Back to the Present 3

The two maids` eyes widened, but Tabea just made an inviting gesture with the knife and reluctantly, they both started to loosen the bands of their dresses. They then stepped out of them, standing there in their linen slips.

»Shoes, too!«

The two girls obeyed and when Tabea told them to lie down on the bed, they seemed to be relieved that they didn`t have to remove more of their clothing. Quickly, Tabea and Jelena tied their wrists and fixed them to the upper bedframe. Then, they bound their ankles to the foot of the bed, forcing the two rather small women to stretch their bodies. Whilst Jelena tried on Ornella`s dress, Tabea tightened the girls` gags and tied an additional cloth over each of their mouths. Then, she whispered:

»I am sorry we have to do this! But maybe, you can understand us. So, if you do: when we are gone, don`t try to alert the guards immediately!«

Fiamma just stared at her, but Ornella nodded slightly. Meanwhile, Jelena had put on the dress. It was a bit tight around her ample chest, but it fit quite well. She took Ornella`s shoes, too. It would be a bit inconvenient wearing them without stockings, but she did not want to untie Ornella`s legs, reach under her slip, loosen the garters and take her stockings from her.

Tabea found out that since she was six inches taller than Fiamma, the redhead`s dress looked like a bulky cocktail dress on her. In addition, Fiamma`s shoes didn`t fit her, she would have to remain barefoot.

»Well, I would have difficulties in vanishing into a crowd anyway!«, she thought. Then, she stood guard by the door whilst Jelena took the hairclips from Ornella and tried to open the lock of the side door. After some poking around, the door sprung open. The two fugitives slid into the corridor and closed the door behind them.

The corridor was dimly lit by some openings near the ceiling, but they had no idea where it led, except for the torture chamber. However, Tabea was sure she had seen other doors on their way down, too. Sure, Gritti did not have a secret junction from his bedroom to the torture chamber only.

After some ten yards, the corridor bifurcated. To the left, there were stairs, leading downstairs to where they had been brought before. So, the girls turned right, only to stand in front of a door after some five more yards. This door had no keyhole and was only locked by a simple latch. Carefully, they listened for any noise, but there wasn`t any. So, Tabea slowly pushed up the latch and opened the door for a few inches to peek inside.

The room was yet another bedroom, several incidences showing it belonged to a woman. It was empty and so, they slipped inside. Tabea checked the door. It was unlocked and led to another corridor, but this time, it was broader, had a row of windows and she could also see other doors. Tabea now seemed to understand.

»If the room where we were kept is one of Gritti`s sleeping rooms, this room could belong to his Mistress.«

»The secret life of the Venetian Doge«, Jelena joked, but Tabea knew that having a Mistress was a common practice of noble men, even if they were married. She had no idea whether Gritti`s wife was still alive, but it wasn`t of importance anyway. However, she decided to look if the room contained anything that could help them getting away.

The room had a small table in front of a mirror that was covered with perfume flasks, combs and other such items, a large bed with silk sheets and a canopy and two large chests that contained dresses and other clothes.

»What do you think, Nelly? Will I look better if I disguise as a black Princess?«

Tabea hoped that one of the dresses would fit her, for if she was decently dressed, she could perhaps pass as some exotic guest of the Doge if she just behaved as if she belonged here. She peeled down Fiamma`s dress and pushed it under the bed and was about to pick an ivory colored dress from one of the chests when they heard steps from the corridor.

The steps had been so soft that they hadn`t heard them until someone from outside was pushing down the door handle. Tabea just managed to slip under the bed, but Jelena still stood there, looking sheepishly at the woman that now entered. It was a tallish woman with dark brown hair. A few wrinkles at her eyes and some single grey hairs at her temples indicated that she had passed her 40th birthday, but she still was very attractive. The woman looked at Jelena with slight amazement.

»Who are you?«

Jelena dropped a curtsey and quickly invented a plausible story.

