The Priestess and the Brat Ch. 05

Note: This is a work of fiction and any resemblance of any characters to any persons, real or fictitious, is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Note 2: This work includes themes of a graphic sexual nature and involves person who, although entirely fictional, are all above the legal age of consent. This story is set in the slightly historical, but primarily imagined world of Ancient Rome, however, no offense is intended to any persons or cultures if I have mis-portrayed any historical, factual, or cultural aspects of the setting; the setting is used solely for its exotic and romantic attributes. If you find anything in this work objectionable or offensive, please move on to other content.

Note 3: This work is my own personal intellectual property. Copyright © 2017 Audrey07. All rights reserved.

**************

Chapter 5: Howling at the Moon

Athalia was practically sleeping on her feet when she made her way to her master's chamber to help prepare her for the day. She had been out until nearly daybreak, and the excitement of the night had left her thoroughly exhausted. At first, Cassia was cross at her for her frequent yawns and stumbling clumsiness. But Ligeia whispered in Cassia's ear, reminding her that Athalia had not had nearly the restful sleep they had gotten. Cassia relented and took pity on her servant. She could not send Athalia back to her own chamber to sleep it off because the other servants would notice and comment. It would not be proper and Cassia would be required to discipline the poor girl for the show of it. Nor could she allow the servant to take her own bed. So, Cassia improvised and placed some pillows on the floor and let the poor girl sleep while Ligeia tended to her.

They covered for Athalia until well after the morning meal and it was not until early afternoon that the young women were all together with sufficient privacy for Athalia to recount her tales from the night before.

They had been left alone because the rest of the staff was busy preparing to harvest the vineyard in the coming days and there was much to prepare. The house, being operated by the imperial palace, produced only the highest quality Falernian wine made from Aminean grapes. It was more finicky to make and took much longer to age than other wines, but it was the Emperor's favorite, and it grew well in Capri's climate. However, the grapes were delicate, so the harvest had to be carefully planned, and the grapes would have to be pressed almost immediately, and the juice would have to be barreled just as quickly. Even with the entire household staff, the job was too big. They would bring in workers from the surrounding houses to work the harvest and, when the time came, they would go to the other houses and work for them as well. It was the way winemaking had been done on Capri for hundreds of years. It was a community effort.

The enormity of the task meant that Cassia and her handmaidens were ignored. Ligeia even had to prepare their midday meal, which they ate once again in the courtyard while Athalia recounted her adventures. What shocked Cassia and Ligeia most was the fact that the priestess had red hair. They had never before seen anyone with red hair. "Surely, if what you say is true, she must be a witch!" Ligeia asserted.

"She was no witch," insisted Athalia. "She was kind and gentle and welcoming."

"What about her hair," enquired Cassia. "Was it... like... on fire or something?"

"No, no... it was just bright red in color," replied Athalia. "Look, you will see her tonight and you will know for yourself. It is safe. She will not harm you."

There was no other choice. They simply had to escape that night and make their way to the grotta azzurra, consequences be damned. Cassia still had lingering fears of the washwoman, but she realized that she had not seen her among the household staff all day... or the day before. She put it out of her mind. Athalia would figure it out. She was the most cunning and devious of the three of them, a fact that was well concealed beneath her delicate, pretty looks.

Their plan set, the women retreated to the coolness of the house when the heat of the afternoon threatened. That evening, after supper and after Cassia had been readied for bed and her servants sent to prepare for their escape, she was visited in her chamber by Gaia, the head of the house.

"There are two things I must discuss with you," she began in the tone of a school teacher about to give a lecture. Cassia was concerned that their plans had been discovered, but was relieved when Gaia continued. "First, tomorrow and for the next few days afterward, there will be many men here from the village to help with the harvest. You and your servants will attract the wrong sort of attention, especially from the younger farm hands. I don't need this. I am not being paid for this."

"My father's guard will protect us," insisted Cassia, not at all liking the insinuating tone from this lowly slave.

