#learning control

She had been chosen.

That one idea kept bouncing around in Karissa’s head as she made her way through the complex, winding passageways of The Queen’s castle. The rooms and corridors were almost indistinguishable, lending the whole castle a maze-like quality, but Karissa navigated it all without a second thought, taking each turn correctly without hesitation and only pausing to step aside, bow her head, and let other people pass by her. It was easy for her. That was what she spent most of her days doing. It was her job to be invisible, but to be everywhere that she was needed. That was her lowly place, as a servant in The Queen’s service, but she did not begrudge it. Not ever. To serve The Queen in any capacity was an honor beyond words.

And yet, despite her humble status as little more than a maid, she had been chosen.

She didn’t know why, or what for, but there was no doubt about it. The message had been brought to her by one of The Queen’s personal guard, bearing her official seal. It explained little, but it instructed Karissa to come to The Queen’s throne room at dusk, so that was where she was going. She had spent all day buzzing with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. To know that she had been chosen was rapturous, but she couldn’t help fearing that she might let The Queen down. She also couldn’t help wondering why The Queen had chosen her, of all her countless servants. It was not her place to second-guess The Queen, of course. That was almost blasphemous. She didn’t doubt The Queen’s wisdom. But… why? Why her? Karissa had only even been in The Queen’s presence a handful of times and had never exchanged a single word with her. She’d only served food and drink at her banquets on a few occasions, and passed her the halls and corridors of the castle a couple of times. That was it. Each time she’d had the feeling that The Queen was looking directly at her, studying her intently. But that was how everyone felt in The Queen’s presence, of course.

Everyone knew that The Queen’s authority went beyond mere right of inheritance, or oaths of allegiance. She had no need of such things. Power was part of her, written into every fiber of her being. Everyone who came near her felt it. She exuded an aura that compelled people to fall to their knees and obey. It made them love her, adore her, become loyal to her beyond any thought of treason. Her aura of dominance and control extended far beyond her immediate presence, though. It permeated her whole castle, and even much of her domain. Karissa had worked as a servant in the castle ever since she was a young girl, and as a result obedience to The Queen was burned so deep into her mind and soul she could scarcely imagine feeling any other way.  And not only that, The Queen was also clad in an aura of pure, brilliant beauty. Any who looked at her saw a goddess on Earth  - impossibly radiant, tall, powerful, and perfect. None who saw her did not fall in love with her. Every word that passed her lips was drenched in power, promise, seduction, and command. She never seemed to raise her voice, but her words filled the air like divine writ. When she spoke, everyone listened, and they couldn’t help but obey. The compulsion was like a physical law. Anything but perfect obedience was unthinkable. There was no-one like her. Nobody knew if her power was magical or divine, but it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that she was The Queen.

Finally, after a long walk from the servant’s quarters, Karissa reached the antechamber to the throne room. The magnificent door to the throne room was so tall, Karissa had to crane her neck to see the top of it, and it was flanked by four armored guards on each side. When Karissa approached, one of the guards seemed to recognize her. She gestured to the other guards and together, they moved into place against the door and started to push it open. This took Karissa by surprise  - she’d expected to be able to take a moment to compose herself. Clearly not. As the door swung slowly open Karissa simply checked her hair, reached down to smooth the skirt of her plain dress, and prepared herself to meet The Queen.

Karissa sensed she ought to wait for the doors to be completely open. Once they were she gathered her courage and walked inside. She had been in the throne room before, to clean, but only when it was not being used by anyone. This felt quite different. The throne room was huge and lavish, designed to impress and intimidate guests or diplomats from distant lands. A vibrant red carpet formed a path down the middle, leading from the doorway Karissa had just passed under to the towering, golden throne at the far end, on which The Queen was sitting.