»P-please forgive me, Signora, I-I came to clean the room a-and I – I just couldn`t resist!«

The last words referred to the open chest. The woman raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows before she said:

»You must be new in the palace, I have never seen you before. You also have a strange accent. Where are you from?«

»F-from Hungary, Signora!«, Jelena answered, seeing no point in lying. She knew that it was very unlikely that the Venetian Doge would hire a Hungarian chamber maid, but the woman had noticed that she wasn`t Italian anyway. Now, she let her eyes wander over her and said:

»Hungary, hm? That`s quite far. What`s your name?«

»Jelena, Signora.«

Now, the woman showed a slight smile.

»You may raise, Jelena. Obviously, nobody has told you so far that only the Doge, my Lady`s maid and I are allowed to enter this room. Well, now that you are here: do you think you can help me with my hair?«

The abrupt change of topic made Jelena`s eyes widen.

»I-I-I think s-so, Signora!«, she stammered. The woman smiled bitterly.

»You may call me ›Aurora‹, Jelena. Anyway, my Lady`s maid has got the flu and so, maybe you can do her work for the time being.«

She sat down in front of the mirror, inspecting her face.

»I look horrible!«

Jelena had seen enough romantic movies and besides, some attitudes of women didn`t seem to have changed over the centuries. So, she knew what was expected from her. She stepped closer, curtseyed again and said:

»You look beautiful, Signora Aurora.«

Aurora looked up to her and now, she smiled more warmly.

»It`s just Aurora, Dear. I am no Signora. How long are you in Venice, Jelena?«

She slightly bent back her head and Jelena, who had worked at a hairdresser as a holiday job stepped behind her and began to remove the pins from her hair.

»Two days – Aurora«, she said, according to truth. She took a brush and began to work through Aurora`s hair. Obviously, she did well, for the other woman closed her eyes and enjoyed the tender combing.

»You are more talented than Giulia, my original maid. If you manage that I look presentable, you can have her position.«

»Thank you, Aurora!«

Jelena still felt nervous, for Tabea was hidden under the bed and any moment, someone could come and look for them. But somehow, the routine of doing Aurora`s hair helped her to regain some composure. More and more, she found into her role as Lady`s maid and even made Aurora use just a decent makeup.

»I can still see every wrinkle«, Aurora complained when she looked at herself in the mirror, but it seemed that she quite appreciated what Jelena had done.

»Aurora, if you put on a one inch coat of cream and powder, it signals that you are afraid of your age. Now, you say ›I am still beautiful‹!«

Jelena had lost all fear and when Aurora now looked at her, she thought that she had gone too far. But then, the other woman hugged her and kissed her cheek.

»Jelena, you are a pearl! Later, I will tell Polpetto that I will attend a cloister if you won`t become my new Lady`s maid!«

»Polpetto?«

 Jelena frowned, but then, she seemed to know whom by the nickname of »meatball«. With a giggle, Aurora added:

»Oh, did I say ›Polpetto‹? Of course, I mean His Highness Andrea Gritti, Doge of the Republic!«

The mentioning of the man they were on the run from made Jelena shiver, but at the same time, the fitting nickname made her lips tremble. A second later, the laughter of bot her and Aurora filled the room. Jelena thought that perhaps, help could come from this woman and she asked:

»So, you are – Polpetto`s – Mistress?«

Aurora tilted her head and looked at her in amusement.

»You seem to disapprove, Jelena.«

In fact, Jelena was quite prudish and coy. The fact that her various captivities during the last months had not only included her being in the nude, but also some (more or less) forced orgasms and other sexual encounters had put a challenge to that and so had the very pleasurable nights with Goran, but still, Jelena could not understand why a woman deliberately sold her body for money.

