The Sultan`s Concubine

Preface: This is the continuation of Tabea`s and Jelena`s adventures that started in »The Mystery of Mohács«. Still, our involuntary time travellers are trapped in the year 1525 and in the clutches of a treacherous Hungarian General who is about to desert to the Ottoman Turks.

 According to the tally marks in the board behind her, their captivity now lasted for thirteen days. Still, Tabea felt guilty for having accepted her lot, but she had to admit that an escape was quite difficult as long as they were on the boat.

Immediately after Hunyadi had told her and Jelena about his treason, he had put the sacks over their heads again. Little later, the cart had stopped and then, strong arms had held them whilst their chains had been removed. Despite their struggling and moaning, they had been forced to get aboard a rather big boat where they had been locked inside a veritable cell that had become their home since then.

The cell was actually the front part of the cargo load, separated from the main load by an iron grid. the triangular room measured some five square meters and compared to their cells in the jail of Pécs, it was almost convenient. They had some burlap sacks to sleep on and though there were no windows, some air holes provided them with fresh air and light. And except from being locked inside the cell, they were not restrained.

»As long as you are not forcing us to come in, we will leave you alone!«, Hunyadi had told them. It had been immediately after their departure and since then, they hadn`t seen him again. However, this did not mean that they were left alone. All the time, there was a guard keeping an eye on them and so, Tabea and Jelena had decided to wait for a better opportunity to escape.

»We are on the Danube and he sure wants to get South. Maybe, there will be some border patrol.«

After all, Hunyadi was a traitor on the run, but he had a head start of at least one day and in addition, there were no modern borders in 1525. The Danube was wide and there were quite a lot of boats and so, the chance was good that they would reach Belgrade without being detected.

Jelena had told her that Belgrade had been conquered by the Ottomans a few years ago and so, once they had reached the city, Hunyadi would be save.

»And we will be lost, hundreds of miles from the spot we arrived.«

Still, they had no idea whether Sandor would try to get them back to their time at all. They also didn`t know if it was necessary for them to be at the same spot where they had landed. All they knew was that it had to be a full moon both in 2020 and in 1525.

»So, we still have some two weeks for escaping and getting back to that airing!«

However, Tabea was sure that time wasn`t their biggest problem. They were in the past anyway and so, it wouldn`t matter how many months had passed when Sandor would try the ritual in 2020.

»So, all we have to do is to escape, get some clothes, money and fast horses and then try our luck!«

It was hardly a consolation, given their current predicament. However, it could have been worse. One of three guards was always present, but they had never touched them so far. Every morning and evening, they were given water, bread and even some fruits and on those occasions, the bucket for their physical needs was also changed. They still were sporting the sleeveless nightgowns from their abduction and the guards seemed to enjoy ogling them, but so far, they had stayed on their side of the grid.

All three were Turks and from the beginning, they had only spoken Turkish. In fact, one of them – Mesut – was quite talkative and even had taken time to teach them his language. Both Tabea and Jelena had enjoyed these lessons. Not only did it help against the boredom of their imprisonment, but it could also be helpful if they would manage to escape. At least, it was one method of passing the time.

Though their guards left them alone, the permanent observation was quite straining. They had separated a small part of their prison with two of the sacks to have some privacy on the toilet, but this did not help against the tedium of being caged 24/7.

Tabea had kept doing some workout – the small space allowed little more than push-ups and squats –, ignoring the looks of the guard. She had even tried to persuade Jelena in doing the same, but she preferred repeating Turkish words or looking through one of the air holes. She could not see much, but she guessed that they were approaching Belgrade.

»I hope we will be given a bath and fresh clothes before we end up in some harem!«

The two weeks had taken their toll and now, they felt dirty, with their gowns in rags and their bodies sweaty. So, the promise of a bath sounded welcome. After that, they could see how things would turn out.

Of course, they had asked their guards about their destination, but they had only told them that Hunyadi`s friend, some Mehmet Bey, was the Governor of Belgrade and a friend of the Sultan himself. In the opinion of the men, it would be a honor to become slaves of such a man.