At first The Queen was too far away for Karissa to see her clearly, but merely knowing that she was in her presence was enough for The Queen’s power to start affecting her. She found her nerves being soothed as a strange, soporific feeling washed over her. No need to worry or doubt. Simply obey. That was enough. As she walked closer, the effect grew stronger. Karissa kept her eyes fixed demurely on the ground in front of her but nonetheless she could see The Queen in her peripheral vision, and she closer she got, the more she felt captivated by The Queen’s beauty. Her awe drove out all the other parts of her mind. She kept walking towards The Queen in a dreamlike state, as though she was sleepwalking. The only thing that kept her from falling to her knees in worship was the knowledge that The Queen had summoned her and desired to speak with her. So she couldn’t kneel, not yet, even though her knees were exactly where she belonged, in the presence of such a divine being.

Eventually she reached a respectable distance from which to address The Queen. It was a relief, at that point, to be able to set down one knee and bend in a deep bow, and simply bask in The Queen’s aura and power.

“Your Highness,” Karissa said. Her words felt feeble in such a grand, enormous chamber.

“Ah, Karissa.” The Queen’s words were anything but feeble. Her voice seemed resonant, almost layered, at once powerful and benevolent, alluring and intimidating. “Thank you for attending me.”

“It is my pleasure, Your Highness.” Karissa swallowed awkwardly. “I am but a humble servant girl. It is an honor beyond words to be able to serve you, my queen. To be chosen by you. I… I do not know what I may do for you, but whatever it is, I will not fail you.”

“I am glad to hear it. You may rise.” Karissa hesitated, remaining on her knees. To do otherwise felt wrong. Sacrilegious. “Rise,” The Queen commanded after a moment.

Karissa shot to her feet, the compulsion of The Queen’s words easily overcoming her desire to kneel. She felt shame at not having done so at once.

“You may raise your eyes, Karissa.”

This time, Karissa was determined not to make The Queen tell her again. With great effort, she raised her head and made herself look up at The Queen, sitting serenely atop her tall throne. It was dazzling, like staring into the Sun. The Queen’s face was so beautiful that somehow Karissa knew that even after a lifetime’s work, not even the greatest sculptor in history would be able to capture it in marble. Her golden hair cascaded around her face in flowing curls and her magnificent, golden robes lent her a regal, radiant aura  - not that she needed it. Her raw presence was more than enough.

“Do you know why I have summoned you?”

Karissa didn’t want to seem as though she was ignoring The Queen, but she had no better answer than: “To serve, your highness.”

The Queen let out a little laugh. “That’s a ‘no.’ No matter. I didn’t really expect you to. I will explain everything. As you were told, I have chosen you. But for what? Tell me, Karissa, what do you know of my huntresses?”

“Your… huntresses?” Karissa blinked. Everyone had heard of The Queen’s huntresses, of course. But most of what most people claimed to know of them was mere rumour and Karissa knew better than to believe in all of that. She chose her words cautiously. “They are your most loyal agents, your highness. They travel near and far, hunting your enemies and seeking new people to be brought into your service.” There was much more she could have said. It was rumored that the huntresses were witches, courtesans, priestesses, seductresses of the highest order. It was rumored that they were more than simply clever spies or talented leaders, that they knew the secret arts of warping minds to instill obedience and loyalty, though it was often debated if their supposed powers were natural or supernatural, inherent or bestowed by The Queen.

“That is correct. But make no mistake, my huntresses are more than just loyal agents. They are the very embodiment of my rule. They carry my authority, make sure than my words are obeyed across the land, and keep me safe from all who would threaten me. But most importantly they bring the gift of service to me. I am always in need of new servants. Warriors, heroes, scholars, advisers, governors, artists, courtesans  - I desire them all, to serve me or to please me. So, while I remain here, my huntresses go out into the world, acting as extensions of my will as they dominate others and bend them to my command.” The Queen smiled. “You, Karissa, are to be one of my huntresses.”

Karissa blanched. It took everything she had not to fall back onto her knees in shock. Her? A huntress? It seemed utterly ludicrous. Her impulse to obey and defer to The Queen in all things was at war with her firm conviction that there must have been some kind of mistake. “Your highness,” she began, after spending a moment with her mouth opening and closing uselessly, like a fish gulping for air. “P-perhaps you have been… misinformed. I do not think that I-”

“There has been no mistake.” Karissa shrank before The Queen’s proclamation. “I chose you myself.”

