INTRODUCTION

 

Princess Venetia of Sythia has conquered the once all-powerful state of Barbaria.

Princess Alexena, now re-named Xena, the former ruler of Barbaria, has been taken captive, as have all the members of her Court. All are quickly made aware that they are slaves, subject to Sythian rule.

Princess Venetia decides to make Xena one of her personal slaves and to humble her to the utmost. This is indeed a cruel fate for a proud and beautiful woman who has enjoyed the heady heights of power for so many years.

Xena is personally flogged by Princess Venetia ... and most mercilessly ... on account of her 'defiance' of the new regime.

On the following day she is put into a wooden cage, naked and blatantly displayed, to be dragged round her former capital by six female members of her former Court.

No experience could be more totally humiliating for the ex-ruler of Barbaria. So she believes at the time. But Princess Venetia has even more degrading ordeals for her to endure ...

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

Xena's heart was so full of hate and bitterness. She thought it must surely burst.

Her hate was directed at Princess Venetia who had humbled her and had her displayed naked to her former citizens in a cage. Xena's bitterness was directed against her former citizens. They had once held her in awe. Worshipped her, almost. Now that she had fallen and was powerless, they had instantly turned against her.

As she made two long circuits of the city, they mocked her, they derided her, they even spat upon her. There were foul jibes and raucous laughter at her piteous condition. The rawness of her breasts, buttocks and thighs, the result of the terrible flogging she had received from Princess Venetia, were well noted. Those savage weals were much commented on ... and much approved of, so it seemed, as was her figure. Her breasts, her pussy, her buttocks, her thighs, all were applauded and evaluated in an utterly derisory fashion.

Xena prayed for death as the small procession made its slow way around the city. She saw a whip falling repeatedly across the naked bellies of six of her former courtiers as they the carried her in the wooden cage. Yet, she was sure, their sufferings were not as great as hers.

The higher one has been raised, the lower one has to fall.

Would it never end?

The baying and jeering of the mob?

It was something that, hitherto, had been quite unimaginable. It was a kind of act of blasphemy. Yet it was happening. Xena ground her teeth in wild torment at the thought of this new conqueror sitting in her palace, gloating over what she had ordered to be done.

At the first opportunity, Xena told herself, I will end it all. I will kill myself ...

But wait ... would that not be foolish? It would deprive her of any possibility of ultimate revenge. Which was what Xena ached for so intolerably. Oh ... revenge! Revenge ... that would be sweet beyond all imagining! Only by living did she have any possibility of obtaining it.

After all, there was always the hope of it. Had she not thought herself the ruler of the world? Yet she had been conquered. Surely it was possible that the same fate could befall this Princess Venetia.

It was something to cling to, even in the most hopeless hours. A spark to nurture, even if it constantly seemed on the verge of being extinguished.

Oh ... oohh ... give me strength to endure, Xena prayed.

To endure in order to be revenged.

In that moment, Xena decided not to kill herself, no matter how cruel and harsh her treatment. She must, somehow, cling to that one hope. It would become like a guiding star in all the terrible torments she was sure lay ahead of her.

REVENGE must be her watchword!

The procession continued ...

The tumult of laughter and ribaldry went on.

"Oh what an aristocratic-looking cunt!"

"She's got a good arse on her ..."

"Well striped too ..."

"Like those lovely tits ..."

"She had 1 coming to her, the wicked bitch!"

Xena ground her teeth at the cruel injustice of it all, the vile treachery and ingratitude of citizens. Once they had cheered and feted her when news of some new conquest had been announced.

No longer ...

The strain on Xena's arms was becoming agonising as the second circuit of the city was made. She was suspended by her wrist manacles and chains in the wooden cage, feet not touching the floor, thighs spread wide, ankles manacled to each side. If only she could faint. But she knew she wouldn't. As before her terrible flogging, she had been given strong, sustaining potions. There was no escape into oblivion.

