"m'Lord?" guenhywvar called. "Yes, girl?" he replied without looking back.

Struggling to control her mount, she pleaded, "m'Lord, the road is level..." She paused reigning back on the mare as it tried to trot closer to Robert's horse. "...may we gallop, please m'Lord?"

He noted to himself the frustration in her voice. He was also aware of the trouble the mare was giving guenhwyvar. "No, girl. Both you and that mare need to learn control and patience."

Taken completely by surprised with his response she blurted, "Control hell. And patience be damned. This blasted horse needs to run." She was along side Robert before she realized she had spoken her thoughts and he had halted his horse.

She pulled back on the reigns too quickly and too hard. The mare backed and then reared. guenhwyvar eased the reigns and cooed until the mare was standing restlessly on all four legs again. She turned sideways in her saddle and met Robert's stern _expression. He didn't speak; his eyes told her he was displeased. She could feel his power closing in around her. Even as her mind screamed, NO, her heels dug into the mare. The horse responded instantly.

She didn't look back. She knew he was not chasing her. Just as he knew the only place she would go is back to his home. Her common sense bade her to turn around, go back, and beg his forgiveness and mercy. Slowly as usual her sense won over her wild tendencies. She'd often wondered though why it didn't win before she did or said something reckless. She turned the horse around and trotted her until she sighted Robert. As the horses approached each other guenhwyvar kept her eyes lowered. When they'd passed, neither saying a word, she turned her mare and resumed her place behind him.

The rest of the ride back to Robert's home was in silence. Her mind raced with thoughts of what might happen when they arrived. She went over everything she knew about this man and this strange land. Nothing she had learned so far though could have prepared her for what was to come.

The horses were put in the care of the stable crew. It passed briefly through her mind that if she were to be a possession, she’d prefer at that moment to be the mare. Her thought was instantly dismissed when she felt Robert’s strong grip on her upper arm. She turned and looked up into his eyes. They were boring back into her. His other hand closed around her chin and held her face firmly when she tried to look away.

When he spoke, his voice was even and low. She held her breath to hear his words. "You will learn control and patience." She wasn’t sure why but she started trembling. He would not release her from his grip or his gaze. She felt panic rise up in her belly. She wanted to run again and was grateful for his hold on her at that moment.

"You’ll go to your rooms, strip naked and wait, kneeling in front of the fire place." Without warning he let go of her. She stumbled back a step before regaining her balance. Hesitating she looked in the direction of the house. "Go, now. Or you’ll be dragged in there by your ear, girl." Her feet were moving before the sentence was completed.

Guenhwyvar was up the stairs and in her rooms breathing hard against the door she’d just banged shut when her mind started to fully comprehend the situation. She pushed her thoughts away and started to undo the lacings on her gown. As it fell to the floor and she stepped out of it she told herself he wouldn’t hurt her. Then the image of one of the house girls’ nipples clamped painfully as she went about her duties flashed through her mind. No, she tried to tell herself, he wouldn’t do that. She wasn’t a slave. But what was she, she asked aloud. The chemise soon joined the gown on the floor. Garters and stockings were being unfastened and removed as she struggled to identify just what was her place in this strange world and how precarious was that place. Naked now, she picked up the clothes and placed them on the chaise. She walked to the fireplace and knelt on the hard, cold stone hearth. Her back straight, her knees shoulder width a part, shoulders back and head slightly bowed, she laced her fingers behind her head and waited for him to come. Staring into the flames of the fire that was always kept going, she knew before her eyes closed in sleep that night her place would be clearly defined for her.

The flames mesmerized her, suddenly there were hands on her wrists. Soft, small, yet strong hands pulling her hands down behind her back. It was a woman’s hands, and a woman’s voice that commanded her to be still. But she felt his presence. He was there in the room watching. She resolved then to be compliant. Three inch wide leather cuffs encircled each wrist but not fastened together. Quickly the matching set was on her ankles.

The girl came around and knelt in front of guenhwyvar facing her. She was holding a beautifully carved and polished oak box. It was only two inches thick, and about six inches square. The girl, guenhwyvar knew her name to be starrah, locked her green eyes with guenhwyvar’s dark eyes. "Please be still. The less you move, even breath, the less painful this will be." She cautioned in a hushed almost pleading tone. Starrah smiled slightly as guenhwyvar nodded. The lid to the box was lifted. Guenhwyvar felt the blood leave her face as she took in the contents of the box. Beautiful thin gold chains gleamed in the fire light on a bed of blood red velvet. The chains connected golden seashell shaped clamps.

