Cynthia asked, “Sloan, are you sure you want to let Pansy go?”
“Constantine has made a good offer on her, mother.
I don’t think we should pass it up,” Sloan replied.
As surprised as she was that a Master from Six Masters Island would purchase a Blossom from them, Cynthia was also slightly surprised and a little upset that Sloan was rejecting the girl.
He seemed to go out of his way not to form even the simple attachment to a personal slave.
She sighed and said, “That gives us Aster, Lilac, Rose, Belladonna and Snapdragon, so far.”
Cynthia turned to Calla.
“You’re still pleased with Marigold?”
Calla felt the girl tremble by her thigh, and she stroked her blonde hair.
“Yes, Cynthia.
Marigold suits me.
I’ll leave the more exotic species to you professionals.”
Calla felt Marigold turn her head and kiss her hand in gratitude.
Marigold knew that she was not special like the other girls, and that if the fairy Mistress wanted someone else, Marigold would be lost in a sea of much more preferable offerings.
“We have time for one more collection in order to get them trained in time for the Winter Display,” Cynthia stated, and she looked over at Liam.
“Do you want to stay home this run?”
“No, mother.
Calla and I discussed it.
She wants things to get back to normal, and she wants you to help her figure out what she can do to help train the flowers.”
Liam grinned, and added, “She says it’s too distracting to concentrate when Kyle and I are around.”
“That’s because she can’t wait to hop back to your room and try the stuff out,” Daryl said.
He looked up from his plate and felt like kicking himself for speaking his thoughts out loud.
“You’re absolutely right, Daryl,” Calla agreed.
“How the hell did he find you?”
Daryl shook his head in amazement.
It seemed so unbelievable that Liam… Liam for god’s sakes… found her hitchhiking.
Sloan, he might have expected it from… but, one of the twins?
“Daryl, you can get in the color contest, but I’ve given Liam and Kyle an added challenge,” Calla said.
Cynthia simply adored her new daughter.
Her green eyes sparkled.
“What?”
“I’ve asked them to find me a flower to train.
Of course, she’ll be planted in
your
garden, but I want one to work with,” Calla informed her.
“Oh dear,” Cynthia said.
She looked at the twins.
“She needs to be small… but, not too fragile.
No one too stubborn… Calla doesn’t need to be dealing with a battle of wills right off the bat.
And I think she should be…”
“Mother,” Kyle laughed.
“I think Liam and I can judge what Calla can handle.”
No one missed his reference of possession.
“The bigger decision will be which one she chooses.”
Kyle did not know that Liam and Calla had already decided that she would choose Kyle’s.
They were still re-building his fractured ego.
“When do you want us to leave?” Daryl asked.
Cynthia looked over to Calla.
“A week?”
“That should be good.
I still have a couple things I want Kyle to work with us on, and we’re still getting comfortable with our situation,” Calla replied.
The twins smiled down into their breakfasts.
Marigold listened to the odd exchange.
They have one screwed up family.
I wish I was that happy.
As if Calla had heard her thoughts, Marigold felt the small fingers brush through her hair again.
Marigold sighed.
Her fairy Mistress made her feel safe with her unexpected strength.
She was a lot like the stepmother, but not cruel.
By the time the boys headed out, the twins and Calla had settled into a comfortable routine.
As they stood on the step landing just before sunrise to see them off, Calla was surprised when Sloan and Daryl each kissed her on the cheek after their mother, and they whispered, “We’re so happy to have you in our family.”
Sloan was heading west, Daryl east, Kyle north, and Liam south.
Cynthia told Calla that Liam should be one of the first to return, that way.
After the cars were out of sight, Cynthia led Calla down to the dungeon garden and into Belladonna’s chamber.
“Please, stepmother can this slave attend you?”
It became quickly apparent to both women, that Calla had no desire to inflict pain.
She deeply enjoyed being a voyeur on the sidelines, but she was far too hesitant to actually administer torture.
Cynthia was not dissuaded.
“I’m going to suggest to Liam that he let you work with Sloan.
You will have the patience and aptitude for teaching positions, and the twins are learning the rest of the training.
Sloan needs to begin to take a more executive role in the estate management.”
Once again, Marigold proved herself to be a good servant for this proposition.
Cynthia told her to teach Calla the proper way for the positions to be displayed and they spent hours in the afternoon on them.
It was a little awkward when Marigold went a step further and described the punishment used if the slave failed.
The torments were minor compared to things Calla had seen, but she was still unsure if she could accomplish them.
Rose was kneeling in the foyer, and tears filled her eyes when she saw stepmother leading Orchid upstairs.
Calla asked Marigold about her reaction, and she said that Rose was scared because she knew that stepmother was selling her.
“I thought she was afraid of Cynthia.”
“She is… but at least she knows what to expect.
Who knows what kind of new Mistress or Master she’ll get?”
Marigold looked up with the ever abundant tears in her eyes.
“Please don’t sell me, Mistress Calla.”
“Marigold, I’m not selling you,” Calla assured her again.
A day later, Orchid was dragged back to the dungeon.
She was shrieking and pleading while Alexander stormed down the stairs with her.
“You’d better hope that you’re unconscious when she gets to you,” Alexander warned.
Cynthia appeared a few minutes later, with Rose crying and following quickly behind her.
Rose dropped to her knees at the foot of the stairs, and was relieved she did not have to follow them to the dungeon.
“What happened?” Calla asked.
Rose just cried quietly, and Calla sat on the step.