Tabea and Jelena knew that, unlike Western fantasies had it, a harem wasn`t some rich man`s private brothel, but first of all a place with many rules and a strict hierarchy. They would not end up as sex slaves – but as garden or kitchen slaves, with little chance of escaping. However, chances would be better than they were now!

Little later, they indeed reached a big city and the ship docked. Above their heads, there was quite some rumor and an impatient Mesut was obviously not amused that he had to guard the girls whilst his comrades would be able to visit the town.

»I almost feel pity for him!«, Jelena scoffed. Since they were locked below deck, the air holes were below the level of the dock and so, they could see nothing, except for a bit of the Danube and some ships at the other side.

»Well, maybe, Mehmet Bey is more susceptible for our charms than he and his comrades were!«

During the trip, the three soldiers had looked at them with great pleasure and of course, both Jelena and Tabea had considered flirting with them and try to escape once one of the men would open the door. However, it seemed that their fear of Hunyadi or Mehmet Bey was even bigger than their carnal desires.

»I am afraid we will have to spend one more night in here! Before he offers us to his friend, he has to take care we are more – presentable.«

Tabea worked her fingers through her disheveled curls and looked down on her stubbly ankles. She had no intention to actually please the man, she just needed a clean-up. Then, she heard approaching steps and the voices of at least three arguing men.

A moment later, a man in fine oriental clothes entered, followed by a man that looked like an Ottoman soldier and by Hunyadi, who was obviously not of one mind with the first man. The General was shouting, repeatedly naming Mehmet Bey and pointing at the two captives. It was clear that he insisted the two girls were not the other man`s business.

The Turk remained calm, but he also mentioned a name – Ibrahim Pasha. Hunyadi kept on arguing, but Tabea could see that Mesut now stared at him with widened eyes. She looked to her side and saw that Jelena seemed concerned, too.

»Is he talking about Ibrahim Pasha the Grand Vizier?«

Jelena nodded and tried to follow the argument. From her research about the time, Tabea also had heard about Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vizier and good friend of Sultan Süleyman. He was the man behind all negotiations with the West and she also remembered that he was the ruler of Rumelia, the European part of the Ottoman Empire.

»He sure is more important than both Mehmet Bey and Hunyadi together, but what has all that to do with us?«

With the little Turkish they had learned so far, they could hardly follow the conversation, but when finally, an angry Hunyadi stomped away, followed by a shrugging Mesut, they at least knew that the ship had been confiscated in the name of Ibrahim Pasha – which obviously also included them.

»Now, has this improved or worsened our situation?«

She could not believe that the Grand Vizier himself took care of her or Jelena, who were just two slave girls. However, the fine dressed man now turned towards them, slightly bowed and said:

»My name is Hakan Bey. Do you understand me?«

He spoke slowly and both Tabea and Jelena nodded. Jelena even told him in Turkish that they spoke a little and he seemed to appreciate that, since he nodded approvingly.

»So, you belong to Hunyadi Bey?«

Everything in Tabea revolted against describing herself as someone`s property. However, anyone who would be concerned hadn`t even been born for centuries and she was not in the position to protest too much.

»We are his prisoners«, she answered. Again, Hakan nodded slightly and seemed to make a note inside his head. Then, he suddenly ordered:

»Strip!«

»No!«, both girls answered unison, crossing their arms in front of their chests. At least, they didn`t want to give in without any resistance.

»No?«, Hakan asked lurking. They nodded, waiting for his response. To their surprise, he just shrugged and smiled sardonically. Then, he turned around and left the load, leaving the soldier behind. Tabea came close to Tabea and whispered:

»Now, what was that? This is getting stranger by the minute!«

»I know! And I am quite sure we haven`t seen this Hakan for the last time!«

They tried to talk to the soldier, but he just turned his back towards them. Then, after some time, Hakan indeed came back. This time, he was followed by several more soldiers. Tabea saw that they were carrying ropes with them.

One of the soldiers opened the grid and Hakan looked at them, as if he wanted to tell them that they had made their choice. However, Tabea still didn`t want to give in. When the man approached her, she quickly raised her knee, hitting him between the legs. He grunted and before he could react, she had hit his chest, sending him to the floor.