“I… I…”

“You may ask.”

Karissa sagged. Of course The Queen knew exactly what she was thinking. “Why me?”

“I know you, Karissa,” The Queen explained, still sitting in her throne with an aura of utmost serenity. “Just like I know everyone here in my castle. I know you better than you know yourself. And when I look at you, I see something. A spark. An ember. Potential. I am rarely mistaken, and I never allow potential to go to waste.”

Overcome by her utter inability to countenance any disobedience or disrespect, Karissa relented. “If your highness sees it, it must be so.”

“Quite right.” The Queen laughed. “Do not look so scared, Karissa! I am not going to throw you out into the world to do my bidding as you are now! There will be training, and testing. You have potential, yes, but it is untempered. I will temper it. I will forge you into my weapon. My huntress.”

The Queen’s words sent shivers down Karissa’s spine. She was terrified. It was an honour, yes, but so large an honour that the weight of it was crushing. She could feel it on her chest, stealing her breath. And yet, there was something else too. Her blood was in her ears, pounding out an excited drumbeat. She had been chosen! Being The Queen’s servant, even a lowly servant, was amazing, but she was going to be far more than just a servant. She was special. Perhaps she’d always known it, deep down. Perhaps that was why there was something so thrilling about the idea of The Queen transforming her into her weapon.

“I would love to serve further, your highness!” Karissa said, bowing low. She could hear her own excitement bleeding into her voice, and clearly The Queen heard it too.

“Excellent,” she purred. “Then let us begin at once.”

The Queen lifted her arms from her throne and clapped once, loudly. On one side of the throne room, an inconspicuous door opened and through it appeared two guards. Between them, they were hauling a stooped figure with a burlap sack over their head. The guards dragged the prisoner over until she was about half a dozen paces away from where Karissa was standing. They then dropped her roughly on the ground, tore off the sack over her head, and saluted The Queen. The Queen nodded her approval and then waved a hand, dismissing them. They saluted again, and left the same way they had come in. Karissa turned her attention to the prisoner. She was a woman, young-looking and pretty, with red hair. Her legs were tied together with rope in several places, leaving her unable to stand, and her hands were bound behind her back. She was helpless. When the sack was removed Karissa expected her to panic or struggle, but she didn’t. She just raised her head and peered around blearily, blinking slowly.

“Quite beautiful, isn’t she?” The Queen commented. “She was captured only recently. It would please me greatly to have her as a servant, so you are going to train her for me.” “M-me?” Karissa stuttered.

“Yes. Not without any guidance or assistance, of course. The point is to teach you, not to punish you. I have deliberately lessened the effect of my magic on her. She is docile, but not broken. That will be your task.”

Karissa nodded numbly.

“Well then.” The Queen sat back in her throne, looking relaxed. “Begin.”

Ever eager to obey, Karissa turned to the bound girl. Then she shuddered to a halt, as she realized she had absolutely no idea how to begin. She couldn’t even begin to guess. She looked over at The Queen, hoping for instruction or at least some kind of clue, but her face was a mask. Swallowing awkwardly, Karissa approached the prisoner.

“What is your name?” she asked. It seemed as good a place to begin as any.

“You don’t know?” The Queen asked from up on her throne, interrupting before the prisoner could respond.

“No, of course not,” Karissa replied, sensing she had already done something wrong.

“That’s no good,” The Queen explained. She didn’t sound angry or disappointed, but nonetheless Karissa trembled. She’d messed up. “You must learn to exert your will. To rule. A ruler always knows. No-one respects an ignorant ruler, and respect is all-important. At the very least you must make it clear that what you don’t know simply isn’t worthy of your notice.”

Karissa paused for a long moment as she tried to digest The Queen’s lesson, but to no avail. She could not see how it was meant to help her. “Then… what am I to do? I don’t know her name.”

“You might try to find out by other means. Rectify your ignorance without revealing it ever existed. Then, you can impress with your knowledge. Appear all knowing. But that will not help you here, of course. Nothing here will help you discover her name.” The Queen grinned. “But as I explained, there is another way. If you don’t know her name, then how can you make it so her name doesn’t matter?”