And, apart from the pain of her suspension, there was always the continuing pain of the mass of weals which covered her breasts, her buttocks and her thighs.

Intolerable!

Yet having to be endured.

After two long agonising hours of utter degradation ... of torment and tears ... the six ex-ladies of the Court dragged the cage back into the Palace yard. The gates of the Palace closed. The sounds of the derisive mob faded away. Those who had watched from the balcony were no longer there.

Except Flavia.

Flavia, the young captive whom she had treated so cruelly when she had been in power. She was enjoying her own revenge to the full. Hopeless despair filled Xena as she watched the young woman leave the balcony and then shortly appear in the courtyard. Once always being kept totally naked, Flavia, beautifully groomed, now wore a long, flowing gown of pale blue silk. Slowly she circled the cage, looking in upon Xena's total distress. The six women who had pulled the cage were sobbing with exhaustion. All of them carried whip-marks.

"Bring her out," ordered Flavia.

Two Overseers entered the cage and unshackled Xena. She slumped immediately to the floor and was, at once, unceremoniously hauled to the door and dumped on the stones of the courtyard. Her muscles, which seemed to be on fire, had no strength left in them. Xena groaned helplessly.

"Get up on all fours," a voice was ordering. It was Flavia. But Xena felt too weak to move. "Did you hear me, slave? Get up on all fours!" Flavia signed to one of the Overseers to pass over the plaited leather switch which dangled from her belt. This was standard equipment for all Overseers. Teeth bared with relish, Flavia flexed the switch and then lashed it across Xena's lacerated buttocks.

A pitiful cry echoed around the courtyard. "I told you to get up on all fours, slave!" barked Flavia. Oh the joy of having such power with such a victim at one's mercy! Flavia laid on the switch a second time.

Another cry ... and, somehow, Xena forced herself on to her hands and knees. The biting cut of the switch was a potent incentive. It seemed to restore some of her strength. But oh the effort!

"Up ... up ..." commanded Flavia. "On all fours, like the bitch you are!"

Groaning horribly, Xena pushed herself up so that she took her weight on her arms and partially straightened legs, her hindquarters thrust up. It was a most humiliating posture. Xena wobbled from side to side, trembling weakly, very aware that Flavia was all too ready to lash down the switch again.

"Put a collar round her neck and attach a chain to it," Flavia ordered one of the Overseers.

Xena felt the iron collar locked on, heard a length of chain being attached. It makes one feel like an animal, she thought wretchedly. Intentionally, of course. Had she not, in her time, done the same to hundreds of others?

Flavia took the chain in her hand and moved towards the Palace. The collar tugged painfully. Perforce, Xena had to follow. Several times she collapsed down on to the hard stones. Flavia did not pause. She simply dragged Xena along on the ground, until she managed to push herself up on all fours again.

Into the Palace they went, then along once-familiar corridors. Then down into the less familiar dungeon area. Not surprisingly, Xena lost her balance on the descending stone steps ... and Flavia kept pulling until the descent was completed. However, Xena was already in so much pain, the additional bumping and bruising seemed to make very little difference. Ultimately they arrived at the door of Xena's cell and Flavia unlocked it and pulled her victim in.

It was a small cell, as bare and bleak as it was possible to imagine. It had stone walls, a stone floor, and a stone ceiling which was crossed with heavy beams from which hung chains and manacles.

Against one wall was a plain plank-bed.

"Get up on there and kneel, slave," ordered Flavia ... and accompanied her words with a vicious cut of the switch. Xena shrieked and clambered up on the wooden pallet. Sobbing, she knelt, turning towards Flavia. The young woman lashed the switch across the lush breasts which thrust towards her. Xena shrieked more loudly.

"Where are your hands supposed to be, slave?" demanded Flavia. Xena remembered. She placed her clasped hands on top of her head, seeing the cruel young face through a mist of tears. Flavia was blonde and exceedingly pretty but her new-found authority seemed to have hardened her features somewhat. "I hope you enjoyed your little tour, Princess," said Flavia with a thin smile. At the cruel mention of her former title, tears spurted from Xena's eyes. "I am sure," continued Flavia, "that your once-loyal citizens enjoyed examining your wares, which were so well displayed. Don't you think so, slave?"

