It took Lien about half a second to realize that they were surrounded by enemies – and that even by a surprise attack, she would perhaps been able to save herself, but not the Princess who now had Cheng`s arm slung around her neck. So, she remained calm and only hissed to Cheng:
„You better never turn your back to me, bastard!“
Cheng did not seem too upset.
„When I came to Mr. Wong`s house, you were about to run away from him, the Princesses`s grand uncle. At least, I am neither related to you, nor did I promise anything else but getting you away from him.“
„Although I am running a tea house and enjoy a little gossip – Yuen, help Cheng to get the Prinvess and her maid upstairs. You“, she pointed at Jody and Andrea, who were still a bit overwhelmed by the last turn of events with her gun, „follow me, please.“
Yuen took the angry, but obedient Lien`s arm and Cheng kept his arm slung around the neck of the Princess who bit her lips to keep at least some of her dignity. When they were in the sleeping room, Cheng told Yuen:
„You better tie that one extra tight, she`s a fighter.“
Yuen nodded: „Just don`t be too rude to her. she`s a Princess, after all.“
Cheng had not intended to hurt Jinjin, however, he noticed with interest that for the first time he had seen him Yuen had said something else than an occasional „yes, Madame“. Was he really concerned about Jinjin being a Princess? Or could it be that this rock of a man was susceptible for the beauty of the woman he held in his arms.
„Personally, I would prefer Lien, but let`s keep that in mind“, he thought. Though Cheng knew how to fight, he was primary a man of brain and so, he considered several alternatives about how to get on now that he had the Princess.
Yuen proved that, according to Lien, he still was a professional. He first stuffed her mouth with a large silk cloth, then he tied a knot in another one. This knot, he wedged between the girl`s teeth before knotting it off in her neck. Then, he wrapped a silk bandage tightly over the lower half of her face, followed by a tightly buckled belt. He then took a black silk scarf, covered her head with it and knotted it in Lien`s neck, effectively hooding and blindfolding her.
Lien had not resisted or uttered a sound. Jinjin had not tried anything either and Cheng decided that he could restrain her, too. Remembering Yuen`s wish, he took some ropes and several silk scarves and led her to the bed.
„As he said, you shall be treated with respect“, he said when she lay on her back and he took the first of the scarves.
Jinjin raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows.
„Well, then maybe he will be granted a quick death whilst you will be cut to pieces.“
„At least, she`s no coward, though she obviously is a bit uncertain about her current position“, Cheng thought whilst he formed Jinjin`s right hand to a fist and wrapped it with one of the scarves before tying a piece of rope tightly around her wrist and securing it to the bedpost.
When, he had done that to her left hand, too, she was restrained well enough and the silk wrapping not only protected her wrists from rope burn, but also prevented her from using her fingers to get free. Whilst he tied her booted ankles and fixed them to the lower end of the bed, he looked what Yuen had done to secure Lien.
Yuen had forced the girl to kneel and tied her ankles to her thighs to ensure she stayed in that position. Then, he pulled up her arms and tied her wrists together. With another rope, he fixed her hands to one of the ceiling beams, forcing Lien to sit with her arms raised up. Then, Yuen bent her head down and tied her elbows as close as he could. Her position did not allow him to make her joints meet without dislocating her shoulders, but now, she could not raise her head fully and had to remain in her kneeling position with her head slightly bowed.
Drawing by hugues66
„Don`t forget her fingers“, Cheng, who was just gently, but firmly shoving a wadded scarf into Princess Jinjin`s mouth, said.
Yuen grunted something and Cheng tied two scarves over Jinjin`s gag, one between her lips and one over her mouth, before he secured the gag with some rope.
„There, the finest silk and nothing hurts, Your Imperial Highness.“
„Mph!“, Jinjin answered, giving him an angry glance.
Cheng saw that Yuen had wrapped a scarf around Lien`s hands and was just knotting it off. Then, he came over and watched Jinjin`s bonds, but was obviously satisfied that Cheng had indeed done no unnecessary harm to the Princess. Cheng padded his muscular shoulder.