"Your father's guard is old and a drunkard. He will be no match for the raging lusts of young men present with such inviting young fruit. You may be off limits and you may escape their advances out of fear of your powerful father. But it will not do well for my own position if your handmaidens are returned to your household heavy with child." Gaia paused and eyed Cassia carefully, judging her. "So, I have made arrangements for you and your entourage to be elsewhere during the harvest. There is a small cabin further up the mountain where you will be safe. Your meals will be brought to you and you will return here when the harvest has ended."

This was too much. "I will not be imprisoned in some hovel! It is bad enough that I must be relegated to this forgotten corner of the world, but I refuse to be hidden away in some gated cell like a common criminal just because you, a slave, even more lowly than a commoner, have decided that you are incapable of doing the job my father paid your master to do!" She had gone red in the face and a fire burned in her eyes.

Cassia had expected Gaia to react badly, either cowering away in supplication or in defiance, a defiance that she could complain of to her father and possibly achieve some form of redress. Instead, Gaia merely smiled, her childlike face practically glowing. She said, "Your wish is my command. You will remain here and you and your servants will assist in the harvest. It is the only way to protect you as I will be able to keep my eyes on you at all times!" With that, she withdrew before Cassia could figure out that she had just been swindled.

Cassia was confused by how her asserting her authority had just resulted in her and her handmaidens being put to manual labor, but there was no time for that now. The plan had to be set into motion. Ligeia was to distract Gaia in any way that she could. Of course, Cassia understood exactly what that meant; Ligeia's powers of distraction came in only one flavor. That would, in turn, catch the attention of the household staff and their seemingly unquenchable thirst for gossip, allowing Cassia and Athalia to slip out. Ligeia would follow once her distraction had left Gaia dozing.

Cassia made up her bed with spare pillows stuffed under the covers so that anyone who peeked in would see a slumbering lump in her bed. It was a childish tactic, but Athalia had convinced her that it would work, as none of the household staff would dare disturb the domina while she slept. After waiting a while to ensure that the others had time to complete their tasks, Cassia crept into the hallway and across to her servant's chambers. To her surprise, Ligeia was there with Athalia.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded of her servant in a harsh whisper.

"There was no need for me to do anything," Ligeia said, shrugging her shoulders. "You have noticed that there are no men among the household staff, yes? I mean, except for that old eunuch who does the repairs and tends to the gardens. Well, I assumed that meant that Gaia has certain...preferences. So, I went to her chamber and I told her that I was to apologize for all of the trouble that we had put her to and that I was sent to her as a gift from you to assist her in any way she might need. I mean, I could not have been more blunt. I was wearing my tunic very loose and letting her see my breasts."

"So, then, why are you not distracting her? Did she have another girl with her?" asked Cassia.

"No," replied Ligeia, "She gave me a stern lecture about chastity and told me that our lascivious ways were certain to curse us all." Ligeia shrugged again in a manner that Cassia found particularly irritating. "She advised me to seek abstinence and purity and," Ligeia paused for effect, "She said that it was not only improper for you to use your servants for sexual gratification, but that it would condemn you to a life of childless spinsterhood. Then," Ligeia said, "she tossed me out of her chamber and said not to bother her anymore as the next few days would put us all to the test." Cassia continued to give her the stink eye. "So... er...here I am?"

Athalia handed each of them a dark, hooded cloak that she had procured earlier in the day. "Enough chattering," she insisted. "It is time. The moon is full."

The girls slipped out of the window and along the roof to the low hanging branch. They hid a short distance away and waited, but the house remained both dark and silent. So, their escape unnoticed, they proceeded, following after Athalia as she led the way. When they reached the rocky coast, Cassia grew annoyed. There was no cave in sight. She wondered if Athalia had fallen asleep by the sea and dreamed the entire episode up in her mind, and she said as much aloud.

Athalia began to search for the fallen boulder. The moon was now high overhead and it's bright, silvery light bathed the landscape in a pale glow, throwing shadows among the rocks, confusing her. After a time, she began to despair and to wonder to herself if she had, indeed, dreamed the entire adventure. When she was on the verge of tears, they heard a voice call to them. They turned to see a tall, hooded figure standing a short distance away. They practically jumped in startled fear and Cassia let out a sharp gasp.

