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Juan1234
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J
Juan1234
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Part 22:
There, from the east lumbered a huge, dark ape, led by two handlers holding thick chains to its iron collar. This was Maximus. Kirana was confused.
At about the same time, a fanfare at the gate and a parting of the sea of onlookers told of the emperor's arrival. He reclined on an open sedan carried by exotically dressed palace slaves. (Two crosses down, Benjamin shrieked and blubbered as his feet were nailed to the stipes.)
All this time, Rego had watched Kirana from a distance, trying to blend with the crowd. He should run. But perhaps he could still redeem himself in the eyes of the emperor...? And then there was the beautiful princess being brutally executed before him. How could he leave her? He had almost no thought anymore of rescuing her - she had rejected him. Yet he felt himself unable to pull himself away from her. Love? He tried to think so.
Suddenly Rego realized the people around him were shoving and jostling to make way for the emperor. A stab of fright yanked him from his ponderings. He did not want to be seen. But then almost immediately, the emperor's pink face was in front of his, looking at him with a sugary smile. Rego froze. In battle he was brave - very brave. He had utter confidence in his own ability to fight his way out of any situation. Not so in this world of crowds and smiles and lies.
"Rego!" said the emperor, with the same adulatory affection he had used that morning.
"Hail Caesar!" Rego tried to smile back. The crowd was watching. The emperor gestured for him to come closer, and Rego leaned in.
The emperor whispered in his ear, "Perhaps you'd like to direct the execution?" Then he pulled away laughing, as if he'd told Rego a private joke. Rego played along, forcing himself to laugh, and the two stood for a moment laughing. Then Rego made his way toward the front of the crowd.
Meanwhile, Kirana scanned the crowd. The ape was in no particular hurry, so she had time to look into all those hateful eyes. She hoped she might find the woman she had rescued from prison, but she couldn't. She did see a number of the soldiers from Rego's camp - men she had come to know, and whose disputes she had arbitrated in her tent. It felt like ages ago now. Now she was about to be crucified naked in front of them. Somehow it felt more humiliating to kneel here bare-breasted in front of them than if it had been only strangers. Then for the thousandth time today, she tried to imagine taking off her gown altogether and being naked. The thought just wouldn't fit in her mind!
Then she saw Muneth, her brother. At first, she thought she must be dreaming. What was he doing here!? She stared into his eyes, and saw encouragement there. For a moment she was lifted out of her tortured reality, feeling all the warmth and safety she had always felt with Muneth was she was a little girl. But what encouragement could there be now? She was about to be nailed!
As if to punctuate her thought, a final roar of agony burst from Lemuel and faded slowly away into a pathetic moan as his feet were nailed. Those two had gone from walking freely in front of her just a short time ago, to hanging crucified on their crosses. And here she was, waiting, watching the horrors around her close in.
Then Rego emerged from the crowd. Maybe he would make his offer again. No, she knew him too well for that. Rego swallowed. "Princess," he acknowledged her, then looked away.
"Rego!" said Brutus, holding his grin, but confused.
"I've come to direct the execution," said Rego.
"Ah..." Brutus stroked his chin, not pleased, but compliant.
Kirana glared at Rego, but he did not look at her.
Then Maximus the ape approached, between his two handlers.
"Princess, meet Maximus!" said Brutus with a grand gesture toward the beast. The crowd cheered. Kirana, not understanding, just looked at the hulking ape with his long, shaggy coat and big, deep eyes beneath a heavily fortified brow. She remained stolid.
"Maximus likes you," Beitus continued, giddy and laughing over top of himself. Kirana still did not understand, somewhat to Brutus' surprise. "He likes you VERY much." Another pause to wait for Kirana to comprehend. Brutus' men were behind the princess, freeing her from her manacles. "He thinks you are a very beautiful woman." The slightest breath of disgust came from Kirana's nose, clearing away some of Benjamin's urine. "In fact, he's fallen deeply in love with you." Now her hands were free, and she wiped away the urine from her mouth and eyes. "Would you... have sex with him, Princess?" Brutus asked with affected tenderness.
