In Which Mackenzie Is Granted An Audience
“What?” Ian asked.
“Your belt,” Amaranth said, still fixing me with her over-the-glasses stare. I felt about three inches tall, and didn’t know why. “May I please borrow it?”
“Um, okay,” Ian said. He stood up and unbuckled his belt, taking it off and handing it to Amaranth.
Amaranth slid the scabbard with his short sword off the end of the belt and handed that back to him without taking her eyes off me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Put the plate down, baby.”
“What?” I asked.
“I said, put the plate down,” she said.
I set it down on the nearest coffee table. Amaranth got to her feet. She was taller than me, but now she seemed half-giantess. She reached out and I thought she was going to either put her hand on my shoulder or pat me on the head, but then she grabbed my ear and gave it a twist.
“Ow!”
“Hey!” Ian said. “What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s okay,” Two said calmly. “She owns her.”
“I love you, Ian, but don’t interfere,” Amaranth said. “She’s been warned.”
“What’d I do?” I asked.
“Don’t make a scene if you don’t want one,” Amaranth said, and she started marching me across the lounge, pinching my ear.
She led me to the girls’ bathroom… an ugly, square room with water-stained brick walls. The bathrooms in the basement lounge were single occupancy, and she released my ear in order to lock the door behind us.
“What did I do?” I asked
“What do you think you did?” she asked. “I am very disappointed in you, baby. Very disappointed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.
“Did we or did we not have a talk about you respecting other peoples’ faiths?”
“Yeah, but if you look at the histor…”
“I’m not talking about debating historical facts,” Amaranth said. “I’m talking about ‘correcting’ other people on their faith. What does it hurt you if somebody believes in the true divinity of Anankha?”
“They’re wrong,” I said.
“That’s not what I asked,” she said. She shook her head and gave a little grunt of indignation. “Ooh, you’re so frustrating sometimes. Take off your clothes.”
“There’s no place to put them,” I said. The floor was slightly damp and very iffy-looking, even for a bathroom.
“Hand them to me,” Amaranth said. “No more arguing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, and I began to disrobe, starting with the shirt. I handed each garment to Amaranth, and she did a little half-turn away from me as she tucked them away in the strange way that she did.
“Now turn around and lean against the wall,” she said, after having prompted me to relinquish my underwear.
“I can’t believe you’re seriously going to punish me for saying that Ananka is a demigoddess,” I said, putting my hands on the bricks.
“Not another word, unless you’re answering me,” Amaranth said. “Got that?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I am going to punish you, quite severely,” Amaranth said. “But… first things first.” She leaned in behind me and cupped her hands on my breasts. They were warm almost to the point of being hot in the chilly room. “I need to inspect my property a bit. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get my hands on you properly.”
She massaged my breasts, teasing the nipples with her nails, then slid her hands down my sides. The sensation was just on the right side of ticklish. With her hands on my hips, she pulled my ass towards her as if she were thrusting into me in slow-motion.
“Is it just my imagination, or are you putting a little extra padding on that cute butt?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,” I said.
“I think you are,” Amaranth said, leaning over to cover my back, her hands sliding up to cup my breasts briefly and then down the length of my arms so that her hands pinned mine to the wall.
She stayed there like that, blanketing my body with hers, her weight pressing down on me. She was so warm. Everything of me that touched her was warm. Everything else was exposed to the cold.
It was an exquisite hell.
“It’s to be expected, though,” she said, and it took me a moment to recall what she’d been talking about. “Your body’s probably been skirting as close to starvation as it could get for years. It’s no surprise that it would want to grab hold of whatever you feed it now.”
She began slowly sliding her body down the length of mine, her breasts brushing against my back.
“Anyway,” she said, as she slid off me and her face drew level with my rear, “it’ll be fun to see what shape your body settles into, now that you’re feeding it properly.”
After the warmth of her flesh, her lips felt cold against my ass cheek. She kissed me a couple more times, and then she bit.
I should have been expecting it from the moment she moved into position, but it caught me by surprise, and I jumped and yelped.
Amaranth giggled.
“I was hoping for a moan,” she said. “I guess I must be getting rusty. Get back in position.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
She kneaded my flesh for a bit with her hands, then took another bite, biting down harder and lingering longer. This time, she succeeded in wringing a moan from me before she released and straightened up.
“Now, you’re going to want to brace yourself,” Amaranth said, and then she gave me the first stroke before I’d fully processed what she had said.
I don’t know if she’d ever whipped somebody with a belt before. Even though she’d choked up on it considerably, I imagined it had to be harder to control than the paddle, being longer and also flexible. She cracked it right across my ass, the buckle hitting the outside of my cheek. It was like a one-two hit, the sting of the leather and then the impact of the cold metal.
The fire which spread across my ass in the wake of the blow was answered by another heat, another tingling. There was no mistaking the sensation this time; I was getting aroused. I could feel my pussy stirring as if from a sleep, I could feel the hunger in a place deeper and lower than my belly.