„Yuen, my friend, I respect your sense of chivalry. However, there is one thing to be done which will be an attack on the modesty of our Imperial guest. You may do it for me if you like, but it has to be done anyway.“
„Mmhhmm?“, Jinjin moaned through her gag.
Yuen looked into Cheng`s eyes for a second, then, he nodded:
„Just do what has to be done, I will see if Madame needs my help.“
When the other man had left, Cheng first checked Lien?s bondage before turning back to the Princess.
„Your Imperial Highness, my superior knows you very well. So well that he knows you have a piece of jewelry somewhere on your body that contains your secret family motto. To ensure that I can`t fool him and it`s really you whom I`ve got, my superior has not told me that motto, though he knows it. Instead, he told me that I should take that jewelry and use the motto as a code to decipher his further orders what to do with you. I have already seen that it`s not written on one of xour rings or earrings. So, will you give me a hint or will I have to search for it?“
„Mmhhmmmph! Nnnggg!“
Jinjin violently shook her head, her eyes now expressing a mixture of anger and fear.
„Well then, you leave me no choices“, Cheng sighed and sat down on the side of the bed.
Though the Princess squirmed and moaned through her gag, he searched her thoroughly and methodically. First, he frisked her arms, but he could feel no bracelets through the thin cloth of her dress. Then, he slid a hand under the neckline of her dress and pulled out her necklaces. None of them had a pendant with something written on it. He gently put them back in place. Jinjin`s eyes widened and she uttered a moan of protest when the back of his hand touched her left breast, but he did not further touch her there. Instead, he let his fingers slide over her belly – and suddenly stopped.
„Mhhhrrrrr! Uuuhmmmmm! Mmmhhmmmppphh!“
Jinjin fumed when he located a gem in the girl`s belly button. Cheng looked at his captive. Princess Jinjin`s dress was very tight and knotted on the back, so he had three possibilities. He could rip it from her or cut a hole in it, just over her belly button. Or he could reach under her dress.
„If Yuen comes back now, he could misinterpret the situation“, Cheng thought as he once again pushed his hand between her bosom and the neckline. Now, Jinjin only panted and whimpered. She knew that if she struggled too much, Cheng would perhaps rip her dress open. Blushing from the humiliation, she endured as his hand wandered deeper and deeper and she felt his fingers fumble at her belly piercing. After some difficulties, he had loosened the gem and carefully withdrew his hand.
„Sorry, but that was inevitable, Your Imperial Highness.“
„Hhhhrrrrmph!“
In his hands, he now held an emerald in the size of an olive, edged with gold. On this golden rim, he could see some Chinese letters.
After checking if he still was alone except for his captives, Cheng went to the adjacent bathroom. There, he reached under his shirt and opened a little locker he had on a necklace. Hidden behind a picture of a pretty Chinese woman (no one he knew, just a portrait) was a short notice that had so far made no sense. Using the motto as a key, he quickly deciphered it.
When he burnt the message in the wash bowl a minute later, he was calm on the outside, but quite shocked inwardly. The message had said:
„Kill the Princess and bring her severed head as an evidence you got her.“
***
In a ridiculous way, her current predicament reminded Zenobia of her youth when she had served in a planter`s mansion whose children had been tought etiquette. Among the many rules, there were some strict orders when one was allowed to sit down or had to stand up.
„Now, if the black girl is sitting down, the white woman has to raise“, Zenobia thought with an involuntary giggle choked by her mouthfilling gag.
Indeed, their combined crotch chain meant that one had to stand with the chain pressing against her private parts whilst the other was sitting. For a while, they had both kept standing, trying to bring as much distance between their bodies as possible. For a while, Vanessa had fumed and pulled on her bindings, but this had been to no avail. Finally, panting from exhaustion, she had let herself sink on the stool.