Suddenly Kirana understood, and it electrified her nerves and contorted her face into utterly horrified disbelief. She looked from Brutus to Rego to the ape, her brow deeply furrowed in revulsion and accusation, her mouth open with incredulity. Was nothing sacred to these Romans? Rego!? Would he allow this? Even Rego!? She had had months to try to accept the idea that her body would be displayed naked in public. Even this she had been unable to fully come to terms with. She had rarely shown her most intimate parts even to her ladies in her private chambers back in Amunia, and now she would bare it all in front of a Roman crowd. This was hard enough, but now she was to surrender her body to be violated by this beast!? Here, in public, no less!? She had gone far beyond what she ever thought she could do this morning when she had let Brutus - a man, however evil - rape her in the privacy of the prison. She was breathing heavily now, still feeling someone must put a stop to this.
"Well?" said Brutus, "Lift your gown and show him your holes... He tends to like the rear." And he smiled such a triumphant, lecherous smirk that Kirana's lip curled, and she wanted to slap him. She wanted to stand before him as she had seen her father do to much better men, and send him to the gallows. Not here. Not in Rome. Here, she was not even a slave.
"No," she finally said, in a low voice above the rage in her chest.
(To be continued...)
There, from the east lumbered a huge, dark ape, led by two handlers holding thick chains to its iron collar. This was Maximus. Kirana was confused.
At about the same time, a fanfare at the gate and a parting of the sea of onlookers told of the emperor's arrival. He reclined on an open sedan carried by exotically dressed palace slaves. (Two crosses down, Benjamin shrieked and blubbered as his feet were nailed to the stipes.)
All this time, Rego had watched Kirana from a distance, trying to blend with the crowd. He should run. But perhaps he could still redeem himself in the eyes of the emperor...? And then there was the beautiful princess being brutally executed before him. How could he leave her? He had almost no thought anymore of rescuing her - she had rejected him. Yet he felt himself unable to pull himself away from her. Love? He tried to think so.
Suddenly Rego realized the people around him were shoving and jostling to make way for the emperor. A stab of fright yanked him from his ponderings. He did not want to be seen. But then almost immediately, the emperor's pink face was in front of his, looking at him with a sugary smile. Rego froze. In battle he was brave - very brave. He had utter confidence in his own ability to fight his way out of any situation. Not so in this world of crowds and smiles and lies.
"Rego!" said the emperor, with the same adulatory affection he had used that morning.
"Hail Caesar!" Rego tried to smile back. The crowd was watching. The emperor gestured for him to come closer, and Rego leaned in.
The emperor whispered in his ear, "Perhaps you'd like to direct the execution?" Then he pulled away laughing, as if he'd told Rego a private joke. Rego played along, forcing himself to laugh, and the two stood for a moment laughing. Then Rego made his way toward the front of the crowd.
Meanwhile, Kirana scanned the crowd. The ape was in no particular hurry, so she had time to look into all those hateful eyes. She hoped she might find the woman she had rescued from prison, but she couldn't. She did see a number of the soldiers from Rego's camp - men she had come to know, and whose disputes she had arbitrated in her tent. It felt like ages ago now. Now she was about to be crucified naked in front of them. Somehow it felt more humiliating to kneel here bare-breasted in front of them than if it had been only strangers. Then for the thousandth time today, she tried to imagine taking off her gown altogether and being naked. The thought just wouldn't fit in her mind!
Then she saw Muneth, her brother. At first, she thought she must be dreaming. What was he doing here!? She stared into his eyes, and saw encouragement there. For a moment she was lifted out of her tortured reality, feeling all the warmth and safety she had always felt with Muneth was she was a little girl. But what encouragement could there be now? She was about to be nailed!
As if to punctuate her thought, a final roar of agony burst from Lemuel and faded slowly away into a pathetic moan as his feet were nailed. Those two had gone from walking freely in front of her just a short time ago, to hanging crucified on their crosses. And here she was, waiting, watching the horrors around her close in.
Then Rego emerged from the crowd. Maybe he would make his offer again. No, she knew him too well for that. Rego swallowed. "Princess," he acknowledged her, then looked away.
"Rego!" said Brutus, holding his grin, but confused.
"I've come to direct the execution," said Rego.
"Ah..." Brutus stroked his chin, not pleased, but compliant.
Kirana glared at Rego, but he did not look at her.
Then Maximus the ape approached, between his two handlers.
"Princess, meet Maximus!" said Brutus with a grand gesture toward the beast. The crowd cheered. Kirana, not understanding, just looked at the hulking ape with his long, shaggy coat and big, deep eyes beneath a heavily fortified brow. She remained stolid.
