III
Morning came all too early for me after the activity of the night
before. My reverie was broken by the sound of the lock clicking back and Katy
coming in dressed in a jogging suit, and carrying another one.
"Good morning," she said smiling down at my bound form. "After you
shower, we're going jogging before breakfast", she continued brightly.
"How delightful", I replied sarcastically." And what other affronts do
you bring to my day?"
She untied my hands from the bed and stood up.
"My, my little girl is cranky this morning. Perhaps she needs a spanking
to change her mood." she said teasingly.
I rolled out of bed and headed for the shower with Katy trailing behind
me.
A few minutes of hot water later I felt somewhat more normal, and even
ashamed of being cranky. My mood brightened even more when I was joined by a
slippery wet Katy who insisted on helping to scrub my back and remove the makeup
from the night before.
She treated me as a partner, rather than as a slave. It was still a bit
uncommon to be treated that way but I reminded myself that had her own ways of
controlling a man.
She helped dry me off and I dressed in the jogging suit. It actually
fit, which explained the reasons for the measurements Mrs. Queen had taken. A
pair of shoes in my size completed the outfit and I followed Katy down the hall
and outside towards the beach.
I will say it was a nice change to be jogging on a beach, rather than on
a treadmill in a lab, wired to a set of electrodes designed to shock me if I
slowed down.
It wasn't all pleasure though, for as I reached the end of the course
that Katy had indicated, she stopped me, then climbed on my back to be carried
the rest of the way back to the main house.
She couldn't have weighed much more than a hundred pounds, but jogging
in sand with a hundred pounds of extra mass really weighs on the knees. I made
it though, but at a considerably reduced pace from the outbound trip.
"That was pretty good for a first time. Tomorrow you can carry me both
ways and we'll see what happens to your time." she said as I set her down and
collapsed on the sand.
"You do have a mean streak, don't you?" I said gasping for breath.
"Yes. Remember it slave. The Queen wants you trained in certain ways,
and it's my job to see you trained. Besides it's what I do anyway." she told me.
"What do you mean by that?" I said sitting up.
"Didn't I tell you what my job here is? I'm in charge of physical
training for the spa. And some of the women are in worse shape than you are. If
I can whip them into shape, I can literally do the same to you. Now get up and
follow me. I want you to spend some time in the gym before you eat."
I got to my feet and followed my new taskmistress to the gym.
From my point of view all of the exercise machines looked like torture
devices after that jog, but I cooperated and placed myself in a machine designed
to build up my stomach muscles. Actually it was designed to force me to do
sit-ups at a rate that no sane person would do them.
"Now I'm setting this to slow, so you can adjust to it. It's probably
going to hurt for a bit until you get used to it. I'll only set it for five
minutes this time, but before you leave, you'll do this twenty minutes at a
time." she advised.
"Willingly?" I asked suspiciously.
Her voice hardened slightly.
"Or not. Your choice slave. Now be quiet. I'm going to pick out your
breakfast for you today, because I can't trust you to stay on your diet. I'll be
back in a few minutes."
With that she started the machine and left.
The person who designed the machine obviously was a student of the
Inquisition. I was bent and unbent repeatedly for five long minutes. The machine
sighed to a stop, and I sat up.
I had noticed a set of fencing foils in a corner of the gym, so I decided
to try them out. Now I'm no expert with a sword, but I had taken Kendo at one
time.
I had just put on the fencing mask and picked up the foil when another
woman entered the gym.
"Good morning", I offered. " I was just fooling around a bit"
"I didn't think anybody else would be in here at this time." she said
walking towards me.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't be here myself." I said pulling off the
mask. "I'm Charles Freeman"
"Are you employed here Mr. Freeman?" the woman asked
Without the mask on, I could see her clearly. She was about my height,
middle-aged, and dark-haired with a strong German accent.
"Not exactly. I'm just checking things out. I'll be working in various
places, as well as taking advantage of the facilities here to shape up a bit", I
said, reciting my cover story.
She came over and picked up a mask and foil and offered to teach me a
lesson.
"I wouldn't mind some instruction. I've never used a foil before."
She placed the mask on as did I and moved to the center of the fencing
area.
"En garde!" she barked.
Well I knew what that meant at least. I tried to remember all of the
swashbuckler movies I had seen, but all I could think of was "The Court Jester"
with Danny Kaye. And he couldn't handle a sword at all.
We crossed blades with the singing sound of steel. I parried as well as
I could as she pressed her attack, then got mad and started really fighting
back. She was more skillful, but I was more intent on winning.
The battle royale was broken by Katy's return with my breakfast.
"What are you two doing?" she interrupted sharply.
The sound of her voice proved my undoing as my mystery adversary slipped
under my guard to pierce my jogging suit over my heart.
"Touche'", was all she said.
I removed the mask and bowed to my enemy, who was unmasking as well.
"You fought well for someone with no training. You would make a good
student." she complimented me warmly.
"Well, if I catch either of you fighting without a vest again, I will
make sure that Mrs. Queen hears about it. You know the rules, Mrs. Hoffmann."
Katy scolded us.
"Katy, It's my fault. I was just fooling around, and Mrs. Hoffmann, is
it, offered to teach me." I assured her.
"Mrs. Hoffmann is our fencing instructor Charles. You're very lucky she
is as skilled as she is. You could have been hurt." Katy continued.
"I'm just fine. Tired though. You know, I never realized how much work
fencing is." I comforted.
Katy started to regain her composure after her outburst and suggested
that perhaps fencing could be added to my training routine.
"I would be happy to train him. Perhaps after normal hours", Mrs.
Hoffmann agreed.
"Well, I'll let the two of you determine my fate. Katy, you know my
schedule. If you can work fencing into my stay here, I would appreciate it. I'm
sure Mrs. Queen would agree." I said turning towards my rapidly cooling
breakfast on a nearby table.
I was rewarded with a somewhat poisonous look from Katy as I turned
away.
When she completed her negotiations Katy returned to my side in less
than a good mood.
"What sort of fool are you? ", she demanded.
"Oh, just your everyday fool I guess", I said lightly.
"You could have been hurt. And it would be my fault." she continued.
I picked up a piece of dry toast and dunked it into my coffee and looked
at her.
"I could have been hurt last night too. But I wasn't. Did you tell the
Queen about last night?"
She sort of hemmed and hawed and admitted she hadn't
"Why not? She does have the right to know. Or perhaps you don't think
she would approve of last nights recreation?" I suggested.
"Probably not. I was afraid you might get into trouble." she admitted.
I looked at her and smiled.
"Katy, if I get into trouble I have it coming. I was told to follow your
orders, and that you had full authority over me. If anything, you'd be the one
in trouble, for letting me get into trouble."
She looked at me with a strange expression.
"I don't understand you."
I pointed to my head
"Never mind. Why do you think I have gray hair? That way I can worry and
nobody can tell. What's my first class today, anyway? Hopefully something
nonstressful." I commented.
"As a matter of fact, you should enjoy it. You're going to learn how to
give a proper foot massage today. So, let's get you showered again and into your
new clothes." she instructed.
"What new clothes?" I asked suspecting the worst.
"Well if you're going to work here, you have to dress like the rest of
the staff. And I know maroon is just your color. You'll love it."
