“Thank you, Guild Master, I will do my best to uphold your expectations,” Esther answered with a curtsy. I had coached her on many things during our two week trip to the capital, and she was doing very well so far.

My Sister, Martha, called her chief assistant, Hatty, to have Esther escorted into the house and assigned a room. Hatty would also take care of the other items of the initiation that were required before Esther was totally accepted into the house. We adjourned to the Guild Master’s office to discuss business while Hatty led Esther into the house to assign her a room.

Initiation Interview

Hatty led Esther into the rear area of the house where the girls’ rooms were. It also contained the classrooms, fitting rooms, kitchen, and other areas necessary to the operation of the house. She stopped in front of a room with an open door. There was one name on the card on the door. She asked Esther if she could remember where the room was, and Esther assured her that she could.

With the door closed, Hatty told her to remove all of her clothes, so she could examine her. Esther did so but blushed furiously. Hatty was concerned when she saw Esther’s back. Her tone became very gentle, as she asked about what she saw there.