"Maximus likes you," Beitus continued, giddy and laughing over top of himself. Kirana still did not understand, somewhat to Brutus' surprise. "He likes you VERY much." Another pause to wait for Kirana to comprehend. Brutus' men were behind the princess, freeing her from her manacles. "He thinks you are a very beautiful woman." The slightest breath of disgust came from Kirana's nose, clearing away some of Benjamin's urine. "In fact, he's fallen deeply in love with you." Now her hands were free, and she wiped away the urine from her mouth and eyes. "Would you... have sex with him, Princess?" Brutus asked with affected tenderness.
Suddenly Kirana understood, and it electrified her nerves and contorted her face into utterly horrified disbelief. She looked from Brutus to Rego to the ape, her brow deeply furrowed in revulsion and accusation, her mouth open with incredulity. Was nothing sacred to these Romans? Rego!? Would he allow this? Even Rego!? She had had months to try to accept the idea that her body would be displayed naked in public. Even this she had been unable to fully come to terms with. She had rarely shown her most intimate parts even to her ladies in her private chambers back in Amunia, and now she would bare it all in front of a Roman crowd. This was hard enough, but now she was to surrender her body to be violated by this beast!? Here, in public, no less!? She had gone far beyond what she ever thought she could do this morning when she had let Brutus - a man, however evil - rape her in the privacy of the prison. She was breathing heavily now, still feeling someone must put a stop to this.
"Well?" said Brutus, "Lift your gown and show him your holes... He tends to like the rear." And he smiled such a triumphant, lecherous smirk that Kirana's lip curled, and she wanted to slap him. She wanted to stand before him as she had seen her father do to much better men, and send him to the gallows. Not here. Not in Rome. Here, she was not even a slave.
"No," she finally said, in a low voice above the rage in her chest.
(To be continued...)
J
Juan1234
Guest
Have we lost Yupar???
J
Juan1234
Guest
Part 23:
Brutus turned and motioned to someone in the crowd. Kirana's eyes darted, searching for answers. Then Yupar appeared, bare-breasted like her, and bloodied from shoulders to hips, her eyes red and moist. Kirana's heart sank and with it her head, falling to the side in compassion. One of Brutus' men walked over to a brazier several paces away and carefully removed a glowing orange brand. Kirana understood immediately and despaired.
Rego watched all of this in grim silence. What could he do for her? He could urge her to cooperate, but then how would he be any different from Brutus? He still had to think of his next steps on the perilous path he had laid out for himself. Why had the emperor asked him to join the crucifiers? Perhaps it was a chance to undo the harm he'd done by stepping in decisively against the princess. Maybe the emperor had given him a way out - a way to start over and forget everything. No, this was wishful thinking. He wanted him in the public eye, where he could do nothing in secret. Then what?
And then, here was Kirana. He felt she needed him, and it was his duty to stand by her as she went through this most difficult ordeal. Nonsense! He knew it was nonsense, but he felt it, all the same.
"Rego?" Kirana was looking into his eyes, imploring, her voice weak and breathy with shock and despair.
Again, what could he do? He started to say something twice, then: "Kirana, they will have their way. For your friend's sake, do not resist." Her eyes did not leave his. She was in the utter depths of moral impossibility, and could not choose the lesser of the two evils before her.
Brutus nodded, and two guards held Yupar still while the orange brand touched his left nipple. She screamed and her head thrashed as she struggled with the guards. Kirana shook her head in misery, barely able to watch.
"Alright!" she finally cried. Nothing happened. "ALRIGHT!" she yelled louder, angry now. Several guards grinned at her, but the brand continued t sear Yupar's nipple. Rego thought of intervening, but didn't. Finally Kirana lifted the back of her skirt to bare her bottom, knelt and moved to all fours, presenting her exposed hind parts high behind her. It was the most humiliating thing she could imagine, but the brand was removed from Yupar's breast, and soon her screams calmed to quiet sobs. "Oh, Princess, no...!" she moaned. Kirana was facing the crowd, so they could not see her private parts well, but the humiliation was still intense, and she hid her face in the dust before her.
"Alright what?" asked Brutus. Kirana's jaw shook in the dust.
"Let the beast... have its way with me."
"Ah, good! So you won't resist?" She swallowed.
"No."