“Rose, answer me.”
“I was showing Orchid how to brush stepmother’s hair, and she hit her on the back of the head with the brush and told her to do it herself,” Rose quivered.
“Shit, Marissa…
so
not a good idea,” Calla murmured.
She smiled and jumped to her feet.
“Marigold, stay here with Rose.”
“Yes, Mistress Calla.”
By the time Calla made it to the chamber, they had Orchid straddling a triangular piece of wood that came to a point only about an inch across on the top.
Her wrists were chained over her head, and by pulling on that and scrabbling her feet on the sides of the pyramid, it was the only way that she could relieve her pussy from holding all of her weight.
Oh… oh, god.
Please let me down.
She willed Alexander to hear her thoughts, and even though the beam wedged deep into her slit with agonizing pressure, Orchid was too terrified to do more than scream while stepmother’s angry glare sliced through her.
“Calm down, Cinderella,” Alexander cooed, holding her back.
“Cane her,” Cynthia screamed.
“No, she won’t feel it right now.
Let the pain and punishment sink in, Cynthia.
You don’t want to do anything to mark her,” Alexander replied in a calming tone.
There was a wildness in Cynthia’s eyes that Calla had never seen before.
Orchid continued to scream and plead in the background how sorry she was, and she finally begged to be taken down from the torturous beam.
Alexander had small lines of strain forming around his eyes, and Calla realized that he had not seen this type of outburst from his wife before.
Calla walked up and took Cynthia’s hand, and her features instantly softened.
“What do you think?” Cynthia asked with uncertainty.
“I think it looks quite painful,” Calla assured her.
“Why don’t you leave her like that, with Alexander watching her?
I’d like to have some tea and discuss something with you.”
Calla could see that Alexander agreed Cynthia should not be around Orchid right now.
“Alexander?”
Cynthia looked a little confused.
“Go with Calla, my love.
I’ll be upstairs soon.”
Cynthia and Calla left the chamber, and Alexander turned to Orchid.
He gripped her breast, “Shut up, you stupid girl.”
“I’m sorry, Master Alexan…”
“Shut up.
Not a word.
She has waited years for a girl worthy of her precious Orchid, and you have ruined it for her.”
Alexander studied the girl’s long legs and a smile began to form on his lips.
“If I leave you with her, one of you is going to be hurt.
I will not take the chance on it being my wife.”
He left the chamber without another word, and Orchid’s hands slipped on the chain.
He heard her shriek as her pussy slammed down on the thin beam.
“Cynthia, I think you should keep Rose,” Calla suggested.
“You have the pleasure of training your flowers, but having someone well behaved to look after your needs gives you a breather.
I know how happy I’ve been with Marigold.
Do you know that Rose was crying when you brought Orchid upstairs?
She really wants to serve you, Cynthia, and that is a true testament to your abilities.”
“She’s boring,” Cynthia replied.
“Then teach her something new.
She’ll do anything for you, Cynthia.
She desperately wants to please you.”
Cynthia looked unsure.
“Rose,” she called.
“Yes, Mistress,” Rose dropped to her knees.
“What would you say if I gave you to Mistress Calla?”
Rose looked confused, and Marigold’s eyes filled.
“I would do whatever you wish, stepmother.”
“Would you like to be Mistress Calla’s servant?”
“If that is what you wish, stepmother.”
Now, Rose’s eyes were filling.
“I asked if you would like it.”
“Whatever you…” Rose began, her lip obviously trembling.
“Rose, answer what you would like,” Calla prompted.
“I’m sorry, Mistress Calla.
If stepmother wants me to be your servant, I’ll do the very best I can, but I’d rather stay with Mistress Cynthia.”
Cynthia was obviously surprised.
“Why?
I’m sure that Marigold has told you Mistress Calla is not as severe as I am.”
“But,
you
are Mistress of the estate.
I like taking care of you, stepmother.
You work so hard on your garden, and it makes me feel like I’m contributing to things when I’m able to serve you.”
“Cynthia, I can’t imagine how you managed to encourage such loyalty,” Calla replied.
Cynthia appeared to be considering the merits of the suggestion.
“It is nice not having to worry about getting a concussion while I prepare for my day… and Rose was always the best at getting my bath right,” Cynthia admitted.
Perhaps, it might be better to leave the predictable routine of her private chambers alone.
Still… what to do with Orchid?
“Cynthia, I think Orchid is too much to handle for our room,” Alexander stated, as he strode towards them.
“I agree,” Cynthia replied.
Alexander looked at her in bewilderment.
He had been preparing a litany of excuses to present to her.
“What should we do with her?
I don’t want to sell her if we can find a use for her,” Cynthia said.
“Would you leave her to my training for a while?
I think I’ve come up with an acceptable position.”
“All right, Alexander.
I think I’ve decided to keep Rose.”
Alexander glanced at Calla and the smiling servant by his wife’s knee.
“I think that’s best for a while.
There have been too many changes around here recently.”
After placing a call, Alexander walked outside.
He was gone all afternoon, and by the time he got back to the dungeon Orchid was indeed, unconscious.
He unchained her and put her in her cage.
“I warned you, girl.
You have made a grave mistake.
I
will
see my Cinderella happy,” he said to the inert girl.
Liam returned three days later with a tiny redhead, loaded with freckles.
“Good grief, Liam,” Cynthia laughed as she rubbed the marks on the terrified girl’s nose.
“Kyle is going to have a fit.”
She looked over at Calla.
“He hates freckles.”