Karissa paused again, turning over The Queen’s cryptic advice in her mind. She was on the verge of admitting defeat when it clicked. Inspiration struck her, lifting her mood and filling her with excitement. It only took a few more moments to make a final decision. “Raina,” she whispered to herself under her breath. Then she walked right over to the kneeling prisoner, stood as tall as she could, and grabbed the girl by her chin, seizing her attention. “Your name is Raina now. You may have had a different name, but that doesn’t matter anymore. You will answer to Raina from now on.”

The girl gave no sign of acknowledgment, but she didn’t seem to resist either. Her eyes weren’t quite lucid. Clearly, The Queen’s presence was affecting her. Karissa felt the bravado that she’d been struck by ebb away, and she looked at the throne for reassurance. The Queen was smiling at her approvingly. Karissa was filled with equal measures pride, joy and surprise at having succeeded. Perhaps The Queen’s assessment of her wasn’t so wrong after all.

“A fine start,” The Queen praised, and Karissa blushed. “But anyone can make decrees. To rule means to have your decrees followed. How do you ensure obedience? How do you test it?”

Karissa took another moment to think that over, but this time the answer came quicker. She looked at the girl again. “Do you understand me, Raina?”

The prisoner didn’t reply, nor give any sign she had even heard Karissa. It was hard to tell if she was deliberately resisting or merely in some kind of stupor. Whichever it was, her failure to respond quickly took the wind out of Karissa’s sails.

“No-one obeys without reason,” The Queen interjected. “You must provide motivation. How does one train a horse?”

Carrot and stick. There was only one possibility where the stick was concerned. It was against Karissa’s character, but her drive to please The Queen far outweighed that. Taking a deep breath, Karissa drew back one hand and delivered a fierce, open-handed slap to the girl’s cheek. It was almost enough to send her toppling over, and the harsh cracking sound of the slap resounded through the large, empty chamber. Karissa felt the absurd urge to apologize, but she forced it down. She had to follow through.

“I said, do you understand me Raina?”

The question hung in the air for her moment, before the girl slowly answered: “Yes.” The slap seemed to have roused her, and she spoke the word through gritted teeth  - there was still resistance left in her, Karissa judged.

“Good!” The Queen gleefully announced. “You have her obedience, at least in this. But do you have her respect? Respect is the cornerstone of true dominance. You cannot work an animal if you must beat it every moment of the day.”

Respect. What did that mean? There were a million possibilities. But when Karissa thought about The Queen, it was clear what she should do. She reached a hand into Raina’s fire-red, messed-up hair and twisted it, forcing Raina to look at her and strain her neck upwards. It was easier, this time. Karissa had momentum behind her, and the excitement of the moment was carrying her along. “Yes… what?”

There was another silence while Karissa awaited an answer, longer than the first. It was not until Karissa raised her other hand, threatening another strike, that Raina spoke. “Yes Miss.”

Karissa’s knees almost buckled as her blood rushed to her head, turning her legs to jelly. Why did that feel so good? It was just one small word: ‘miss’. But there was such power to it, power that Karissa had never felt before. She’d never been anything more than a servant. ‘Girl’ was the most she was ever addressed as, most of the time. Being addressed with respect was immediately intoxicating. Looking in to Raina’s eyes, Karissa could see a turbulent mix of emotions, and among them was fear. She could use that. It was the stick. She could make Raina do what she wanted her to.

“Remember, girl,” The Queen chided. “The stick, but also the carrot.”

The carrot… a reward. But what could that be? A reward was something you wanted. What did Raina want? Her freedom, of course. That was out of the question. What else? Karissa thought about how animals were trained. They were rewarded with food, usually. That didn’t seem all that fitting, and in any case Karissa didn’t have any food to give. But to a well-trained cat or dog, Karissa had heard, praise was as much of a reward as anything else. Praise hardly seemed like an effective reward for someone in Raina’s position, but it seemed worth a shot. Karissa reached down and a few fingertips through the hair on the side of Raina’s head, caressing her as gently as she could with her shaking hands.