"Oh, good, I knew he'd win your heart eventually! Maximus! Take her!"
Kirana peaked under her arm to see the ape stroking its own member, almost twice as long as a man's, as he approached her bared bottom. She buried her face again as his enormous hands grasped her hips, wrapping all the way around her, thumbs reaching down her buttocks, fingers reaching toward her sex. She felt utterly powerless. The crowd was winding up. Then, almost before she knew what was happening, his penis had plunged through her anus. He tugged her violently toward himself, then again, and again, shoving himself deeper into her body with each thrust. The crowd howled with laughter.
The pain was terrible, and Kirana's stomach churned and burned within her. The deep humiliation at having this most degading and dishonorable part of her body abused this way was truly worse. She had become the object of the most grotesquely ribald comedy, and the crowd loved it.
Back and forth, back and forth she was jerked by those powerful hands, riding along the beast's impaling member, skewered like a pig to be roasted. As she faced the crowd, most could not see the naked details behind her, but they knew what was happening, and Kirana was sure some of those watching from the high wall on her right had better views.
It took a long time, but finally Maximus grunted his satisfaction, pumping the princess with his seed, and withdrew. Kirana had to fight hard to remember she was a princess. She almost forgot to smooth down the back of her gown to cover herself again. She thought she should be relived now that it was over. But she couldn't think of why. She couldn't think of anything anymore. Then she saw a pile of long, think, sharp nails, and all the groggy apathy of her degradation was melted in a cold sea of lucid terror.
(To be continued...)
Brutus turned and motioned to someone in the crowd. Kirana's eyes darted, searching for answers. Then Yupar appeared, bare-breasted like her, and bloodied from shoulders to hips, her eyes red and moist. Kirana's heart sank and with it her head, falling to the side in compassion. One of Brutus' men walked over to a brazier several paces away and carefully removed a glowing orange brand. Kirana understood immediately and despaired.
Rego watched all of this in grim silence. What could he do for her? He could urge her to cooperate, but then how would he be any different from Brutus? He still had to think of his next steps on the perilous path he had laid out for himself. Why had the emperor asked him to join the crucifiers? Perhaps it was a chance to undo the harm he'd done by stepping in decisively against the princess. Maybe the emperor had given him a way out - a way to start over and forget everything. No, this was wishful thinking. He wanted him in the public eye, where he could do nothing in secret. Then what?
And then, here was Kirana. He felt she needed him, and it was his duty to stand by her as she went through this most difficult ordeal. Nonsense! He knew it was nonsense, but he felt it, all the same.
"Rego?" Kirana was looking into his eyes, imploring, her voice weak and breathy with shock and despair.
Again, what could he do? He started to say something twice, then: "Kirana, they will have their way. For your friend's sake, do not resist." Her eyes did not leave his. She was in the utter depths of moral impossibility, and could not choose the lesser of the two evils before her.
Brutus nodded, and two guards held Yupar still while the orange brand touched his left nipple. She screamed and her head thrashed as she struggled with the guards. Kirana shook her head in misery, barely able to watch.
"Alright!" she finally cried. Nothing happened. "ALRIGHT!" she yelled louder, angry now. Several guards grinned at her, but the brand continued t sear Yupar's nipple. Rego thought of intervening, but didn't. Finally Kirana lifted the back of her skirt to bare her bottom, knelt and moved to all fours, presenting her exposed hind parts high behind her. It was the most humiliating thing she could imagine, but the brand was removed from Yupar's breast, and soon her screams calmed to quiet sobs. "Oh, Princess, no...!" she moaned. Kirana was facing the crowd, so they could not see her private parts well, but the humiliation was still intense, and she hid her face in the dust before her.
"Alright what?" asked Brutus. Kirana's jaw shook in the dust.
"Let the beast... have its way with me."
"Ah, good! So you won't resist?" She swallowed.
"No."
"Oh, good, I knew he'd win your heart eventually! Maximus! Take her!"
Kirana peaked under her arm to see the ape stroking its own member, almost twice as long as a man's, as he approached her bared bottom. She buried her face again as his enormous hands grasped her hips, wrapping all the way around her, thumbs reaching down her buttocks, fingers reaching toward her sex. She felt utterly powerless. The crowd was winding up. Then, almost before she knew what was happening, his penis had plunged through her anus. He tugged her violently toward himself, then again, and again, shoving himself deeper into her body with each thrust. The crowd howled with laughter.