"Whom do you seek?" asked the voice? It was low and smooth and soothing... and tinged with a foreign accent.

Athalia stepped forward, and responded, "I have the blessing of the goddess. I come at her bidding to bring these two into her fold." The figure pulled back her hood and revealed her kind and smiling face and, to Cassia and Ligeia's shock, her bright red hair reflecting in the bright moonlight.

"I have been expecting you. Come with me." She turned and walked to a place that Athalia was certain that she had just searched, but, sure enough, now that they approached, there was the opening in the side of the rock wall, just as there had been the night before.

Cassia, Athalia and Ligeia followed the priestess down into the cave. When they arrived at the opening, Cassia and Ligeia stood slack jawed and wide eyed at the sights before them. The rumble of the roiling surf as the sea surged through the cave opening was even louder than it had been, and the water glowed with a deep cerulean hue. Around the rock ledge, the acolytes, numbering at least a hundred strong, gathered in their flowing azure robes, and each held a candle that gave off a pale blue flame. Sabine urged them onward.

Without even noticing, Athalia was led away from Cassia and Ligeia. She was stripped of her clothing and adorned in her own blue robe and given her own candle with its peculiar blue flame. She had been blessed by the Goddess and was now, and would forever be an acolyte. From now on, when the moon was full or whenever the call went out, she would respond. She would make her way to the nearest temple of the Goddess and perform her worship. It was the price of the blessing and she paid it willingly.

As with the night before, the ceremony began with the bathing of the priestess. After that, the faithful were called to receive the blessing. Cassia watched as the acolytes took their turn, bowing before Sabine and placing their sacred kiss in the wild patch of red hair that covered her womanhood. Cassia was transfixed by that red hair. She was drawn to it like a frog is drawn to the hunter's candle flame in the night. She watched the procession in fascination. Something deep within her, something primal and ancient was pulling at her being, urging her forward to join the procession, to take her place among the acolytes. It was then that she saw, among the line of the faithful, her own servant, Athalia. She watched as Athalia bent her knee in reverence before the priestess. She watched with a mixture of awe and envy as her own slave bowed before another, another that she desperately longed for, and placed her lips gently among the red curls, lingered for a moment and then withdrew.

She wanted this, too. She wanted to be among those to receive this blessing, though she did not have a conscious thought of it, just a vague, inner desire that she could not control. As she stepped forward, her feet now moving on their own, to join in the procession, she saw the last woman approach. This woman was not clad in blue, but instead wore a dark, hooded cloak. Although she was covered, Cassia could see that she was fit and rounded, with full breasts and luscious curves. She could see the woman's curly dark hair and her pale complexion. She was familiar to Cassia... she was... she was... Ligeia. Ligeia had joined and would herself accept the blessing of the Goddess Gondul. Ahead of Cassia, her rightful owner.

Cassia was confused. Her servants had forgotten her, had abandoned her to worship the Goddess. She felt alone and betrayed and left out. But, when she turned her eyes to the priestess, Sabine, once more, that primal longing instantly returned. All other thoughts melted away. All other desires melted away. Only one thought preoccupied her mind: Bow before the priestess and receive the blessing. She fell into line behind Ligeia - neither recognizing or acknowledging the other; their minds empty of all other notions.

Ligeia received the blessing and rose. She turned to the crowd of acolytes and her cloak and tunic were discarded. She, like Athalia the night before, melded into a crowd of welcoming hands, arms and legs. From out of nowhere a rhythmic music began to play; a drum beat a slow, steady time while a cithara and a tibia played intertwining lines of melody. Yet, as she looked around, she could see no musicians. The sound was hypnotic and intoxicating. Cassia watched as the acolytes began to disrobe and sway, each in her own way, but somehow, all together as one. They moved like the sea that pulsed in and out of the cave; at both times chaotic and turbulent while still rhythmic and flowing. After a moment, Cassia realized that they were making love, caressing and loving those near to them, yes, but it was more than that; deeper than that. The crowd of them had become one single being, and the love, the caresses and the touches and the kisses and the stroking and the opening of bodies to one another was shared by all.