“Good girl,” she said, aiming for a kind of motherly tone, both authoritative and tender. She wasn’t sure if she’d succeeded. Raina didn’t say anything, just glowered at her, and she went very still when Karissa touched her. Karissa wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she’d been hoping for, but that wasn’t it. She looked at Raina again, at the way she was kneeling, and had an idea. “That doesn’t look very comfortable. Is it?”

Raina shook her head warily.

“Let me see to that.” Karissa bent down and inspected the ropes binding the girl’s legs. The knot work was impressively sturdy and tight, leaving Raina with almost no ability to move at all. If she’d been like that for long, it must have been verging on painful. Fortunately, Karissa’s hands were plenty nimble, and it didn’t take her too long to pull apart the knots enough to allow for a little more freedom. “There. How’s that?”

Raina stretched experimentally, and for a moment her eyes closed and relief shone on her face as she found she was able to extend and contract her legs just enough to take the edge off her discomfort. When her eyes opened again, there was something new in them: gratitude. This time, Karissa didn’t need to look at The Queen to tell if she’d done a good job. She knew she’d be smiling at her.  Karissa realized she was smiling too, grinning from ear to ear. She was having fun. Raina, all tied up like that, felt a little like a toy, and what Karissa was doing to her felt like a game, a simple, almost childish one. She’d give a reward here, a punishment there. One moment sternness, then another, gentleness. And it was all for the sake of getting her toy, her plaything, to do whatever she pleased. Was this how The Queen felt? Was it how The Queen felt about her? Somehow, Karissa couldn’t quite believe it. The Queen wasn’t like them. She was greater. More perfect. Her feelings were far nobler… right? It didn’t really matter. Karissa would be loyal to her to her death, all the same. Her bond to The Queen felt stronger than ever. She felt like she was channeling The Queen’s glory. She was standing before her throne, basking in her approval, as she brought another servant into her fold. Serving The Queen in any capacity was the meaning of her life, but compared to polishing doorknobs and serving food, this was was infinitely more fulfilling. Anyone could do servants’ work. This was special. She had been chosen for it.

“You’re doing wonderfully, Karissa,” said The Queen warmly. “But while the first steps are the most important, this is just the beginning. You have made her obey you in some trivial matters. Now, show her that her place is in service. Make that what she needs.”

“What shall I have her do, your highness?” Karissa asked.

“Why do you ask me?” The Queen shot back, setting Karissa off-balance.

“Because…” Unwilling to disappoint, Karissa took a moment to make sure her reasoning was iron-clad. It seemed to be, to her. “This is all for you, your highness. I make them serve me, so that they will serve you. They should answer to your will.”

The Queen smiled ruefully. “You’re faithful, Karissa. But I need you to have more than just the mind of a servant.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, your highness.” Karissa looked down.

“As I told you, you are to rule. To dominate. To dominate in my name, yes, but still to dominate. You are not to be an official or a messenger. You are to be a huntress. True domination is raw. You take another person, and break them in service to your will. Your will. Your own. Even if you are ultimately loyal to me, in the moment you must free yourself of that and follow your own desires. You can’t dominant someone for the sake of another. Not truly. You’d only ever be an intermediary, and I need more than that from you, my sweet Karissa.” Karissa listened attentively to The Queen’s explanation, and her face felt warm at being called ‘my sweet Karissa’. “So ask yourself: what do you want? Right now, what do you want from her? Once you have made her do that, once you have made her want that, then she’s yours.”

What did she want? Karissa asked herself over and over again, but she couldn’t find a good answer. Everything that came to mind was either too abstract or hopelessly far-fetched for the situation. It was hard to think about her own desires when she was in such close proximity to The Queen. It felt wrong and unnatural. She had to force it. It was like trying to swim through syrup. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her devotion to The Queen, pushing out any suggestions of selfishness. She didn’t want to think for herself. She didn’t want to do what she wanted. She only wanted what The Queen wanted. But The Queen wanted her to consider her own desires. It was a paradoxical cycle driving her to intense frustration.