This forced Zenobia to stand very upright and the crotch chain pulled her close to Vanessa. Since their feet were tied together, Vanessa had to open her thighs to allow Zenobia to stand between them. Her knees almost touched the blonde`s pubic area split in two by the chain, but at least, they were better off than Myra.
Pitiful, Zenobia looked over to the other girl. The rope that tied her feet and was led over a hook in the ceiling only allowed her to put one foot at the ground at the same time. So, from time to time she had to do strange little hops to change her position. Since the rope was running through her crotch rope as well, this teased and chaffed her there, too and so, her movements were always accompanied by little squeals and moans.
„If she would try a fast dance, she could easily get her next orgasm“, Zenobia thought. Then, she was ashamed of her own gleefulness.
After a while, Zenobia felt tired. She mmphed and tried to make it clear to Vanessa that it was now her turn to sit.
„Mmhhmmm! Nnnnngggg!“, the blonde responded, shaking her head.
„Selfish cow“, Zenobia thought and lowered her butt. Since Vanessa made no move to stand up and both women were of about the same weight, for a while both were squatting in a half standing, half sitting position.
„Ladies! This is the most remarkable dance I`ve ever seen.“
Blushing, both Zenobia and Vanessa came to stand and looked to the door. Madame Yini was not alone. Before her, two women, a blonde and a brown haired one, were standing, both only clad in knickers and with some cloths tied over their boobs.
„Zenobia, poor thing, are you all right?“
Andrea went over to her friend and embraced her.
„Mhhmmmph!“
Zenobia was not all right, being naked, bound and gagged in the cellar of a woman who intended to sell her as a sex slave, but she was definitely happy to see Andrea again. Then, it came to her mind that Andrea`s being here, scantily clad as she was, did not mean anything good.
„How cosy, you know each other. Well, soon you may exchange caresses for the whole night, but now, you two please stand with your back to the wall.“
Since Madame Yini still had her gun, both Jody and Andrea obeyed.
„Good. Now, take off that little bit of clothing you are still wearing. If you really dared to walk through the streets like this, you won`t mind being naked inside the house, with only women around.“
Andrea had already begun to undo the knot of the cloth covering her breasts. Her facial expression was calm, as if she wanted to say „so, it?s that game again?“. Jody, however defensively crossed her arms in front of her body. Madame Yini smiled scornfully and cocked her gun.
„Is it really worth having your knee shot, just for protecting your sense of modesty.“
For a while, the two women stared at each other. Andrea, who had loosened the cloth, watched with the band still in her hand.
Finally, with a curse, Jody undid her breast cloth, too and both women stood there with their hands crossed in front of their boobs.
„You are not finished yet.“
„Go to hell!“, Jody hissed.
Instead of an answer, Madame Yini went to the table, not for a second taking her eyes from the two girls. With her left, she grabbed something that looked like a mixture ofa knife and a sickle.
„If you need help to get naked, I will help you with pleasure. But maybe, you will lose some of your skin, too.“
„Go to hell!“, Jody repeated, this time with a trembling voice. She was strong and defiant and having to accept that she was helpless was not easy for her. With angry eyes and turning her back towards Madame Yini, she lowered her knickers. Andrea did the same moments later.
„Okay. Now, I want you to gag each other with your knickers and these cloths you had been wearing to cover your nakedness.“
Jody spun around, forgetting about that she was naked.
„No! That`s disgusting! I will not do that!“
Andrea was swaying between doing the unavoidable or supporting Jody in her defiance. She admired her braveness and she definitely did not want to have the experience of being gagged with another woman`s used knickers once more. On the other hand, Madame Yini had a gun and that vicious looking knife and she did not look as if she liked to repeat orders too often.
Suddenly, Madame Yini made a quick move with her left. Zenobia felt a draft at her ear and yelped with surprise. A single strand of black hair now was lying on the floor.
„And I had been aiming for her eye. I am really a bit insecure with my left hand“, Madame Yini said, looking at the hair.