Again, Cassia felt alone and abandoned. She had not yet received the blessing of the Goddess. She was not one with the group. She was alone and excluded. She began to be filled with a panic and a sadness.

Then, she felt a hand take hers. It was cool and long, with slender, delicate fingers. She turned and saw the face of Sabine, smiling down at her, her crystal blue eyes, eyes the same color as the flames that the acolytes had borne, twinkling at her with some magical, inner light. "That path is not yours," came the sweet, soothing voice of the priestess. "You shall worship the Goddess with me. She has chosen you." These words brought a sudden ray of hope to Cassia, and the relief showed on her face. But Sabine continued, "It is a rare blessing, but it is a hard one, child, for there is great danger in store for you. You will be called upon to serve and you will lose much because of it. Your life of comfort and privilege will be stripped away."

Cassia suddenly realized that her clothing had been removed, stripped away as if to punctuate the priestess' warning. She felt naked and chilled and very small. But Sabine's comforting smile returned and she gently led Cassia to her knees before her. "Now, child, receive the blessing of the Goddess." Sabine's great flaming bush was before her. She looked up and their eyes met. Sabine placed one slender hand on Cassia's head and drew her forward. Without breaking eye contact, Cassia pouted her lips into a slight pucker, and sought out the soft red curls and the warm flesh behind it. She was overcome with a fragrance of lilies and honeysuckle. Her head swooned. She made contact and the entire world fell away. Before her eyes, everything disappeared, replaced instead by a kaleidoscope of color that swirled and swayed to the mysterious music that filled the chamber. For a moment, she saw the true face of the Goddess. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

She wanted to stay there, forever, staring into the face of purity and perfection, lost forever in the gaze of the Goddess. But in an instant, the face was no longer there. Instead she saw the terrible head of a black wolf, it's eyes narrowed, it's black lips curled back and its teeth, still dripping with the blood of its prey, menacingly bared. A streak of unimaginable terror ripped through Cassia's core and she startled, breaking contact with the priestess. It was as if her eyes had never broken contact with Sabine's, there it was, serene and smiling back down at her.

Sabine drew her up to her feet by her hand and led her to a long bench, covered with elaborately embroidered pillows. She sat Cassia down on the bench and then eased her down onto her back. Cassia went along compliantly, like a doll there for Sabine to control. She watched as Sabine held out her hand and there appeared a strange tool. It was made of marble and had a ball at the middle with two elongated, tapered cylindrical protrusions that were slightly curved and capped with rounded nubs. She looked on as Sabine placed one of the protrusions to her opening, and then pressed it against herself. She watched as the bulbous head of the strange tool slipped inside of her. Slowly, the long protrusion slid into Sabine's vagina until it was buried up to the large ball. With the other protrusion sticking straight out of her now, Cassia mused that she looked a little like the silly boy that Ligeia had seduced for her entertainment; it looked as if Sabine now sported her own, enlarged, stone cock.

To her amazement, Sabine placed one hand on each of Cassia's knees and gently, but forcefully spread them. Wider and wider until Cassia was fully splayed before Sabine. The cool, damp air of the cave brushed her pussy and tickled her dark patch of pubic hair. Cassia realized that she was very damp down there. Her legs still dangled over the side of the bench and, as Sabine stood between her widely spread knees, it dawned on Cassia that their waists were at the same level. Sabine drew nearer, now standing between Cassia's legs. She eased them closer together and the insides of her thighs came to rest against Sabine's smooth, warm skin.

Sabine eased her hips forward and brought the bulbous head of the stone cock into contact with Cassia's dripping pussy. Cassia gasped at the intense cold of the bare stone. It was barely touching her. But, it slowly came to life. Cassia could feel it begin to slowly rotate. It nudged its way to the opening of her slit, writhing back and forth, urging the lips of her cunt open. Before long, it found its way past her entrance and began to enter her in a slow burrowing motion. Further and further inside her it went, filling her up. It was no longer cold and stone; it was alive now; alive within her. It probed and writhed and twisted and pulsated. The intensity began to rise.