In the end, Karissa’s body provided the answer. Despite her impending audience with The Queen, she’d still been expected to perform all her usual duties as a servant of the castle. As such, she’d been scurrying about the castle all day, like she did every day. Her legs were killing her. She’d long since grown accustomed to the dull ache, but that wasn’t the same as no longer feeling. Normally by now she’d have been able to retire to the servant’s quarters for the evening, but not today. As a result, she was more conscious of the pain than normal. She wanted her legs to stop hurting, or at least to hurt less. That thought was so simple and reflexive, it easily circumvented the way her devotion to The Queen was affecting her. She wanted her legs to stop hurting. And then Karissa looked at Raina, and everything clicked into place.

“You must want your hands free,” Karissa said. “If I unbind them you’ll be good, won’t you?”

Raina nodded quickly. Karissa stared at her for a moment and then coughed conspicuously. “Yes miss,” Raina added.

“That’s better.” Karissa reached into one of the spacious pockets of her servant’s dress and withdrew a small knife. She always carried it with her; a knife was the kind of tool that always came in handy. After a few seconds’ work, she’d cut through the ropes around Raina’s wrists. She stepped back and watched the red-headed girl bring her arms in front of her, enjoying her newfound freedom of movement and rubbing at where the ropes had rubbed uncomfortably on her skin.  At first Karissa kept a careful eye on her, worried Raina might lash out or something. But she didn’t. Her legs were still bound, keeping her on her knees, so any such rebellion would have been completely foolhardy. Besides, she still seemed pacified by The Queen’s power.

“Now,” Karissa told her. She was finding it easier and easier to strike a commanding tone. “I expect you to put those free hands to good use. I’ve been walking around all day, and my legs are aching. Massage them for me. Do that, and I’ve got no reason not to let you keep your arms unbound. And that’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“Yes miss,” Raina repeated. She was learning.

“Get to it, then,” Karissa instructed firmly, stepping closer.

At first, Raina just looked at her. She evidently didn’t know how to begin. But she must have been eager not to see her hands bound again, as after a moment or two she reached her hands out and pressed them against the skirt of Karissa’s dress, feeling for one of her legs. For Karissa, it was an uncomfortable sensation. Part of her wanted to pull away, but she refused to. She wasn’t going to show any weakness or indecision. That wasn’t what one of The Queen’s huntresses would do. So she just stood there, trying not to let her discomfort show on her face as Raina groped around one of her thighs and started to rub it up and down in a smooth motion. It was very obvious that Raina didn’t know what she was doing, but she seemed to be trying her best. Karissa was finding it more awkward than pleasurable. She didn’t know what to do with herself, standing there and letting this strange girl she barely knew give her a massage. As a servant, she was always meant to be doing something, especially when she was under the watchful gaze of someone like The Queen. She didn’t know how to just stand there. Her hands felt restless. But she remembered what The Queen had said. This was about her, and what she wanted. She wanted this. And since she wanted it, she should be enjoying it. That was the right message to send, wasn’t it? She had to seem like she was in control. Like everything was going to plan.

“Good girl,” she whispered softly. That seemed to embolden Raina a little, and the way she was massaging Karissa’s leg became more pronounced.

To her surprise, Karissa found she was starting to genuinely enjoy the massage. Raina may have been inexperienced, but she seemed to have a certain talent with her hands. Maybe she wasn’t so inexperienced after all; there was no way for Karissa to know. All she knew was that the tension and pain she’d been carrying around in her legs was starting to drop off more and more each time Raina pressed into her, being replaced by a gentle, soothing warmth that she’d never really felt before. It was nice. It made it easier not to feel so awkward about just standing there, doing nothing but letting herself be massaged. It was a little like bathing in the summer sun, in a way. Karissa closed her eyes, as she might do whilst lying on the grass on a midsummer day when her duties were not so onerous. That way, it was easier to just let herself go to the physical pleasure. That was when she noticed she was feeling something else too, something more than just the gentle heat of relaxation. It was hotter than that, and more sudden and insistent, like sparks inside her body. It filled her head too, like she was nearing the end of a night of drinking. She realized she was breathing hard. Karissa didn’t know what to make of it, but she looked down and saw that Raina was breathing hard too, and staring at her with a strange shine in her pretty green eyes.