»All right, enter those who dare!«

»I don`t think that`s a good idea!«, Jelena hissed, but now, Hakan seemed really amused. He gave a quick order and now, the other men took off their weapons. Obviously, Hakan didn`t want them to get seriously hurt, but this was the only advantage he gave the girls.

Tabea fought and they both used the narrowness of their cell to their advantage. In addition, the men tried rather to grab them than to hit or kick them and so, they could fight them off for a while. But finally, Jelena was lying on her back with a man sitting on her chest and holding her arms whilst three others were keeping Tabea in a vice grip. She fumed and squirmed, but now, the battle was over.

Hakan, who had not participated in the fight, watched as the men, some of them with bruises, now methodically bound the two captives. Both got their wrists tied behind their backs and then, their elbows were tied, too. Jelena ached as her shoulders were pulled backwards and she shifted with uneasiness as the position forced her to thrust her boobs out. Tabea tried to remain calm and just watched with hatred as one of the men groped her breasts. Hakan still said nothing.

»Are you enjoying that, bastard?«

He again smiled and watched as his men tied their legs above and below the knees and at their ankles. Then, their nightgowns were ripped off, leaving them stark naked. The men pulled them to their feet and now, Hakan examined their bodies, scratching his chin.

»If he`s going to examine my teeth, I will bite his fingers off!«, Tabea thought, but he just let his eyes wander over their naked bodies, obviously enjoying Tabea`s ample breasts and her athletic body, whilst also admiring the buxom, but softer Jelena. Then, he gave another order and two of the men tore their nightgowns into pieces. Tabea knew what was coming and clenched her teeth as one approached her mouth with a big wad of cloth.

The man grabbed her hair and pressed the gag to her lips, but Tabea still refused to open her mouth. Hakan stepped forward and she steeled herself for getting beaten or even her nipples pinched.

Instead, he poked his fingers into her sides.

»Nooouuhhmmphh!«

Tabea was strong and she could endure pain to a certain degree, but she had one Achilles heel: she was terribly ticklish. With a gasp, she twitched as his touch and opened her mouth involuntarily. The man stuffed the gag into her oral cavity and tied another rag tightly between her lips. With a smile, Hakan then caressed her sides, poking her playfully and enjoying how she squirmed and whimpered, fuming from helpless anger.

Jelena saw no point in prolonging the fight and deliberately allowed the other man to gag her. Hakan stepped towards her and gently padded her head as if she was a good dog, causing her to groan angrily. Then, a rather strange show followed.

The girls were made to stand side by side and then, the soldiers presented their wounds to Hakan, even telling whether Jelena or Tabea had inflicted them. Obviously, Jelena`s score was just a scratch on one man`s chin whilst Tabea had caused several bruises, not counting the kick between one of the men`s legs. She expected that Hakan would allow them to take revenge, now that she was helpless, but he seemed rather impressed and even showed his sardonic smile again. Then, he sent one of his men away and whilst waiting for him, he took a heavy sack from his sash. When he opened it, some golden coins could be seen.

The soldier came back with Hunyadi who still seemed angry and hardly noticed that his prisoners now both were naked, bound and gagged. However, he fell silent when Hakan handed him the sack. He opened it and counted and then, with a barely hidden expression of satisfaction, he grunted:

»They are yours!«

»You mean, they are Ibrahim Pasha`s!«, Hakan corrected him. Hunyadi waved it off and murmured something that sure hadn`t been a praise of the Grand Vizier. Hakan bowed and asked something that made Hunyadi curse before he pointed to a point in the load before he withdrew.

Obviously, Hakan had asked for two carpets for now, his men brought two and soon, Tabea and Jelena found themselves wrapped inside and heaved over a man`s shoulder. Tabea hung down and through the opening of the carpet roll, she could see that they were leaving the ship and were carried through crowded streets. Obviously, nobody seemed to take care of them getting transported like that in broad daylight.