Trying desperately to breathe evenly guenhwyvar watched as if in a trance as starrah lifted the set of clamps out of the box. Starrah set the box on the floor between them and with an _expression hovering somewhere between excitement and fear she reached out and quickly grabbed guenhwyvar’s right nipple. Guenhwyvar gasped and pulled back but starrah’s fingers had a firm hold and pinched tighter until guenhwyvar relaxed and leaned forward. The clamp was opened, guenhwyvar could see the white fur lining but she knew that would be no relief from the pinch when the screws were tightened. She closed her eyes just as the beautiful golden sides closed on the nipple. Starrah wasted no time in getting the left one fastened. Guenhwyvar’s breasts rose and fell heavily with her deep breaths. The weight of the delicate chain was felt between her breasts.

A whimper escaped guenhwyvar’s lips as starrah tightened the clamps, slowly twisting each screw one turn at a time. "shhhh" starrah hissed. Guenhwyvar swallowed and nodded. She could still feel Robert’s presence behind her. He filled her mind, as another thin gold chain was pulled from the box. His displeasure ran up her spine like a cold finger, her body shivering and goose bumps rising on her flesh. Starrah fastened this chain to the center of the chain between the clamps, it dangled to guenhwyvar’s navel. Another chain was lifted from the box and fastened around guenhwyvar’s waist, the chain dangling from between her breasts clipped to the one now around her waist. Yet another beautiful chain uncoiled from the box. This one with a tiny golden seashell clamp. Guenhwyvar’s eyes stared straight ahead. She’d never worn these before but she knew what they were. She’d heard giggling whispers of them where she had come from, had seen them displayed openly here, had even spied them on house girls being disciplined. Being disciplined her mind winced with that thought as her body fought to be still as starrah probed between her pussy lips. Locating the clit she pinched it snugly and pulled, before guenhwyvar could react to that indignity the clamp had replaced starrah’s fingers.

Again she felt his presence. Starrah adjusted the chains so that there was no slack between nipples and clit. As long as guenhwyvar held her posture as it was now she would feel the discomfort of being firmly pinched. But if she moved her body she would feel the pinch more cruelly as the chains would tug on nipples or clit or both.

A tear slid down her cheek. She was unsure of why. The pain wasn’t that bad. Starrah closed the box and looked into guenhwyvar’s eyes again. Compassion and a bit of sympathy shone in those wondrous green eyes for guenhwyvar. A brief smile and starrah was gone from sight.

A long moment passed, guenhwyvar hardly breathing, starring once again at the fire. She was keenly aware of him as he knelt on one knee to her left, his right thigh against the small of her back, his foot planted between her knees. She sucked in her breath. His left finger traveled the chain from her clit to her breasts slowly pressing into her skin as it progressed. Robert’s lips brushed against her ear. The finger stopped, pinning the chain to the center of her breastbone. The nipples throbbing with the tugging. "Over my knee, girl." The finger pushed firmly against her breast bone and she started to bend backwards over his knee. A cry was the only resistance she offered as the clamps held on tightly to their charges. His right hand came up held her by her hair. His fingers closed; her hair held tightly in his fist. The pain was all she could take. She fought her body trying to will the pain away. "Pll…eease….m’Lord. I’m so sorry for my…." Desperately she tried to get control of her breathing back. "Your what, girl?" his voice was a whisper in her ear.

"My disrespect….my willfulness…" the words were torn from her heart and spoken clearly between gasps. His hand tugged on her hair, bending her further over his knee. The pain was red against her closed eyelids. Tears now flowed from the corners of her eyes into her hair, her head nearly upside down.

"Listen carefully, guenhwyvar." He was speaking just above a whisper. "You are not a slave here. You will be given no script or set of instructions to guide your thoughts and actions. No training to tell you what to do in every instance. No proscribed job or role." He traced the chain again slowly again this time from her breasts down her arched stomach to her clit. He felt the tremors in her thighs and back. He knew how painful this position was and how hard to maintain, but he didn’t ease his hold on her hair. "You, guenhwyvar will survive by your wit. You will learn to control your wild nature and your tongue. You will judge how you should behave. Look at me, girl." He angled her head so their eyes met. He could see the pain, confusion, fear and acceptance swimming in the pools of tears. "You will be punished if you fail in any of these things at any time. Punished more harshly and thoroughly than a slave." His finger trailed back up the chain and stopped at her waist. It hooked under the chain and started to slowly lift it from her belly. An anguish cry tore from her throat but he was proud to see she stayed still. "I am Master here. I will be obeyed, in your every thought and your every deed." He let the chain fall back onto her belly and lifted her off his knee. His hand still tight in her hair, his lips pressed to her ear, his hoarse whisper demanded, "Do you truly understand, girl?"