»Well, a girl`s gotta eat. And sometimes, this girl wants to eat the finest dishes instead of hard bread. Though, maybe, my girlie days are over. I am an old hag!«

»You are half Polpetto`s age«, Jelena replied and this time, it was her who initiated another hug. Aurora sighed:

»That`s a slight exaggeration, Dear. I am 41 and he`s 70.«

»That`s ripe for a meatball!«

The ensuing laughter was interrupted by a loud knock at the door that roughly pulled Jelena back into reality. Instinctively, she grabbed a towel and pressed it to her face whilst Aurora quickly checked her look in the mirror before she asked:

»Who is it?«

»Signorina Aurora, two prisoners have escaped! Maybe, you are in danger! May we come in?«

Jelena felt as if an icy hand had grabbed her heart and was squeezing it, but when Aurora ordered her to open the door, she obeyed, hiding behind the door as a man in a guard`s uniform entered whilst his comrades waited at the threshold.

»Signorina, two female captives managed to escape and we are sure they are still inside the palace!«

The man seemed a bit nervous and Jelena, who watched the scene from behind the door, suddenly could see why. On the bed, one of Aurora`s camisoles was lying. To Jelena, it had looked just like a typical bed that hadn`t been made, but this was a garment worn directly on the skin and to a man of this age, it had the same effect as if a man of the 21st century had entered the office of a female superior and her panties had been lying on the desk.

Aurora seemed to have noticed it, too, for she now rose from her chair and stepped close to the bed, hiding the camisole from view. Jelena didn`t dare to breathe as by doing so, Aurora also hid the discarded dress that was protruding from under the bed. Before Auroras or the guard could say anything else, however, a faint noise could be heard.

»Atchoo!«

For a few terrible seconds, nobody moved or made a sound. Then, the guard bent down and looked under the bed.

»Oh my God, she must have whirled up the dust when she stepped close!«, Jelena thought.

The guard uttered a curse and then, he shouted a command. At the same moment, Tabea crawled from under the bed, trying to get away, but it was too late. Before she had come to her feet, three men had thrown themselves upon her and after a short brawl, two men held her in a vice grip and forced her to her feet. When she tried to scream, the third man slung his arm around the lower half of her face, stifling her cry to a gurgle.

»Get her downstairs!«, the leader of the men ordered. »Then, come back, the other one still must be somewhere around!«

The three men pulled the squirming and moaning Tabea to the side door and forced her with them whilst the fourth guard left through the door, bowing towards the perplexed Aurora and looking over Jelena who still stood behind the door like petrified.

***

In the narrow corridor, Tabea had again tried to shake off their captors and managed to kick one of them, but then, they had simply started to carry her, one having his arms slung around her arms and upper body whilst the second managed to keep hold of her flailing legs. The third still had his arm around her neck, almost choking her and forcing her to chew on his biceps, muffling her cries. Like that, the girl was brought back to the torture chamber and this time, she knew it would not become just an interrogation.

She was awaited by Luigi and Lorenzo who heard the report about Jelena still being on the run. However, both seemed rather gleeful to have Tabea in their clutches. Lorenzo grinned towards her and said:

»I think, until His Highness arrives, you may like the ›Muro di Sodoma‹!«

»The Wall of Sodom«, Tabea automatically translated. She knew that torture instruments often had rather picturesque names like »Spanish Horse« or »Iron Maiden«. Such a wall was new to her, but Tabea knew that her curiosity soon would be stilled – whether she liked it or not.

She was dragged towards one of the walls where a horizontal board was dangling from two chains. Attached to it were three iron semicircles, two small ones and a bigger one in the middle, each some half a yard apart from each other.

The bulky Luigi now unhooked the board from the chains and put it to the floor where it turned out the semicircles could be opened by hinges. Tabea was forced to the floor and made to lie on the board. Despite her struggles, they managed to close the middle iron shackle around her neck. It was snug and Tabea immediately stopped her fighting not to choke herself.

The neck ring was secured by a small padlock. Then, Tabea`s wrists were tied with the smaller shackles, so she was tied with her hands beside her head.

The men took no risks. Two guards still held her legs whilst Luigi and a third man now hooked the board back to the chains. Tabea understood: if Lorenzo, who stood ready by a crank, would turn it, they could force her to stand, either on her feet or on tiptoes. Also, they could let her dangle in the air, with all her body`s weight pulling on her neck and wrists.