After only some minutes, the trip ended inside a court where the two carpets were placed on the paved ground whilst the door was closed. Then, after another minute or so, each carpet`s edge was grabbed by two men. On a command, they pulled and the two girls were unwrapped, quite unceremoniously rolling over the cobbles. Tabea raised her head and saw they were indeed at some patio. Around them, the soldiers were standing and Hakan was close to two other men. One of them was wearing a plain white caftan, but despite that and despite he was considerably young, it was clear he was Hakan`s superior. The other man, however, was dressed in black and wearing a white mask. He looked like a less flamboyant brother of the protagonist of »V for Vendetta«.

The one in the caftan now approached and Tabea could see him wearing several golden rings. He also seemed to wear some make-up, but somehow, this didn`t diminish his masculinity. With his right, he made a requesting gesture and both girls squirmed and managed to sit up. Tabea even managed to get into a kneeling position, looking up defiantly to the man who perhaps was the famous Grand Vizier.

»You speak Turkish?«

»Mph!«

The man laughed, as if he had just noticed that, with her mouth stuffed, Tabea could not show her language skills. Jelena, however, nodded slightly when he asked her the same question. He again made a gesture and two men stepped behind the captives, removing their gags. Then, he asked them for their names.

»Tabea, Ibrahim Pasha«, Tabea answered, looking directly at the man`s eyes. He raised an eyebrow and asked:

»You know who I am?«

»Yes, Ibrahim Pasha!«

She had no idea whether this was the correct way to address a Grand Vizier, but she had no idea anyway what expressions like »Your Highness« were in Turkish. Ibrahim, however, didn`t seem offended in any way. Instead, he turned to the masked man and seemed to ask him whether he thought Tabea would know him as well. From beneath the mask came a laugh and he approached, too. Silently, he looked at their naked forms. Jelena blushed all over, but both of them managed not to lower their eyes.

Tabea looked at Ibrahim, the man who would lead the famous attack on Vienna four years from now. The Grand Vizier would survive the defeat, but later, he would get into serious quarrels with Roxelana, the Sultan`s favorite wife. In the end, she would demand his execution – and get it. Somehow, it felt strange to know about her opponent`s upcoming death.

For the first time, the masked man spoke. Though he spoke fluent, Tabea almost was sure that this man had an accent and wasn`t a Turk.

»You seem brave, Tabea – brave and pretty!«

Unable to formulate a witty remark, Tabea just forced a smile on her face and hissed »Thank you!«, expressing by her look that she didn`t feel that flattered. He turned to Jelena and asked:

»You are – come si dice? – timido?«

The last word was close enough to the English »timid« that Jelena understood him well. Tabea frowned. Was Mr. Mask an Italian?

»A Lady should be timid if she meets a Gentleman under such conditions!«, Jelena replied. She had been better than Tabea in learning Turkish and so, she could answer in a more elaborate way. Mr. Mask laughed.

»So, you are a Lady?«

He looked down on Jelena`s thrust out breasts and she blushed even deeper.

»We are both Ladies!«, Tabea said. After some hesitating, she added »Signore«.

Now, the masked man petrified and then, he and Ibrahim had a whispered conversation. The Grand Vizier seemed concerned about something, but the Italian obviously was able to calm him down. Then, both men withdrew and Hakan stepped in front of the two captives. Again, he showed his enigmatic smile.

»Pretty, smart, brave and strong«, he said with a mixture of admiration and slight disbelief.

»You forgot ›angry‹!«, Jelena replied and for a moment, he showed a real amused grin. He bent over her and playfully waved his hand in front of his nose. Then, he said:

»I definitely forgot ›dirty‹!«

Hakan clapped his hands and said something to his men. Immediately, four of the men sprinted away, coming back with several buckets and brushes. Tabea could see the gleeful anticipation in their eyes, but before she could protest, Hakan produced a big silk scarf and tied a double knot in the center.

This time, Tabea opened her mouth and he shoved the knot deep in before tying off the scarf at her nape. At least, the cloth was clean and less inconvenient than her previous gag. When Jelena had been gagged in a similar way, Hakan pointed at the middle of the patio where a marble water basin was placed.

Tabea knew what was coming. In fact, it was like when she had been swimming with friends in her youth – though she had not been bound and gagged on these occasions. One man grabbed her shoulders, another her ankles and, swinging her around and counting to three, they dumped her into the pool.