“The other, now,” Karissa commanded, her voice breathy. Raina made to obey, at first, but she soon paused.

“Your dress, miss,” Raina said quietly. “It would be easier if…”

Karissa sensed her meaning, and froze. Her immediate reaction was that it was unacceptably, grossly inappropriate. She was in front of The Queen! She had to be presentable. But, if she was being honest, the same thought had occurred to her, moments before Raina had voiced it. Giving a massage through clothes didn’t make much sense. It would feel so much better if she could feel Raina’s soft, feminine hands directly on her skin. She could imagine it vividly. She could imagine the warmth and the relief, and the heat. Imagining it was making her stomach flutter, but that was tempered by the important reminder that she was in control here. She got to decide what happened. And she wanted to let Raina touch her under her dress, as inappropriate as it seemed. She thought about asking The Queen, or maybe just glancing at her to try to read her face. But she thought better of it. She remembered The Queen’s words: ‘even if you are ultimately loyal to me, in the moment you must free yourself of that and follow your own desires’. Her own desires. If she was in control, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thought.

Karissa nodded to Raina. Raina flushed slightly, but didn’t hesitate. She slid her hands up Karissa’s ankle, lifting the hem of her dress. Karissa shivered as she felt Raina’s skin against hers. She was so soft, so warm. Raina’s hands slid higher, over her calves and her knees, and found her pale thighs. Karissa gasped silently when Raina started massaging her there. It felt incredibly intimate. It was so different to before. So much better. Raina’s hands were magic. The redhead seemed to have hit her rhythm now.  Her hands were all over Karissa’s thighs and calves, finding and smoothing out every little pocket of tension until Raina was practically melting. She held her own dress up to make it easier for the girl. She didn’t want this to stop any time soon. Karissa had a sense that the heat inside her was building to something, and she wanted to find out what it was. Above all, the control she felt over Raina in that moment was intoxicating in a way she’d never experienced before in her life.

Somehow she sensed that she and and Raina were sharing a connection. It was like Raina was feeling exactly the same feeling, the same heat, and responding to it in kind. She seemed to know that Karissa wouldn’t mind her touch becoming slower, more sensual. That she wanted her to start reaching higher up her thighs. And higher. And higher. Each time she looked up, watching Karissa’s reaction carefully. She looked timid, confused, eager to please. Karissa wasn’t sure what the girl could see in her face, but apparently it was encouraging, because Raina kept going, and each time she did, the heat in Karissa’s body grew fiercer. Eventually, Raina reached Karissa’s smallclothes. She gave Karissa one last look. Karissa didn’t stop her, or even blush. She just nodded. Raina nodded back and slipped her fingers under Karissa’s smallclothes, and touched her pussy.

Karissa moaned instantly from the pleasure that hit her. And then, a moment later, she remembered where she was. She was in the throne room of The Queen, who was still sitting in her throne and watching the pair of them intently. Karissa blanched. Letting Raina lift her dress was one thing, but this was quite another. The former might be excused under the circumstances. This surely couldn’t. Karissa turned to The Queen, stopping Raina, and started to profusely apologize.

“Your highness, I… I am so sorry! I do not know what came over me, I-”

The Queen silenced her with a raised hand. “There is no need for an apology.”

Somehow, Karissa couldn’t quite believe that. “Really?”

“Yes.” The Queen’s smile had the naughty glint of someone sharing a secret. “Don’t you think I partake in the same pleasures? Why do you think I have so many beautiful women brought to me?”

“Oh. Yes.” Karissa still couldn’t shake her shame. “But… even so, your highness. To do this in front of you, to be so shameless-”

The Queen laughed. “I was enjoying the show. Besides, there’s no shame in it. I know exactly what you’re feeling. It’s a rush, isn’t it? To take control. To feel mastery over another person. To make them bend to your purposes. You feel it everywhere, in your whole body. There’s nothing else like it. My girl, that feeling is nothing to be ashamed of. Quite the contrary. It’s proof I made the right choice. It’s proof you were born for this  - to dominate. Listen to your body. Embrace it.”