The pain was terrible, and Kirana's stomach churned and burned within her. The deep humiliation at having this most degading and dishonorable part of her body abused this way was truly worse. She had become the object of the most grotesquely ribald comedy, and the crowd loved it.
Back and forth, back and forth she was jerked by those powerful hands, riding along the beast's impaling member, skewered like a pig to be roasted. As she faced the crowd, most could not see the naked details behind her, but they knew what was happening, and Kirana was sure some of those watching from the high wall on her right had better views.
It took a long time, but finally Maximus grunted his satisfaction, pumping the princess with his seed, and withdrew. Kirana had to fight hard to remember she was a princess. She almost forgot to smooth down the back of her gown to cover herself again. She thought she should be relived now that it was over. But she couldn't think of why. She couldn't think of anything anymore. Then she saw a pile of long, think, sharp nails, and all the groggy apathy of her degradation was melted in a cold sea of lucid terror.
(To be continued...)
Last edited by a moderator:
shastar
Tribune
Cruel episode, Juan. I'm happy you decided to go on with your excellent story. Of course , I feel more and more like Rego, here. Trapped in his own dreams of glory and sense of duty for Rome. What is his breaking point ?
J
Juan1234
Guest
We shall see...
THAT had to be the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Rocking back and forth on hands and knees, breasts swaying and bouncing, while that dreadful beast pounded me from behind and everyone cheered and jeered until he finished. I did it because I had too, certainly not because I ever imagined that I would be taken in such a way, and certainly not because I thought I would ever ever want to be. My humiliation and sense of shame could not be greater. But I had to do something. And I did it. And what for? Now I face even worse. Could this possibly be just a bad dream? Will I wake and find that all is well. Wishful thinking, I know. Somehow I have to face up to what is yet to come!
J
Juan1234
Guest
I love your replies, Barb.
Do I detect unrest in the crowd? Could things turn against my tormentors? Could I be so lucky? One can only hope. Perhaps a riot is what is needed. Anything to upset the apple cart.
Probably not... you sweet body stretched on across is what they want more than anything....
J
Juan1234
Guest
Part 24:
As Kirana stood up again, they were all looking at her - Brutus and his henchmen, the ape's handlers, and Rego. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it might give out altogether. She almost wished it would. She knew it was time for her to be crucified.
Where was - there he was: Muneth, standing in the front of the crowd, silent, solemn, intense eyes full of desperate scheming. She knew his loyalty. He had traveled across the world to Rome to rescue her. He was an excellent warrior and a daring plotter. There was none to whose care she would rather entrust her life. But he was not rash, and Kirana knew he could not rescue her here, in broad daylight, before this huge throng baying for her blood. Muneth planned long and hard, then acted, and succeeded, every time. She knew that he would rescue her if he could, but that it could not be until nightfall at the earliest. She would not be spared the nails.
"Princess," said Rego gently, approaching her for no particular reason, "it's time." She looked at him, concealing the terrified outburst in her belly behind her smooth face. "You must... take off your clothes, Kirana," Rego continued, with the soft, halting voice Kirana suddenly realized she had become fond of.
"Rego -" her voice was airy with fright. Rego lowered his eyes. "I am a princess, Rego..." she was pleading now, so unlike the confidence she had this far projected. "Please, let me keep my gown?" Rego shook his head. "Rego -" the same airy voice, though her face betrayed no fear. Or almost none - Rego could see it.
"Having trouble with her majesty?" Brutus leered from behind. Rego ignored him.
"Rego, at least -" Kirana continued, then swallowed the dryness in her throat, "at least let me cover my private parts?"
"I'm sorry, Kirana, but you have to be naked before they can nail you to the cross."
Kirana said no more. She only looked at him with an expression so blank, Rego could hardly stand the terror he saw in it. Then she obeyed, fingers trembling, slowly unfastening her girdle. She looked up to see Muneth watching, and though she didn't dare make it obvious, she tried to signal to him to look away. Had his mind not been so occupied with scheming, he would have, no doubt, but as it was, he stood there watching as she undressed, sliding the luxuriant garment over her hips until it fell to her ankles. She held both hands over her sex, and Rego could tell her eyes wanted to weep at the shame. Now she wore only her diadem and the two strings of pearls: one around her neck, the other about her hips. She was naked before the people of Rome, before the soldiers whose disputes she had arbitrated, and before her own brother.