For a second, Tabea panicked, but the basin was quite shallow and before she even had swallowed some water, she managed to sit. She blinked her eyes free and saw something big flying through the air; Jelena landed beside her and a few seconds later, she too was sitting in the pool, panting through her nose.

Though they were trussed up and gagged, being in the cool water wasn`t the worst thing. In fact, it was quite refreshing. Then, they saw two men taking off their shoes and rolling up their trousers.

»Nnnngg!«

Repeatedly, they pushed Jelena`s head below the surface, groping and touching her in the progress. Then, they came for Tabea.

She waited till one was close to her; then, she raised her bound legs and kicked against his calves, causing him to stagger. The bystanders laughed and his comrade approached more careful. Tabea dived down, holding her breath as long as possible. And indeed, the men accepted that she soaked her hair that way and just made her and Jelena stand beside the basin`s edge.

Hakan now pulled his sabre and placed it on Jelena`s throat. He looked at Tabea, however, as he ordered:

»Hold still now!«

Two men had stepped behind them and now, something cool was poured over them; it was copious amounts of olive oil. Then, the men began to rub and massage the liquid all over their nude bodies. There were hands everywhere, kneading their boobs, squeezing their buttocks and pushing between their bound thighs. Both girls whimpered with disgust, but Hakan`s sabre made them endure the procedure without moving. Finally, he pointed at a pile of sand a few yards away.

The two girls, still panting from embarrassment and not sure what to do, just stood there. Suddenly, Tabea felt a sharp pain on her backside and at the same time, a muffled grunt from Jelena told her that she had been spanked, too.

Hooting and laughing, the soldiers made them hop to the sand pile. With their legs bound, this took them some minute, although the men ensured that they didn`t dawdle by slapping their buttocks. In addition, they commented their bouncing boobs – something the girls could conclude even without knowing the words.

They were pushed into the sand and now, the men, including Hakan, encircled them. He said something and then, he bent forward. Tabea expected him to touch her boobs, but instead, he poked her side. She twitched involuntarily and now, the other men also tried to find the ticklish parts of her and Jelena`s bodies. The helpless girls squirmed and whimpered, finally lying in the sand totally exhausted and looking like breaded cutlets.

Tabea was still trying to get the sand from her nostrils as she felt that she was grabbed once again. This time, short ropes were tied around her ankles and wrists and whilst Hakan now cut her original bonds, the four men took care her arms and legs were still restrained. Not, that the exhausted girl would still have had the power of trying resistance.

Using the ropes like leashes, they pulled Tabea to something that looked like a big door frame and tied her with her arms and legs spread wide. Opposite to her, some two or three yards away, a similar rack had been positioned and now, Jelena was tied to it, also in the exposed position.

Hakan yelled something and again clapped his hands. To the girls` surprise, his men sat down, choosing places from which they had a good look at the naked captives, but making no attempts of further molesting them. Then, some giggling could be heard.

It came from four young women, all dressed in plain clothes. Obviously, they were servants and they seemed to deliberately enjoy the men trying to flirt with them. However, they had come for Tabea and Jelena.

Her eyes widened as one of them pulled a curved knife from her basket, but then, she recognized it as a Strigilis – a tool invented by the Romans. With skilled hands, the woman used it to scratch the mixture of oil and sand from her body. Her colleague then rubbed the skin with pumice and finally a wet cloth.

Though humiliating, the procedure was also refreshing and Tabea felt clean after the women were finished. Then, however, one of the servants produced a large comb whilst the other brought a stool, allowing her colleague better access to Tabea`s head.

After nearly two weeks, her hair was in a mess and so, it was quite painful to get combed, though she felt that the woman wasn`t hurting her more than necessary. However, Tabea had tears in her eyes when she was finished, even holding a polished silver mirror so she could admire how her curls now fell to her shoulders.

»At least, now, the worst is over!«, she thought, looking at Jelena with some envy, because her hair structure had made her getting combed less an ordeal. Then, she saw that between them, one of the women was heating something in a flat bowl. It was wax.

