theseus
SERVILIS CURATOR
The last load.
That was the last load. The last load of cargo the slavers had received in exchange for their bodies. The girls had almost enjoyed the loading of the cargo, relishing the freedom to move and the brief release from the chains that had bound them in the days since the pirates had captured them. Soon, very soon, they would once again be chained, this time to the posts in the slave market, where they would be sold.
For Abida, Fatima and Miriam, this was not a new experience, they had been slaves before, slaves of the two aristocratic white girls who were now their equals. Abida knew that her full breasts and strong thighs would fetch a good price, and perhaps a kind master. She knew what awaited them, the groping hands of the prospective buyers, the fiery sting of the whip, the humiliation of the auctioneer pointing out her assets and the uses of those assets.
For the four Europeans, this was a continuation of the nightmare. Sophie strode on ahead. As a maid in a noble household she had suffered her share of abuse. Her virginity had been taken by her master, Lord Roberts, the father of the two young ladies who now waded behind her, naked slaves as she was. Many a time her duties had included sharing the bed of a guest, often she had been whipped for some minor infraction, or been sent to bed without supper. Perhaps slavery would be no worse than that. It had given her a grim pleasure to see the noble lord, and his arrogant bugger of a son, stripped naked, their pale bodies, already bearing the mark of the lash, chained to the oars of the pirate galley where they would spend the rest of their miserable lives.
Behind her, Maria was uncertain of her future. Hired as a ‘companion’ to the two young aristocrats when the ship stopped in Valencia, she fully expected that her duties, when they finally arrived in India, would include providing ‘companionship’ to Lord Roberts. She accepted that such was the fate of poor, pretty, well-educated girls.
Lady Brenda and Lady Susan brought up the rear. Their lives had been torn apart by the pirates. Spoilt, arrogant and privileged, they had never imagined that such things still happened in 1870! Everybody bowed and scraped to them, their every wish granted at the snap of a finger. Their father, the noble lord and the surviving crew of the ship were now sweating at the oars of the pirate galley, their naked bodies mercilessly scored by the overseer’s whip. For the two young ladies to be stripped of their fine clothing and chained, naked, to their servants and, even worse, to their erstwhile slaves, was a humiliation beyond bearing.
Just beyond the beach they could see the slave market, lines of iron posts, each with four slaves, male and female, young and old, chained to them. All naked, all horribly exposed to the eyes and hands of the buyers. Arabs, half naked black men, even, Lady Susan, bringing up the rear, saw, two white men. She watched, then looked away as one of them parted the thighs of a buxom black girl and inserted his fingers into her. Surely this would not happen to them? They were English! Aristocrats! Not naked savages!
Yet, she was naked! Her body exposed in a way she had never dreamed possible. Only her nurse had ever seen her naked, and that not for many years. Abida had told her, with some glee, the fate of a pretty girl slave. Spent many of the hours as they lay on the deck of the dhow telling the two young ladies of the indignities she and the other two slaves had suffered at the hands of the noble Lord, their father. Sophie added her experiences. Lady Susan found it hard to believe that her father could do such things.
As they emerged from the water the dealer awaited them, a pile of ugly iron collars and chains at his feet. There was no escape! Where would a naked girl escape to, in this crowd of black faces? Lady Susan shuddered as the collar closed around her neck, as the slaver’s calloused hands explored her body. No longer her body, but his, his property!
Blinded by tears, she was led to her pillar of shame.
Thanks to Melissa and Julie for creating the pic for me.
That was the last load. The last load of cargo the slavers had received in exchange for their bodies. The girls had almost enjoyed the loading of the cargo, relishing the freedom to move and the brief release from the chains that had bound them in the days since the pirates had captured them. Soon, very soon, they would once again be chained, this time to the posts in the slave market, where they would be sold.
For Abida, Fatima and Miriam, this was not a new experience, they had been slaves before, slaves of the two aristocratic white girls who were now their equals. Abida knew that her full breasts and strong thighs would fetch a good price, and perhaps a kind master. She knew what awaited them, the groping hands of the prospective buyers, the fiery sting of the whip, the humiliation of the auctioneer pointing out her assets and the uses of those assets.
For the four Europeans, this was a continuation of the nightmare. Sophie strode on ahead. As a maid in a noble household she had suffered her share of abuse. Her virginity had been taken by her master, Lord Roberts, the father of the two young ladies who now waded behind her, naked slaves as she was. Many a time her duties had included sharing the bed of a guest, often she had been whipped for some minor infraction, or been sent to bed without supper. Perhaps slavery would be no worse than that. It had given her a grim pleasure to see the noble lord, and his arrogant bugger of a son, stripped naked, their pale bodies, already bearing the mark of the lash, chained to the oars of the pirate galley where they would spend the rest of their miserable lives.
Behind her, Maria was uncertain of her future. Hired as a ‘companion’ to the two young aristocrats when the ship stopped in Valencia, she fully expected that her duties, when they finally arrived in India, would include providing ‘companionship’ to Lord Roberts. She accepted that such was the fate of poor, pretty, well-educated girls.
Lady Brenda and Lady Susan brought up the rear. Their lives had been torn apart by the pirates. Spoilt, arrogant and privileged, they had never imagined that such things still happened in 1870! Everybody bowed and scraped to them, their every wish granted at the snap of a finger. Their father, the noble lord and the surviving crew of the ship were now sweating at the oars of the pirate galley, their naked bodies mercilessly scored by the overseer’s whip. For the two young ladies to be stripped of their fine clothing and chained, naked, to their servants and, even worse, to their erstwhile slaves, was a humiliation beyond bearing.
Just beyond the beach they could see the slave market, lines of iron posts, each with four slaves, male and female, young and old, chained to them. All naked, all horribly exposed to the eyes and hands of the buyers. Arabs, half naked black men, even, Lady Susan, bringing up the rear, saw, two white men. She watched, then looked away as one of them parted the thighs of a buxom black girl and inserted his fingers into her. Surely this would not happen to them? They were English! Aristocrats! Not naked savages!
Yet, she was naked! Her body exposed in a way she had never dreamed possible. Only her nurse had ever seen her naked, and that not for many years. Abida had told her, with some glee, the fate of a pretty girl slave. Spent many of the hours as they lay on the deck of the dhow telling the two young ladies of the indignities she and the other two slaves had suffered at the hands of the noble Lord, their father. Sophie added her experiences. Lady Susan found it hard to believe that her father could do such things.
As they emerged from the water the dealer awaited them, a pile of ugly iron collars and chains at his feet. There was no escape! Where would a naked girl escape to, in this crowd of black faces? Lady Susan shuddered as the collar closed around her neck, as the slaver’s calloused hands explored her body. No longer her body, but his, his property!
Blinded by tears, she was led to her pillar of shame.
Thanks to Melissa and Julie for creating the pic for me.