Rego motioned to the patibulum lying just a pace away. It was time, and though her heart pounded in recognition of her impending doom, her mind could not accept it. She could not think. She had to simply obey. To the beam she walked, one hand still over her sex, feeling the eyes of the crowd on her nakedness. She stood before it, thinking of its terrible significance. They just looked at her. She knew she had to lie down and let them nail her to it. For a moment, she couldn't, but realizing that if she did not lie down soon they would take her down by force, she moved, first to her knees, then bending and turning over painfully onto her wounded back, so that the beam of her death was under her bare, bloody shoulders. Then she stretched out her hands, leaving her shaved sex exposed. Her whole body was exposed!
It hit her suddenly - the breeze over the bare skin of her crotch, her outstretched arms - this was the position of crucifixion! She pulled her arms back discretely, but then the executioners' hands were on her, pulling them back out and binding them to the beam. She breathed hard, and her legs churned. She didn't kick, and she was careful to keep her bare legs together, but they churned in anticipation and protest.
The ropes were cinched tight - very tight, so that they bit deep into her upper forearms, and then her palms and fingers. It was happening too fast. She wasn't ready. Rego knelt beside her, looking with genuine sorrow into her struggling face. He bent down to whisper to her: "I tried to save you." Kirana knew it was true, and in the terror of the moment, as she looked over the brink into the abyss of death-in-life, she had no energy to tally his faults and betrayals. Her eyes filled immediately with tears. There was a tear in Rego's eye as well.
"Rego -" she said, almost whispering, almost frantic. He smoothed his hand over her forehead as she looked intensely into his eyes, as if he could support her, sustain her, give answers to the questions. "Rego...!" she said it again. Brutus and his men were retrieving the nails with which they would kill her. "Rego...! I'm afraid...!"
Brutus and his men approached.
"Rego...!" He could only look back into her eyes and put his Roman fingers through her beautiful hair.
Brutus' men were joking with one another, holding the nails in their hands. Kirana watched.
"Rego, I'm not ready," she said, and it sounded so flat and under control, the very flatness of it betrayed her emotion. Her face was a strange struggle of fraught impassivity, growing redder.
The tip of a long, thick spike was set against her left wrist. At first she clenched her eyes shut, then looked. They were still talking, still laughing. The crowd was waiting to hear her screams.
"Rego...!" almost a whisper.
Brutus picked up the hammer, and she clenched her eyes shut again, tossing her head back and forth.
"Ready, Princess?" asked Brutus, as if he were asking if she were reading to go for a stroll in Amunia. He waited. She was breathing very hard now. She looked into his eyes, trying desperately to defy him. But her fear could not be hidden anymore, and against her will, she moaned out again: "Rego...!"
Brutus grinned and brought the hammer up. Kirana instinctively flinched, trying to pull away, but the ropes held her. The hammer came crashing down.
To be continued...)
As Kirana stood up again, they were all looking at her - Brutus and his henchmen, the ape's handlers, and Rego. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it might give out altogether. She almost wished it would. She knew it was time for her to be crucified.
Where was - there he was: Muneth, standing in the front of the crowd, silent, solemn, intense eyes full of desperate scheming. She knew his loyalty. He had traveled across the world to Rome to rescue her. He was an excellent warrior and a daring plotter. There was none to whose care she would rather entrust her life. But he was not rash, and Kirana knew he could not rescue her here, in broad daylight, before this huge throng baying for her blood. Muneth planned long and hard, then acted, and succeeded, every time. She knew that he would rescue her if he could, but that it could not be until nightfall at the earliest. She would not be spared the nails.
"Princess," said Rego gently, approaching her for no particular reason, "it's time." She looked at him, concealing the terrified outburst in her belly behind her smooth face. "You must... take off your clothes, Kirana," Rego continued, with the soft, halting voice Kirana suddenly realized she had become fond of.
"Rego -" her voice was airy with fright. Rego lowered his eyes. "I am a princess, Rego..." she was pleading now, so unlike the confidence she had this far projected. "Please, let me keep my gown?" Rego shook his head. "Rego -" the same airy voice, though her face betrayed no fear. Or almost none - Rego could see it.