»Uuuhhmmph! Nnnggggg!«

She moaned and pulled on her bonds, but another of the servants just brushed over her calves. Tabea bid down on her gag. She knew that her legs needed a shave and though she would have preferred a razor – and some privacy, of course! –, she knew that getting waxed wasn`t the worst thing on earth.

Both she and Jelena just closed their eyes as the warm wax was applied to their legs with a brush. Then, however, she felt that the woman was also putting it on her armpits and she moaned with protest, but to no avail. For a short while, they waited for the wax to cool down. Then, they pulled it off and it did its work.

It was far less bad than any of the girls would have expected, though. Immediately afterwards, one of the servants creamed their sensitive skin with some cooling ointment – however, not before her colleague had inspected the area with a pair of pincers, removing any hair that was left.

Starting with Jelena, Hakan now examined the women`s work meticulously, testing the smoothness of her skin with his hands. Then, he pointed at her pubic mound. Jelena kept her pubic hair trimmed short, but during the last two weeks, it had grown. Tabea could see her friend blush wildly as one of the women now took a small pair of scissors and trimmed it for her. Then, Tabea gulped, looking down on herself.

She had shaved everything and only left a narrow landing strip and now, the woman approached her, followed by Hakan. He let his hands wander over her body, brushing over her sensitive armpits and then, she felt his finger touch her pubic mound.

»Uuuhmmph! Mmhhrrmmmm! Mph!«

She thrashed in her bonds as she saw that the servant girl was preparing more hot wax now. Though she was bound stringently, she could wriggle her pelvis in a way the woman could not apply the wax. Hakan shouted something, but she just slammed her head against him, almost hitting his nose with her forehead.

»Well, as you like it!«

He stepped aside and to Tabea`s surprise, he poured some olive oil over his right hand before stepping behind her. She tried to escape it, but he slang his left arm around her neck, choking her, whilst she felt his other hand push between her legs.

»Mhhmmmph! Nnnnnggg!«

His slippery fingers pushed inside her – through both entrances. Tabea`s eyes widened as she felt his thumb thrust into her anus whilst his index and middle finger slid into her pussy. It didn`t hurt, but she tried to buck and shake the intrusion off. However, Hakan just tightened his grip and raised his arm so he could steady her middle. At the same time, he held his other arm around her neck so she could only croak and barely breathe.

»Shhh, little Tabea, hold still now.«

He spoke as if he was talking to an angry dog and Tabea renewed her resistance, but he managed to keep his fingers inside her. He did not hurt her, nor did her try anything – it was just an effective, yet humiliating method of keeping her from wriggling. Finally, she gave up, closing her eyes in self-denial and just biting down on the knot tied between her lips as she felt the woman trim her landing strip before applying the wax. It felt hot on her sensitive skin and she moaned when the woman also put some between her legs, but Hakan`s fingers inside her just tightened, forcing her to hold still.

Again, the removal of the wax was less painful than feared and Tabea prepared for the servant to pluck the remaining hairs. However, Hakan had one humiliation left for her.

Without taking his fingers out of her pussy or anus, he let her neck go and crouched. The woman reached the pincers to him and now, Hakan closely inspected her pubic area himself. He found a few remaining hairs and plucked them; then, he placed a soft kiss on her clit and once arched his fingers inside her before withdrawing from her.

Trembling and panting, Tabea fought down the urge to cry. Still, she could sense his touch on her most intimate areas and only her dark skin hid the fact that her cheeks burnt from humiliation. Hakan now stood in front of her, cleaning his left with a white towel.

»Next time, you better hold still!«

Tabea just stared at him with a mixture of horror and disgust and his smile became less mockingly as he said:

»You must look perfect for our plan!«

Tabea frowned. This somehow didn`t sound as if she and Jelena were just meant to end up in Ibrahim Pasha`s harem. However, Hakan now gave way for the servant girls who now massaged some perfumed cream into their skin. Then, they withdrew, followed by the soldiers. Only Hakan stayed, standing between her and Jelena. He seemed to soak in the smell of the perfume and the look of their naked, glistering bodies and he smiled enigmatically again.

»Now, you both look perfect! Now, Inshallah, our plan may work. However, we still have a lot of work lying ahead of us!«

***