DISCLAIMER: This is the final installment of the Manor Series. You need to read To The Manor Sold and By The Manor Owned to understand this story. It is VERY VERY DARK! Contents include rapes, murders, reckless sex, lots of sodomy, S & M, B & D but no M & M’s, political strife, hurt/comfort, pleasure/pain, GI distress/acid relief, disturbing culinary choices, good characters caught by the short hairs, bad guys running amok and getting away with it, sex between women and men, women and women, men and men, solo acts of debauchery, threesomes but absolutely no scrap booking.

WARNING: If any of the above gives you the most remote sense of uneasiness, heart flutters, or red cheeks then, for the love of God, skip this story. Seriously, don’t read it. Remember, I asked you nicely to stop reading stuff that frightens you. You’re on your own from here.

FEEDBACK: Is welcome at p.phair@comcast.com

FROM THE MANOR TAKEN

by Phair

Part 3

"GET OUT THERE! MOVE! You damned thing! Get out into the light of day and face your just desserts," an angry male voice broke the early morning stillness of the courtyard.

His threats echoed from deep within the halls of the Governor’s Palace. Slumbering guards scrambled to wake themselves. They prepared to face the unknown source of the break of day commotion. The shouting continued and grew louder and drew ever closer. With a sudden burst, the main entrance door to the Palace slammed open. The half dressed monk stumbled out of the darkness into the courtyard. He swayed slightly trying to steady his balance before he resumed his ranting. Behind him, he dragged by the hair and an arm, a naked and beaten slave girl. Most of the guards recognized her as one of the Governor’s favorites. She neither struggled nor cried out. Jordan hung limply in the angry monk’s grasp.

"Go get the Governor," the senior guard issued the terse order to a new recruit.

"Sir," the boy’s voice cracked with fear, "if I wake him up at this hour he’ll have my hide."

"And, I’ll shoot you in the head if you dare to defy me again! So, get your ass up to the Governor’s suite on the double," the senior hissed.

He shoved the young soldier out of his way with a curse. Then turned his attention to the monk and his victim. He stalked across the courtyard to meet them half way to the cage.

"Priest, just what do you think you’re doing? You’ve got half the Palace scrambling to take cover and the other half preparing for battle. I’m not inclined to tolerate this kind of behavior!" The senior guard warned in a no nonsense voice.

The monk stopped his efforts to focus on his answer, "It came to me in a dream, my friend. Well, I was awake but it was like a dream. Yes, a waking dream it was. This," he shook the slave in his grip and spit on her, "this ungrateful bitch must pay for her crimes."

"Looks like she already did," the senior grimaced as he glanced at Jordan’s bleeding back. "She’s taken a heavy whipping. By your hand, no doubt."

"Yes, by my hand and that’s the point. It’s not enough. Can’t you see what’s wrong with it? The law is not served by vigilantism. No, sir. Not even by my well intentioned discipline. She needs to feel the sting of Justice on her well fed ass as only her true and only Master can righteously deliver." The monk punctuated his remarks with a foul hiccup.

"Well, I’m sure the Governor will be more than happy to beat her senseless at a more civilized hour of the day," The senior guard explained as plainly as he could.

The monk frowned before taking a serious tone himself, "I said, her true and only Master. Not the Governor. He don’t own her...didn’t...doesn’t own her."

The senior guard laughed in spite of his growing impatience with the situation, "Oh really?"

"Really."

"Then why don’t you tell me who her honest and rightful Master is, Monk?"

"Tessa."

"Tessa?"

"Tessa."

"The Governor’s animal? Chained in the cage behind me. That Tessa?" The now furious senior guard demanded.

"That Tessa."

"That Tessa, he says," the senior guard all but growled.

The monk nodded agreement to the statement but he seemed oblivious to the sarcasm. The nodding set him off balance again. He staggered a bit. The guard forced himself to reached out and steady the monk.

"You’re soaking wet! That better be sweat and not cum or I’ll kill you, you fucking jack off!" The guard cursed wiping his hand off on his own pant leg. "Priest, you’re getting to be a real pain in my ass!"

"And, he’s a drunken monk to boot," the Governor added with annoyance as he strolled toward the group. "Tell me, my dear Pesty Priest, why you’re raising such a fuss. I hate to be awakened by screaming. Well, I hate to be awakened by screaming if I’m not cause of the screaming."

"Governor, in my dream it was all so clear," the monk began to cry as he spoke.

"You had a dream," the Governor grunted. "Great. Another black guy with a dream. So what are you a Priest or one of the Wise Men?"