„O-okay, l-leave her alone, I-I`ll d-do it!“
Andrea picked up her knickers, balled them up as much as possible. Then, she brought them closer to Jody`s mouth.
„N-no, please! They smell as if you`ve been wearing them for a week!“
„Five days“, Andrea answered, slightly blushing.
„Wow, at least you will have the worse gag then!“, Jody blurted. Then, she started to giggle hysterically whilst tears were running down her cheeks.
„Forgive me“, Andrea said and began to stuff the balled up knickers into the blonde`s mouth.
Jody`s giggling became to a strange mixture of moans and grunts, but she did nothing to fend off Andrea.
„You better do a good job in gagging her. For every second I will have to spend on tightening loose knots on her gag or stuffing in those knickers of yours in deeper, I will carve one letter in your friend`s body. Perhaps you know that our alphabet has some 5000 signs.“
Andrea worked the knickers as deep into Jody`s cheeks and throat as possible. Then, she wound her breast cloth two times around her head, cleave-gagging the girl that now had sunk to her knees, sobbing and from time to time clearing her nose. She only once squeezed her eyes when Andrea pulled the ends of the cloth tight before she knotted them off in Jody`s neck.
In that second, someone knocked at the door. Madame Yini said something in Chinese and Yuen entered.
„Finished?“
Yuen nodded.
„Excellent. Gag that girl, her friend is temporarily indisposed.“
Andrea parted her lips and accepted the foul-tasting gag, only retching a bit when Yuen tightened the cleave gag before tying it off. Then he looked at his mistress.
„Tie her to the wall, I`ve got a nice idea for her. But let`s start with the blonde. I hope she fits into the birdcage.“
Yuen cuffed Andrea`s wrists to a ring in the wall before walking to another corner and brought something that looked indeed like a cage, though a very strange one. It had the shape of a cube with an edge-length of some 25 to 30 inches. The sides consisted of thick iron bars some inch apart from each other whilst bottom and top were made of wooden planks. Andrea could see it had a hole in it`s top.
Jody had meanwhile bend her legs to her body and slung her arms around it. She was still slightly sobbing. Yuen took two pairs of cuffs and fixed her in that ball position, tying her left wrist to her right ankle and vice versa. Then, he worked on the top of the cage. It had hinges on both sides and the lid could be opened like a shutter. The opening of the two halfes of the lid went directly through the centre of the hole in the middle.
Yuen lifted up Jody as if she weighted nothing and lowered her into the cage. Now, she seemed to be back in reality, because she screamed through her gag as Yuen carefully closed the lid. But despite her efforts, bound as she was she could not prevent him from closing the two lids and now, her head was trapped in the hole. It was wide enough to enable free breathing, but Jody could not get her head through it. She fumed and some rustling told the others that she was trying to fight her bonds, too.
„Even if we had not tied your wrists and ankles, you would not be able to reach for your gag. But so, it`s more uncomfortable and I want you to be prepared for what lies ahead of you. A long and uncomfortable trip.“
„Mmhhhhrrrrrrr! Uuuhhhmmmmmm! Mhhhhrrrrrrrrmmmph!“
„Luckily, you are a tall woman. Not only because you will reach a high price in China – a petite woman would sure get her neck stretched by the head opening.“
„Mmmhhmmmph!“
Madame Yini was right. The cage was like it had been designed for Jody. She was neither squashed too much nor did the neck opening hurt her. But this was hardly a consolation for the poor blonde!
Madame Yini said something in Chinese to Yuen and he took the cage, carrying it over to Myra who had been too busy finding a tolerable position to much care about her new companions. But now, Madame Yini caressed her chin.
„Myra, dear. I am glad that you have behaved so far. And so, you will be granted a comfortable position for the night.“
„Mhhmmm?“
„Yes, dear. You can sit down and give your poor aching feet a rest. That is, unless you prefer to stay tied up like this, of course.“
„Nngggg!“
Vigorously, Myra shook her head. Madame Yini said something to Yuen and he lowered the chain Myra was hanging on. She let out a sigh of relief as she was able to stand on both feet again. Madame Yini undid the rope holding her feet and even removed the scarves wround her waist and between her legs. When Yuen had released her from the chain, Myra suddenly staggered and fainted.