However, the chains still were loose and Luigi now went for a table where he picked something he hid behind his back. With his other hand, he reached forward and grabbed the neckline of Tabea`s slip.

»You filthy bastard!«, she hissed when he ripped the garment from her, rendering her stark naked. There was a whistle and an approving murmur when her ample boobs flipped free and Luigi now took what he had hidden behind his back between his legs whilst he tore up her silk slip.

»N-no! No! Nooooo!«

Tabea bucked and screamed when she recognized the tool: it was a choke pear, a torture device she once had experienced when in the clutches of the Inquisition. It was an iron contraption the size of a small pear that had a screw on its end. Once inserted into the mouth, the spoon-like segments could be expanded by turning the screw.

Luigi now wrapped the torn scraps from her slip around the pear and then, he approached whilst one of the guards grabbed Tabea`s scalp and yanked her head back whilst he pinched her nose with the other.

»Nooo! Noouuhhmmmmmph!«

The sizeable ball was shoved into her mouth and then, Luigi began to slowly turn the screw. The pear became bigger, making Tabea`s cheeks bulge, pressing down her tongue and forcing her jaws wide open. The silk rags upholstered the iron segments and Luigi stopped before he dislodged her jaw, but Tabea now could only utter some faint gurgles and felt as if she would choke. The guard let her go and Tabea panted and desperately tried to move her tongue or to make the terrible gag move at least a millimeter. She knew from experience that she would remain gagged like that as long as someone freed her, but it took some time before she had fought down her panic.

Then, another horrifying thought came up in her mind: The biblical town of Sodom had been the namesake of the verb »to sodomize« – and a mouth was not the only opening where such a pear could be inserted!

»UUUhhhhhhmmm! Nnnngggggg! Ghhhhhhhmmmm!«

She screamed into her gruesome gag when Luigi stepped behind her and indeed put his hand on her butt, spreading her buttocks. Obviously enjoying her struggles, he slowly, but thoroughly rubbed a copious amount of some oil or grease to her butt. Tabea`s eyes widened and she grunted when he even pushed one of his fingers into her anus. He hadn`t physically hurt her yet, but it was very humiliating.

However, a second pear didn`t come to use. Instead, Tabea was lifted from the ground and pushed against the wall by the men who held her legs. Now, Luigi turned the crank, pulling up the board to which her neck and wrists were attached, stretching her upper body towards the ceiling. Luigi now again went for the table and showed her an iron thing that looked like a door handle. This, he screwed into a hole in the wall, right between Tabea`s legs. When it was sitting firm, it peaked upwards, almost like an iron phallus. Then, it was greased with some oil, too.

»Mhhmmmph! Nngg! Mph!«

Now, Lorenzo very slowly lowered the board whilst the two men forced Tabea`s legs apart and pushed her butt against the wall. She moaned as the iron piece touched her buttocks and found a way between them. Lorenzo turned the crank a little more and, following gravity, the tip now pushed inside her rear entrance. Due to the grease, it wasn`t painful, but Tabea screamed into her gag as the intruder pushed deeper inside her.

The men now allowed her to stand, though they both still held her ankles firmly grabbed. Panting and with wobbly legs, the girl found out that if she stood straight, the iron phallus still was inside her, but little more than two inches. She forced herself to breathe more calmly and tried to cope with the plug when she felt something at her right ankle.

»Uuuhmmm! Mhhmmm!«

Luigi had tied a leather belt around her ankle. It was attached to the end of a stick one yard in length and he now used this to make her spread her feet before her left foot was tied to the other end. The spreader bar lowered her position and so, the phallus pushed deeper inside her. Still, it was tolerable, but on the slightest move, Tabea now felt impaled and her cheeks burned from embarrassment.

Luigi tied the spreader bar off to an eyelet in the wall, so Tabea could not shift her position or move much at all. The chains of the board holding her neck and wrists were tight enough she couldn`t bend forward, but loose enough she had to at least partially put her weight on the butt plug.