A calmness washed through her and straightened her back and shoulders despite the pain the movement caused. Her head held by his grip, her eyes open but cast down, she replied in a clear even voice. "Yes, m’Lord, I truly understand." Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks and her voice quivered faintly as she added, "Thank you, m’Lord."

His released his hold on her hair, his hand resting flat against the back of her head. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her temple, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her. Letting his hand slide down the back of her head he held her by the back of the neck. Robert’s left hand traveled the length of her belly, following the chain down, he gently nudged her lips apart. "Ssssssshhhhh." He softly cooed into her ear as she tensed and whimpered. Holding his fingers still on the clamp he waited until she relaxed. "Good girl." The clamp spring was pinched, the shell opening and dropped to dangle against her skin. She slumped against his body, her own body trembling with brief, sharp pain of the sudden release.

He let her rest against him for a moment, enjoying the warm weight of her naked body. The tension building he smoothly lifted her in his arms as he stood. Cradling her, he kissed her forehead as he carried her to the bed. He sat on the edge and set her on his lap, holding her firmly around the waist with his right arm, the fingers of his left released her nipples and unclipped the chains from her body.

Instinctively she reached up to caress her breasts. "Don’t touch them." He commanded. As if her hands were responding to his voice they dropped to her lap. His head lowered and she felt his mouth close around a nipple, a gentle sucking and soft licking eased the soreness in first one then the other.

He laid her back on the bed, his clothed body lying next to her naked one. His hand stroked up the inside of a thigh to her pussy and gently stroked the moist lips. Her back arched and hips tilted toward the hand. His mouth continued comfort her breasts as his fingers found and started a new torture on her clit.

She writhed under him, little whimpers of pleasure and pain the only sound in the room. He pulled himself reluctantly from her body. He took her hands and pulled them over her head, hooked the leather wrist cuffs together. Carefully he positioned her in the middle of the bed on her back, her bound wrist he fastened to a hook in the middle of the headboard. There were hooks and eyes running all along the top of the headboard. His head bent and kissed her lips, his hand caressing her cheek as he stood up from the bed.

She watched him with her eyes cast down respectfully as he stripped next naked. Like a hungry wolf he came back to her, eyes locking. He pushed her legs apart, kneeling between them, he smiled as her eyes widen at the site of his hard cock. He let her have a good look. Slowly he lowered his body to cover her length. "Look into my eyes, girl." Her eyes lifted to his and he rewarded her with the head of his cock nudging slowly against her opening. She tried to lift her hips and help his cock into her. "Be still, girl." She sighed and held herself still. Eyes never leaving her eyes he cupped a breast, trapping the nipple between his thumb and finger. He slowly entered her, pinching her nipple harder as his cock slid deeper into her. Trembling beneath him she cried out and held tight to his cock squeezing her tight muscles around him. He held himself still inside her for a long moment, both of them enjoying the feel of him inside her. Releasing her nipple, his mouth lowered on her lips, his tongue parting them and entering her mouth more urgently than his cock entered her pussy. The kiss passionate and needful, his hips started a slow roll, grinding hard against her. Her body answered his. Every part of her yielding to him. Never increasing his pace or breaking the kiss he let the tension build in their bodies.

She pulled against the hook holding her bound wrists, squirming under him the energy burning to be released from her. He broke the kiss, slid his arms under her shoulders and cradled her head in his palms, staring hard into her eyes, he lifted his cock out of her and slowly pushed it back into her hard. He increased his pace with each thrust, he could see the moment in her eyes and pushing hard and fast into her he let his seed spill as she cried out, her own orgasm washing over her. Gasping she shudder, her pussy throbbing around his cock.

He slowed his thrusting and bent his head to her, "I am Master here. I will be obeyed, in your every thought and your every deed."

Her body shuddered as another wave washed over her. "Yes, Robert." She cried out.

He held her head still cradled in his hands and kissed her eyes and cheeks softly.