he caused his body to turn a little to the left as he did so.
A young man, meantime, looking somewhat more impressive than the Pages, and differently costumed in dark blue velvet, came down the line of doubled and manacled slaves and appeared to inspect each face and each configuration of mercilessly exposed organs.
He smoothed back the hair from the young Prince's forehead. The young Prince moaned. It seemed he tried to thrust himself forward, and this man in blue velvet stroked the Prince's penis causing the Prince to main all the louder and more with the sound of one imploring.
Beauty bent her head but she continued to watch the man in velvet as he approached the Princess Lizetta.
"Stubborn one, most difficult," he said to Lord Gregory.
"A day and night of punishment will subdue her," Lord Gregory answered. And Beauty was shocked to think of being exposed for so long, and so uncomfortably. She knew at once she would do anything to prevent this punishment, yet she had the terrible fear that despite all her efforts it might befall her. She at once imagined herself hung in this position, and she let out a little gasp, though she pressed her lips together to stop it.
But to her amazement, the man in velvet had begun to stroke Princess Lizetta's sex with a small instrument that was, as so much here, covered in smooth black leather. This was a three-pronged rod that somewhat resembled a hand, and as soon as he teased the helpless Princess, she began to struggle in her bonds.
Beauty understood at once what was happening. The Princess's pink sex, terrifying to Beauty as it hung so unprotected, appeared to swell, to ripen. Beauty could see tiny droplets of moisture appear on it.
And even as she watched, she felt her own sex ripening in this same manner. She felt the hard plaster that had been placed over the kernel of feeling there, and it seemed to do nothing to prevent the increased throbbing.
As soon as the helpless Princess had been so awakened, the man in velvet left her with an approving smile, and continued his movement back down the row of slaves, stopping again to tease and torment the young blond-haired Prince who without pride or dignity pleaded from behind his leather bone gag.
The victim beside him, another Princess, was even more abandoned in her wordless entreaties for satisfaction. Her sex was small, thick lipped, a mouth amid a thicket of brown curls, and she twisted her entire body struggling to gain some greater contact from the Lord in velvet who left her now to tease and torment yet another.
Lord Gregory snapped his fingers.
Beauty went down on her hands and knees again and followed him.
"Need I tell you that you are well-suited for that sort of punishment, Princess?" he asked.
"No, my Lord," Beauty whispered. She wondered if it was within his power to punish her this way for nothing. She longed for the Prince, and for the time when he alone had power over her. She could think of nothing but the Prince, and why had she ever displeased him by looking at Prince Alexi? Yet she had only to think of Prince Alexi and she was pitched into helpless misery. But if she could be in the Prince's arms, she would think of no one but him. She craved his tender punishment.
"Yes, my dear, you would speak?" Lord Gregory asked, but there was something ruthless in his tone.
"Only tell me how to obey, my Lord, how to please, how to avoid this discipline."
"To begin with, my precious," he said angrily, "stop admiring the male slaves so very much, staring at them at every opportunity. Don't revel so much in all I show you to frighten you!"
Beauty gasped.
"And never, never again think of Prince Alexi."
Beauty shook her head. "I will do as you say, my Lord," she said anxiously.
"And remember, the Queen is none too pleased with her son's passion for you. A thousand slaves have surrounded him ever since he was a young boy, and in none of them has he found an object of devotion such as you. The Queen does not like it."
"O, but what can I do?" Beauty cried softly.
"You can show perfect obedience to all your superiors, and do nothing to make yourself seem rebellious or unusual."
"Yes, my Lord," Beauty said.
"You know that I saw you watching Prince Alexi last night," he said, his voice now a menacing whisper.
Beauty winced. She bit her lip and