"Having trouble with her majesty?" Brutus leered from behind. Rego ignored him.
"Rego, at least -" Kirana continued, then swallowed the dryness in her throat, "at least let me cover my private parts?"
"I'm sorry, Kirana, but you have to be naked before they can nail you to the cross."
Kirana said no more. She only looked at him with an expression so blank, Rego could hardly stand the terror he saw in it. Then she obeyed, fingers trembling, slowly unfastening her girdle. She looked up to see Muneth watching, and though she didn't dare make it obvious, she tried to signal to him to look away. Had his mind not been so occupied with scheming, he would have, no doubt, but as it was, he stood there watching as she undressed, sliding the luxuriant garment over her hips until it fell to her ankles. She held both hands over her sex, and Rego could tell her eyes wanted to weep at the shame. Now she wore only her diadem and the two strings of pearls: one around her neck, the other about her hips. She was naked before the people of Rome, before the soldiers whose disputes she had arbitrated, and before her own brother.
Rego motioned to the patibulum lying just a pace away. It was time, and though her heart pounded in recognition of her impending doom, her mind could not accept it. She could not think. She had to simply obey. To the beam she walked, one hand still over her sex, feeling the eyes of the crowd on her nakedness. She stood before it, thinking of its terrible significance. They just looked at her. She knew she had to lie down and let them nail her to it. For a moment, she couldn't, but realizing that if she did not lie down soon they would take her down by force, she moved, first to her knees, then bending and turning over painfully onto her wounded back, so that the beam of her death was under her bare, bloody shoulders. Then she stretched out her hands, leaving her shaved sex exposed. Her whole body was exposed!
It hit her suddenly - the breeze over the bare skin of her crotch, her outstretched arms - this was the position of crucifixion! She pulled her arms back discretely, but then the executioners' hands were on her, pulling them back out and binding them to the beam. She breathed hard, and her legs churned. She didn't kick, and she was careful to keep her bare legs together, but they churned in anticipation and protest.
The ropes were cinched tight - very tight, so that they bit deep into her upper forearms, and then her palms and fingers. It was happening too fast. She wasn't ready. Rego knelt beside her, looking with genuine sorrow into her struggling face. He bent down to whisper to her: "I tried to save you." Kirana knew it was true, and in the terror of the moment, as she looked over the brink into the abyss of death-in-life, she had no energy to tally his faults and betrayals. Her eyes filled immediately with tears. There was a tear in Rego's eye as well.
"Rego -" she said, almost whispering, almost frantic. He smoothed his hand over her forehead as she looked intensely into his eyes, as if he could support her, sustain her, give answers to the questions. "Rego...!" she said it again. Brutus and his men were retrieving the nails with which they would kill her. "Rego...! I'm afraid...!"
Brutus and his men approached.
"Rego...!" He could only look back into her eyes and put his Roman fingers through her beautiful hair.
Brutus' men were joking with one another, holding the nails in their hands. Kirana watched.
"Rego, I'm not ready," she said, and it sounded so flat and under control, the very flatness of it betrayed her emotion. Her face was a strange struggle of fraught impassivity, growing redder.
The tip of a long, thick spike was set against her left wrist. At first she clenched her eyes shut, then looked. They were still talking, still laughing. The crowd was waiting to hear her screams.
"Rego...!" almost a whisper.
Brutus picked up the hammer, and she clenched her eyes shut again, tossing her head back and forth.
"Ready, Princess?" asked Brutus, as if he were asking if she were reading to go for a stroll in Amunia. He waited. She was breathing very hard now. She looked into his eyes, trying desperately to defy him. But her fear could not be hidden anymore, and against her will, she moaned out again: "Rego...!"
Brutus grinned and brought the hammer up. Kirana instinctively flinched, trying to pull away, but the ropes held her. The hammer came crashing down.
To be continued...)
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shastar
Tribune
Whew ... nice writing Juan!!!
Way to leave us hanging ... or in my case flinching and cringing
Come on Muneth! Do something! Damn it! This is no time to be deliberative!
J
Juan1234
Guest
Cut him a LITTLE slack... He only gets one shot at this. Failure means he dies too, which wouldn't help you. He's got to get this right!Whew ... nice writing Juan!!!
Way to leave us hanging ... or in my case flinching and cringing
Come on Muneth! Do something! Damn it! This is no time to be deliberative!