"Y-Yes ... Miss ..." croaked Xena weakly. What else was there to say? She did not wish to feel that switch across her so-tender breasts again.

"And tomorrow you will make an even more enjoyable spectacle!"

A dreadful terror welled up in Xena. Ever since Venetia had spoken those unbelievable words in the Throne Room, Xena had forced them from her mind, telling herself they were just a threat to frighten her into submission. For surely no one, however evil, could do that to a woman who had once been a Princess! Now, Xena was forced to recall the words which, at the time, had caused her to fall into a faint. They were:

'Subsequent days will be more entertaining. For, in the cage with you will be a dozen of your ex-male slaves. They will, of course, be able to do whatever they like with you!'

It could not possibly be true!

It was too utterly monstrous to even consider!

Xena shook her head from side to side, as if to deny such a thing could be.

"N-No ... nooooo ..." she croaked weakly, "sh-she did n-not ... mean it ..."

The switch lashed twice across Xena's wildly bouncing-juddering breasts. "You do NOT refer to Princess Venetia as SHE, slave, but as Her Highness. Do so!"

When Xena had caught her breath after a series of piteous cries of pain, her mouth opened and shut several times and only a hissing sound came out. Then it formed the word 'Highness'.

"H-Her Highness ... did not mean it," she whimpered.

Flavia smiled exultantly. "But oh yes she did! Oh yes ... yes ... YES! Tomorrow ... you ... you once-arrogant bitch ... are going to be properly humbled. You're going to be fucked around your former city. Twice around, in fact."

Xena's eyes were rolling back in her head. Her breasts began to heave wildly in her total distress.

"Nooooooo ... aaaahhhhh ... nooooo ... nooooo ... nooooo ..." she whined weakly. "S-say it isn't tr-true ..."

The switch lashed twice again, leaving Xena shrieking and twisting in torment.

"My Lady," said Flavia.

"M-M-Mer ... My L-Lady ... My Lady ..." cried Xena. "Say it ... it isn't true ... M-My Lady ..."

"But I assure you it is, slave. I absolutely assure you it is!"

In total despair, Xena's head slumped down. Her semi-deranged mind still could not grasp it. "Nooo ... nnooo ... nnno ... nnooo ..." she went on whimpering.

"And," said Flavia harshly, "for daring to doubt the word of Princess Venetia, you are now going to feel my switch across your backside. Get it up ... come along ... get it up!"

Xena's eyes glazed over. "H-Have m-mercy ... My L-Lady ... I beseech you ... oh ... h ... h-haven't you done enough?"

Flavia smiled in sadistic joy. "Get your once-aristocratic arse up, right now," she commanded, "Or I'll send for an Overseer and have you properly whipped!"

That the threat was truly meant was certain.

With a terrible groaning-cry of abysmal despair, Xena turned on the plank-bed and raised her hindquarters. Already they felt on fire.

"Higher ..." came the order. Xena made herself force up higher. Oh the degradation of it! This young woman had once been her slave. "Higher still ..." Xena forced herself to obey. Terror pierced hSsssswweeee ... cccrrraccckkkk!

The switch bit like fire across her agonised flesh. Xena screamed, squirming and kicking. It was unbearable!

"Get it up again." The young voice was cold in its insistent command. "You're getting five more like that, you insolent bitch!"

Somehow, Xena made herself thrust again, flinching and shuddering as she did so. Momentarily, she recalled how she had once thrashed slaves in this merciless fashion. Oh, if only I had not done so ... then I would have been spared all this!

The switch bit for a second time ... and had her writhing and jerking once more. Flavia was smiling. Cruelly! Exultantly! This creature was going to get her bottom up high for every stroke.

And she, Flavia, was going to lay them on just as hard as she possibly could!