The monk straightened his back before replying. "I told you. I’m no Papist. Wise Men, Wise Guys, Wise Chips, make no difference to me! I’m trying to save your life. Save all our lives. You must listen to my dream. We need to appease Tessa! The ESA will forgive us our sins if she tells them too. She must be released from her chains. You must free the freedom giver," the monk announced.

He let go of his hold on the slave to explain his plan. Jordan hit the ground with a thud and a groan. She did not try to move. Instead, she remained motionless in the dirt.

"And, this cunt must be given back to her Master. Tessa must punish this worthless slave!" The monk lost his balance completely and sat down hard next to Jordan.

The Governor snorted a laugh. "Now, that’s an interesting idea. Handing my favorite caged pet a playmate to torment. But, my delightfully mad, drunken monk, the slave is mine to punish."

The monk vigorously shook his head, "No Governor. By the paper and the words written thereon, we have the right to our personal property. The right to be free from ‘search and seizure’ unless a warrant is in hand. Did you take Tessa’s possessions by court order? If not then the ESA will want to see you mitigated the damage to Tessa once you became aware, by me, of the procedural flaw."

"There he goes again with that ridiculous Constitution crap," the Governor muttered under his breath. The Governor placed his hands on his hips and asked with raised eyebrows. "So Monk, let’s make sure I have your plan straight. So to speak," the Governor smirked at his own joke. "You want me to toss the poor defenseless slave to the animal I’ve tortured to the brink of insanity over these five very long years?"

"Yes."

"Throw her to a certain and painful death?" The Governor laughed.

"Yes. Exactly. Right!"

"And, I thought it was going to be a dull day. Monk, I like the way you think." The Governor clapped his hands. "Listen up, boys. Give the animal some stretching room, after you hurl this piece of ass into her cage." The Governor almost skipped over to the cage bars and shouted, "Hey, Bitch! I’m doing something nice for you. I’m giving you back your little slave girl to amuse yourself with. She’s been living it up in my lap of luxury since I caught you two. Eating the best food, drinking the finest wines, sucking my aching cock every chance she got. Her tongue blistered me raw, I tell you. There were nights I had to beg her to stop trying to service me. I swear, she could cock suck for my entire army and not be satisfied."

An anguished cry rose from the nesting of rags and hay in the far corner of the cell. The Governor chuckled as the form beneath the pile struggled in vain to get to her feet.

"Soon, my delicious pet. Very soon, I’ll grant you the gift of revenge on every last one of your enemies. Except me, of course. I’ll be the one to let you taste vengeance. Vengeance on the ones I tell you are your enemies, my enemies too," the Governor murmured. "That treat should keep you on my short leash for a bit."

Several guards grabbed Jordan. They pulled her to the cage while the senior opened the lock. With one heave, they tossed Jordan into the center of the rancid cell.

"And here she is, my pet!" The Governor shouted. "She’s ready to serve your pleasure. She’s at your mercy. Don’t forget to thank her for remembering you during your years of suffering while she enjoyed the comforts of my Palace. She’s a traitorous bitch, Tessa. Give her what she deserves. Show her no mercy."

"Oh God no," Jordan whispered to herself as the Governor continued his taunts.

She squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a ball at the sound of Tessa’s chains being release. The thrashing at the far side of the cage picked up momentum. Grunts and moans rose from beneath the rustling pile of rags and dirt. Curiosity got the better of her and she sneaked a peak between her fingers. Jordan gasped in horror when she saw Tess finally pull herself up to her knees. Or, more accurately, what was left of Tess. The woman was down to skin and bone. Her body was covered with dirt, open sores, and old scars. Chains fastened around her neck, wrists, and ankles restricted her movements and dug deep wounds into her skin. She reeked of urine, fear, and fever.

Jordan’s fright left her at the pathetic sight before her. It was replaced with heartbreak. Jordan scrambled to her own knees and opened her arms wide. Tess immediately retreated back onto her nest of rags. Without the bars between her and her captors, Tess was completely cowered. Instead of being a fierce wild creature, the Governor had turned Tess into a whipped dog, terrified and defeated.

"Easy Tess," Jordan spoke softly. "Tessa, it’s me."

"Jordan?" The voice was scratchy.

"Yes indeedy, it’s your slave bitch, Jordan!" The Governor screeched like a school girl. "Go get her! Kill the double-crossing whore!"

Jordan ignored the taunts this time and stayed focused on her lover, "Tess, my Master Tess, punish me anyway you must but please say you forgive me?"

"For what?"

"You heard what he said. All this time, I’ve been eating and sleeping and warm and," a deep sobbed caught in Jordan’s throat, "you’ve been chained in this horrible cage. Cold and suffering and alone."

"Alone. All alone with the mean men," Tess agreed.