Drawing by hugues66
When she awoke, she found that she was sitting on something hard, but not uncomfortable. Relief! Myra sighed and strethced her legs when she suddenly heard a muffled scream and felt a blow of air at her pussy. She looked down – and almost petrified.
Myra was sitting on the cage Jody was locked in. Since the blonde`s head was protruding from it, that meant that she was sitting with her head placed directly between her thighs, Jody`s nose only one inch away from her pussy. Jody moaned and tried to arch her head back, but the head opening did not allow much movement.
„Mhhmmph! Nnnggg!“, Myra protested and wanted to get away, but she felt an iron grip on her ankles. Yuen had grabbed her legs and now crossed them before tying her ankles together. When he tied her feet to one of the cage`s bars, Myra could not change her lotos position, with Jody`s head between her legs. Her open position prevented her from touching Jody at all, unless she flailed too much, but it was more than humiliating.
To Myra`s surprise, Yuen now took a long bamboo stick and bent down to the side of the cage.
„He wants to stab her!“, Myra thought as he slowly pushed the stick between the bars. However, Yuen did not intend to hurt Jody. Carefully, he pushed the front end of the bamboo between Jody`s belly and her bent leg. The thin film of perspiration on the girl`s skin made it easier for him to sowly work the stick further, until it came to light on her left side. Yuen pushed until on both sides of the bar about half a yard of the stick were protruding. Then, he tied the ends to the bars.
Soon, Jody noticed the perfidy of that arrangement. Since she was tied in a ball position she could not change, the stick was trapped between her belly and her thighs. And with it`s ends tied to the cage`s bars and the stick holding her, she could not turn her body, no matter how hard she tried. She would have to stay facing Myra`s crotch, so close to her nose that it almost was tingled by the other`s pubic hair. Grunting with disgust, Hody turned her head to the side till Myra`s left inner thigh stopped her.
„I will just see for your, colleague“, Madame Yini chirped and turned to Andrea who had tried to exchange some moans of consolidation with Zenobia.
„I could see that you and the Black are more than just housemates. So, you will be glad to find out what I`ve planned for you. But, please, be kind to your former landlady, since she will be very close to you.“
Andrea mmphed with an irritated expression on her face and Zenobia and Vanessa were alarmed, too. Yuen loosened Andrea`s left wrist and led her to the two standing damsels, using the handcuff that was still tied to her right as a leash. They were standing some ten inches away from each other and the combined crotch chain hung rather loosely between their legs.
„Mhmmmph!“
„Uuuhhmmmm!“
Both women protested when Madame Yini pulled on the chain on Zenobia`s side, until Vanessa was forced to stand on the tips of her toes and felt like she was split in two whilst the chain now went down to some four inches above Zenobia`s knees. Then, Madame Yini said to Myra:
„Step over the chain, your face to your friend`s.“
Rejuctantly, but with no other choice, Andrea obeyed and put one leg over the chain. The gap between Zenobia and Vanessa was quite narrow and so, Yuen helped Andrea to squeeze her nude body in. Her naked front was pressed against Zenobia`s, but when she wanted to arch back, she felt Vanessa`s breasts touching her back. Madame Yini let the chain go and Vanessa sank back on her feet, causing the chain to tighten on Zenobia`s and Andrea`s side. The reporter`s eyes widened and she let out an indignant squela as ahe felt the iron links searching a way between her buttocks. Now, she was really wedged between the two others.
Yuen led Andrea`s arms around Zenobia, pulled the short chain through the Black`s handcuffs and closed the remaining shackle around Andrea`s left wrist. Now, she was even closer to her friend as she had ever been. Their breasts were mashed together and further below, their pubic mounds were grinding against each other. The chain prevented them from separating their loins and Vanessa involuntarily pressed against Andrea`s backside with her own womb. All three women squirmed and grunted, trying to find a way to minimize the intimate skin contact.