Karissa turned back to Raina. As embarrassed as she was, the weight of The Queen’s words were a yolk around her mind. She couldn’t resist it. She let the song of arousal she was already feeling flow throughout her body. A idea came to her that made her grin. She was sure Raina would do it. One look at the girl made it easy to see she was just as aroused, and in no state to disobey. Karissa hurriedly pulled down her smallclothes, almost ripping them off. And then she wrapped one hand around the back of Raina’s head and shoved her face in her pussy.

Raina didn’t hesitate, and immediately set to work with her tongue. Karissa cried out, and didn’t try to silence herself. Embrace it. That was what she’d been told. Embrace the pleasure. She let her full-throated moans fill the enormous chamber as Raina went down on her, sending the heat inside her sparking over into electric pleasure. The girl was skilled with her tongue, or so it seemed to Karissa  - not that she had the experience to tell. If she wasn’t skilled, then her enthusiasm was making up for it. Karissa found herself grinding against Raina’s face, using her hand to keep the girl pressed into her. She was hungry for more. It was like she’d been awakened to an appetite she’d had her whole life but had never been able to sate before. Now she knew it was there, it was all she could think about. The physical pleasure of Raina touching her was incredible, but it was nothing compared to the more abstract feeling of knowing she was using another person to satisfy her own desires. She was making Raina do this, just because she wanted to. Karissa wasn’t sure she could say that about anything before in her life, ever. She’d always been the one taking orders, never giving them. Until now she couldn’t have imagined that being on the other side of it felt so good. Dominating Raina made her feel like a goddess. It made her feel like she could do anything.

Quickly, Karissa found herself brought to the point of orgasm by Raina’s ministrations. She didn’t fight it. This moment was too intense, too perfect to ruin by trying to prolong it needlessly. She would take the pleasure she wanted, and that was that. She sank her hands into Raina’s thick mane of red hair and gripped it, riding her face whilst her moans and cries grew more and more wild. Raina was moaning too; Karissa could feel the vibrations passing into her and she loved it. She loved that she was having that effect on Raina even though the girl wasn’t receiving any physical stimulation. She took pleasure in that power. She was drunk on it, and it was heightening everything else she was feeling. As she crested the wave of the orgasm she pressed Raina into her even more tightly, practically gripping the girl’s head between her thighs. She needed more, and she knew Raina would give it to her. No, she knew she could take it from her. She could take anything.

With that thought in her head, she came with a scream. She felt her wetness flood over Raina’s face, leaving the girl drenched in sweat and love juices. Still in control despite the overwhelming pleasure thundering through every part of her body, Karissa pulled Raina back so she could see her. The pretty girl’s now depraved-looking face and the glazed, submission-drunk look in her eyes drove her to fresh heights of bliss. She felt like Raina belonged to her. Maybe she did. The was the hottest idea of all  - the idea of utterly possessing another person, being free to use them however and whenever she liked. She wanted that. Now she’d been shown the possibility, she knew she’d never be able to stop wanting it. She needed to go further along the path The Queen had gifted her.

The Queen. Karissa remembered where she was, and who she was with. Once the pleasure subsided a little she turned to the throne, still breathing hard. She saw The Queen still looking down on her, somewhat flushed, and with a smile on her face that mixed amusement and pride. That pride was the greatest reward Karissa could ever have hoped for. Embarrassment at what she had just done was starting to creep back in, but Karissa refused to shrink back or look away. Instead, she gave The Queen a bow, like a performer on a stage. Obligingly, The Queen clapped a few times, applauding her.

“My sweet girl,” she said. “You are going to make an excellent huntress.”

New story! Plan is to have this running concurrently with Muscle Bimbo (which I definitely haven’t given up on, don’t worry). I’ll have the next chapter of that posted as soon as I can... which might not be for a couple weeks, since I’m sick :(