"I’m so sorry. He said you were dead. I thought I saw them kill you. I lost all hope. Sorry, so sorry." Jordan collapsed in the muck sobbing wretched tears.

"No, no tears for me," Tess hushed but Jordan couldn’t hear her over her own cries.

Tess cautiously crept toward Jordan on all fours. She would pause with each rattle of her chains not wanting to frighten Jordan. Once within an arm’s length, Tess reached out and touched Jordan’s cheek.

"You’re real?"

"Yes," Jordan answered and pressed her cheek firmly into Tess’ palm.

"Not just a happy dream again?"

"No," Jordan sniffled back her tears to answer.

"You’re alive?"

"Yes."

"You’re alive."

"So are you," Jordan murmured as she closed her eyes and revealed in Tess’ caress.

"Hurt. I’m hurting, Jordan." Tess hung her head in shame, "They hurt me. Bad."

"I’m so sorry, Master."

"Hold me? Please, hold me," Tess begged.

Jordan gently pulled Tess onto her lap. She stroked the matted hair back from Tess’ battered face. Jordan gave her a feather light kiss on the temple and Tess closed her eyes and sighed.

"We’re alive and together," Jordan whispered in Tess’ ear.

The Governor threw his hands in the air and nearly screamed, "If I knew they were so adorable together I would have set them up years ago. They’re just extra super damn cute!" The Governor dabbed invisible tears from each eye before swatting the senior guard.

"Sir?"

"I thought you said she was a wild, vicious monster?" The Governor hissed as he grabbed the guard by the throat. "I thought, you said it took ten of your men to handle her. And still she managed to injure some fool or other a couple times a month? Tell me, you idiot, why she’s sobbing like a baby instead of ripping her slave girl to pieces?"

Before the guard could begin to answer, the monk cried out as he prostrate himself before the cage, "It’s as they say, she’s the harbinger of their time. She’s the voice of freedom. Tessa will not be judge, jury, and executioner. She’s the spirit of the founders!"

"OH SHUT UP!" The Governor grabbed the guard’s shock stick and satisfied his own taste for vengeance on the monk’s back.

* * *

Tess snuggled even closer to Jordan. She had been awake for more than an hour but she was not ready to give up her current position. She was safe for the first time in five years. It was not a situation she was ready or willing to abandon quickly.

Tess had lapsed in and out of consciousness in the three days since her reunion with Jordan. She vaguely remembered being hauled out of the cage. Her terror at what punishment awaited her was so great it took more than a dozen guards and Jordan’s encouragement to behave to get her beyond the bars. Even at that, she urinated and defecated all over herself when they started to move her to the Palace entrance. She winced at the lasting image in her mind of Jordan taking the beating Tess herself had earned.

The memory of the excruciating process of removing her chains was cut mercifully short by passing out. However, the day long visit to the hot baths which followed had been most enjoyable. The goal was to cleanse the grime and waste from her body. She delighted in the steaming water and relished the tender care Jordan had lavished on her ruined skin.

Unfortunately, the medical services provided to her were beyond agony. Her only real solace during the procedures was Jordan. The slave stayed by her side, clutching her hand. Jordan’s gentle words and soft lips did more to ease Tess’ suffering than any pill could do. Once the doctor finished with her, the guards brought them to a warm room with a huge, feather soft bed. They had been left for hours and hours alone and together.

"So, do you?" Jordan’s voice was hoarse from lack of sleep and worry and guilt.

"Do I what?"

"Do you forgive me?" Her breath hitched on the last word.

"Nothing to forgive. Love you. Love me?"

"Oh, you can count on it," Jordan emphasized her point with a tender kiss on Tess’ chapped lips.

"No."

"No?" Jordan frowned.

"No. I said, love me? Will you love me? Make love to me?"

Jordan stroked what the barber had left of Tess’ hair back for her blood shot and blue eyes, "Maybe we should wait until you’re stronger. You know, when you can take solid food again."

"I need to feel you."

"Tess, you’re still very fragile," Jordan cradled the frail body and rocked her slowly.

"Then do me easy," Tess said and flashed her first smile in five years. "Please?"

Jordan kissed one cheek and then the other. She linger on the lips but was careful with the broken skin. She began to trail her way down Tess’ neck to her breasts.

"No, wait," Tess interrupted. "I want it the way you taught me to like it best. Help me roll over."

"Tess...,"

"Master, remember. I’m the Master," Tess chuckled as she let her fingers explore the supple curves of Jordan’s body.

"I don’t want to hurt you," Jordan replied and had to wipe a tear from her eye.

Tess caught the second tear with her parched lips, "Never, you could never hurt me. Please, Jordan, love me the way you taught me to be loved. Love me like you own me."

Jordan nodded and helped Tess roll onto her belly.

TBC

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