»His Highness gave order not to hurt you until he arrives – but he allowed us to have some fun!«

Lorenzo grinned whilst Luigi produced a little barrel and some wooden mugs. The guards sat down close to Tabea, looking at the naked helpless girl and obviously enjoying her plight. Lorenzo now took three dice from his pocket and said:

»All right, the rules are simple! The first one to throw three of a kind may touch her until the next one gets three of a kind! I think we have some two or three hours, so, let the games begin!«

***

When the guards had withdrawn, Aurora had recovered from her shock quickly and taken a carafe from the table that was filled with a golden liquid. She had filled two crystal glasses and handed one to Jelena who still was as pale as a bed sheet.

»Drink!«, Aurora ordered, friendly, but also insisting. Jelena took the glass and poured it down. The Grappa was quite strong and so, she coughed, but seemed to have come back to life. Aurora sipped from her own glass and then refilled that of Jelena. Again, the girl drank, but this time, she also just took a sip.

»T-Thank you«, she croaked and sat down on the bed. In silence, they drank their glasses. The liquor burned in Jelena`s stomach, but in a pleasant way and so, she didn`t say no when Aurora offered her another glass. Then, however, she looked at her and asked:

»Don`t you think you have to tell me something, Jelena?«

»Hm?«

Aurora smiled.

»I may have become what I am because of my looks, but if you want to be on the top, you also need some intellect. Besides, when Polpetto visited me last night, he told me a bit about two of his captives. Not many details of course, but he mentioned it were two women who maybe are spies. A Black – and a woman from Hungary!«

Jelena was about to jump up, but with a gesture, Aurora made her to remain seated. She blinked and felt like a complete fool. Aurora knew who she was and instead of running away, she had socialized with her. Now, she would scream for the guards and in a few minutes, she and Tabea would be reunited – downstairs, in the torture chamber!

However, Aurora didn`t scream. Instead, she looked at Jelena, seeming neither frightened nor angry. She asked:

»So, you are the second fugitive.«

It was a statement, not a question and so, Jelena just nodded and instinctively took another sip from her glass. Since she hadn`t eaten for some hours, the alcohol on her empty stomach caused a hiccup. Blushing, she apologized.

»Well, such things hap- BUH!«

All of a sudden, Aurora raised her arms and moved against her, shouting. Jelena shrieked, but indeed, it had worked: her hiccup had gone. Aurora giggled.

»A kiss also works, but we should know each other better before we do so.«

Jelena looked puzzled. Still, Aurora seemed to have no intentions of calling the guards, nor did she feel frightened by the runaway. What was this all about?

»Now, as you may have noticed, I have no intentions to get you – downstairs, too, Jelena. Another of my qualities is that I have some knowledge of human nature. You don`t look like a dangerous criminal to me. Maybe, you are a spy, but somehow, I doubt it. There is, however, something mysterious about you. Don`t you want to tell me – as a friend?«

She looked at Jelena who now for the first time noticed Aurora`s beautiful green eyes. Aurora smiled and even reached out and took her hand. Suddenly, all dams broke. Jelena slung her arms around the other and sobbed. Aurora held her in her arms until Jelena had calmed down a bit. Then, she handed her a handkerchief and whilst Jelena cleaned her nose, she said in a warm, friendly voice:

»Now, you have not only wet my dress, but also made me even more curious. So, will you tell me what burden lies upon your heart?«

Jelena sniffled. Then, she raised her head and nodded slightly.

»I think I have no other choice than telling you. However, if I am finished, you will consider me either a lunatic – or a witch!«

Aurora scoffed.

»That could be said about half of the wives of the members of the Grand Counsel!«

She sat beside Jelena and haltingly, the girl began to tell.