Drawing by hugues66
„One last thing, I don`t want you to get lost in the amusements you three may try once Yuen and I are away:“
She took another pair of cuffs – her last one, to be precisely – and tied Andrea`s ankles. Now, she had lost her last possibility of perhaps descending the chain. If she tried now, she would only distort her body.
„Of course, sitting now has become a bit difficult, but at least, you can distract yourself from your tired feet.“
Slapping Vanessa`s butt, Madame Yini went over to Myra and Jody. Whilst Jody had not been able to do much about her position, Myra had pushed her butt to the edge of the cage`s lid. Now, her knees pessed against Jody`s ears, but her private parts were now some five inches away from the other`s nose. It was all Myra could do to at least reduce the humiliation a bit.
„Oh, now Jody will have difficulties in enyoyung your fragrance, dear Myra. You know what that means?“
„Mmhhmmmph?“
„Oh yes, we will have to take care it is strong enough to reach her nose. And there`s only one way to do so.“
„Mmmhhmmmph! Nnnnngggg!“
But Madame Yini had already stepped behind Myra and reached around for her breasts. With an angry grunt, Myra tried to hit her with her bound arms. She felt some resistance, but Madame Yini only laughed and stepped to Myra`s left, out of reach for her with her wrists and elbows bound. Then, she let her left hand wander down the girl`s belly.
„Mmmhhhhrrrrr! Hhhmmmmmmpphh! Nnnngggggg! Hhhrrrmmmmmph!“
„Uuhhmmph!“, Jody added. By trying to get her legs closer together, Myra pressed against her head, almost hurting her. Madame Yini now put her hands between Myra`s thighs and began to slowly, but thoroughly massage the girl`s labia and clit.
„Mhhhmmmmph! Uuhhhmmmmpphh!“
Myra squirmed and pleaded through her gag. Her look would have melted a stone`s heart – but not Madame Yini`s. She continued her gentle rubbing, plucking and caressing and soon, Myra`s moans and sighs became calmer and her pelvis began to move.
„It`s like she said, once you have the key, you can always open the lock. that`s so unfair-ooohh!“, Myra thought before she was too distracted by the growing tingle in her loins to think at all.
However, once again Madame Yini stopped too soon for her to reach the peak. Ignoring Myra`s muffled protests, she withdrew her hand and playfully caressed Jody`s nose with her wet finger. The blonde moaned with disgust and turned her head away.
„Now, you can enyoy her fragrance even from the distance. But now, I have spent enough time with the peasants. After all, a real Princess is awaiting me upstairs.“
***
Cheng was sitting in a chair in the sleeping room. He had turned it with it`s back towards the Princess, since he could not stand watching the helpless girl whilst he had to think about his last order. „Kill her and get me her head“.
The Governor had never told Cheng that he had been sent on a killing mission. He was an able spy and usually, he was loyal to both the governor and the Emperor. But he also was a man who hated violence. Of course, he had never thought that the Governor wanted him to abduct the Princess to just have a cup of tea with her, but he had never thought of that.
Jinjin moaned softly from the bed and Cheng remembered how the girl had trembled in his arms when he had carried her over the roof. No, he could not kill that girl. Besides, if he did so, he would have an enemy in Yuen.
He thought of the Governor, trying to comprehend the thoughts of his superior. For the Governor, the Princess was just another Taiping aristocrate – weed to be erased from China`s soil. Cheng had helped to defeat the Taiping, but he had also doubts about the government he was fighting for. The Emperor was a child and the Empress Dowager and the imperial ministers did little to nothing to protect China from the foreigners`s increasing greed.
Cheng knew that he could not save his country from drifting towards the abyss – but he could save himself from becoming a murderer. Grimly, he considered his alternatives to fulfilling his order.
***