***

The likelihood to get three of a kind with three dices is 1:36 and so, Tabea was given a short grace period as the men begun drinking and gambling. She tested her bonds, but found they were unyielding. The ring around her neck did not block her breathing, but it was so snug she felt its pressure whenever she gulped and it forced her head against the board so she could hardly move her head around. Her arms were raised as if she was surrendering to a gun and there was no way she could slip from the tight manacles. If she twisted her head and stretched her fingers, Tabea could just touch the tip of her nose, but there was no chance she could touch her gag, let alone loosen the screw.

The gag was terrible, even after the few minutes she now was wearing it. Luigi seemed to have wrapped most of her slip around the pear and so, the iron segments were well padded, but it also meant that her oral cavity was stuffed to the bursting. Her tongue was pressed down and her cheeks bulged and Tabea could not help saliva run down her throat or drool over her chin and on her breasts. Her jaws already hurt and began to feel numb and there was no chance she could get this gag out of her mouth without help.

Down below, things were yet just irritating, but with the promise to get much worse. The plug inside her anus wasn`t actually painful, but it filled her rear and with the little movement the spreader bar and her other bondage allowed, she could not get rid of the intruder. All she could do was to make it slide in and out one or two inches, but that had only increased the irritating feeling and so, Tabea had tried to stand as still as possible.

»Ha! Six! Six! Six!«

It was one of the guards and he began to get to his feet.

»The number of the Dark Lord!«, his comrade joked and crossed himself, but with his other hand, he patted his friend`s shoulder.

The guard approached Tabea and let his eyes wander over her body. He obviously had never before seen a black woman, at least not one who was naked. However, he soon saw that first of all, Tabea was a beautiful woman – a nude, helpless woman with big, firm breasts. Licking his lips, he put his hands on her boobs, kneading them roughly, but not especially brutal.

Tabea turned her head to the side the little she could and tried to block out the assault, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of her crying or pleading. He increased his groping and seemed satisfied when she let out a small grunt. However, he then was interrupted by Luigi who had the next three of a kind.

»Come on, you can have her all night when our shift`s over!«, the guard protested. Luigi emptied his mug and slammed his hand on the guard`s shoulder.

»If you prefer, you may stay here and I will visit your wife instead!«

He burst out laughing and the guard glanced at him angrily when he withdrew. Then, Luigi stepped in front of Tabea.

»You are not so feisty now, eh?«

He put his hand between her spread legs and Tabea shuddered when he touched her soft flesh. Luigi lifted her up the little her bondage allowed and then abruptly let her sink down. Tabea moaned when the iron plug thrust into her. She reared up and Luigi grinned, not taking his hand away.

»They say that some girls enjoy it if they are taken by their back door. Of course, it`s a terrible sin – but you are damned anyway, aren`t you?«

He repeated his game of lifting Tabea up and then letting her down and though she fought it, she could not help emitting another grunt.

»You are enjoying it, don`t you? Maybe, not even for the first time?«

»Mph!«

Tabea tried to shake her head, but at the same time, horrifying memories haunted her, about Hakan, the Grand Vizier`s right hand, who had been the first man to ever push his finger into her rear – and not to her displeasure, though she had been under the influence of a strong aphrodisiac then.

Luigi moved Tabea up and down a few times more, letting the plug slide back and forth. Then, another one of the guards had three of a kind and Tabea let out a fluttering breath of relief, though she had no idea what this man would do to her.

Luigi withdrew his hand, but then, he placed his hands on Tabea`s hips, pushing her down and thrusting the plug as deep inside her as the bondage allowed – which to Tabea´s luck was just before it became more than a little painful. He then bent forward so she could smell the cheap wine in his breath.

»As Nino said, we will have more time together later!«

Now, the guard told him to get the fuck away from her and since this man was as tall and muscular as Luigi himself, the torturer just grunted and got back to the group of gamblers. He stared at Tabea`s naked forms, now covered with perspiration, but he didn`t touch her. Instead, he reached for the Barrett tugged into his belt and plucked out one of the feathers. With a grin, he used it to brush over Tabea`s nipples.

»Let`s find out if you are ticklish!«

***