Maybe I was becoming more self-aware… or maybe I was just more sensitive there at the moment.
“Do you believe I’m serious now?” Amaranth asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” I gasped, and she gave me another taste. “Ah!”
“You will not disrespect other peoples’ religions,” she said, and then lashed me again. “Is that clear?”
“I wasn’t…”
Whack. The improvised strap hit me again, harder than ever, and I screamed my response, “Yes, ma’am!”
“Nobody put you in charge of deciding the value of other peoples’ beliefs.” Whack. “No toy of mine is going to make a habit of being rude to people of faith.” Whack. “It doesn’t matter…” Whack. “…how nice…” Whack. “…or not…” Whack. “…they are.” Whack. “You are still…” Whack. “…responsible…” Whack. “…for…” Whack. “…your own…” Whack. “…behavior.”
She was done lecturing, but she’d only begun the spanking. As she picked up the tempo, the belt became harder to control and it whipped against my lower back and my upper thighs just below my butt.
The unpredictability of it all changed things a bit. I still felt arousal building within me, but I wasn’t able to lose myself in it. The shock of metal and leather in unexpected places kept jarring me back to the reality of the cold, wet bathroom.
Hot tears were streaming down my face. My ass felt like it was on fire. My nipples did, too, even though they weren’t getting any attention. I felt like I was going to explode, but Amaranth wasn’t bringing me any closer to a climax.
This was true punishment. She had never laid into me like this before. I was so turned on by the pain and the position, but I wasn’t anywhere close to coming and I didn’t think I’d be able to.
I also thought for sure that the people in the lounge must be able to hear my cries of pain, a fact which was confirmed by a knock on the door.
“Everything okay in there?”
“We’re fine, thanks,” Amaranth said cheerfully, pausing.
“I think you’d better unlock this door.”
“One moment, please,” Amaranth said. “Stay right where you are,” she said to me, and then went and opened the door to admit what I assumed was the R.A. who’d been on desk duty. I turned around to see who it was exactly, but Amaranth gave me a smack with the bunched up belt before I got more than a glimpse of black curls and glasses.
“You keep your nose to the wall,” Amaranth said. “I don’t remember telling you to move. Did I?”
She punctuated the question with another, lighter slap of the belt… this time, bunched up in her hand.
“No, ma’am,” I said.
“As you can see, this is completely consensual,” Amaranth said. “And as a nymph, any normal restrictions on the use of this space don’t apply.”
“Oh, right,” the R.A. said.
“You’re welcome to stay and watch, but I’d suggest you close the door,” Amaranth said.
I thought the woman would hastily excuse herself, but instead I heard the door shut and then lock.
Amaranth gave me three more licks with the belt, in slanting strokes, alternating the direction of each swing. She was moving more rhythmically now.
“We’re through with the meat of the punishment,” Amaranth said. “Honestly, I was about finished when you came in… but since you’re here, I might as well put on a bit of a show.” She giggled. “Normally, I’d finish her off by hand, so to speak, but since this is a rather serious punishment, I’ll use the belt for the whole thing.”
She’d folded the belt over and was hitting me with a doubled-up length of leather. I could hear the buckle clinking and that made me nervous, but she was done with the heavy stuff. The heavy leather slammed into my well-tenderized buttocks again and again.
Strangely, while I ached and throbbed all over my backside, there was a moment of numbing relief that followed each impact. I felt the pleasure growing within me, and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the release I knew was coming.
Amaranth’s sense of timing was impeccable as always. She brought me closer and closer, until my legs began to shake and my vision clouded over and I was so close I could taste it.
Then, she stopped.
“Please!” I gasped. “More!”
“Do you understand what you did wrong, baby?” she asked, giving me another crack.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you believe me when I tell you that if you ever do it again, I’ll leave you like this and you won’t come for a week?”
“Yes!” I replied. “Yes, ma’am!”
“Then I’ll let you finish,” Amaranth said. “You might want to finish, too, since we’re almost done here,” she said to the unseen watcher.
I heard her kind of grunt/gasp a reply and I realized that she wasn’t just watching. I’d all but forgotten about her. Now I turned beet red.
My memory turned back to the first time Amaranth had disciplined me, at the fountain and in full view of a lunchtime crowd.
My insides felt heavy somehow. The air was getting thick, drenching me like water. I felt like I needed to let go, and quickly, or I would drown.
Amaranth did it with just ten more strokes. She counted down each one, increasing in speed and strength. When she got down to one, the colossal smack broke me apart. My knees buckled and I fell to the floor, doubled over.
“Is… she…?”
“She’s coming her little brains out,” Amaranth said. “Would you like to give it a try when she’s done?”
The thought of being handed off to a stranger… particularly one who’d just watched me spanked to the point of orgasm and possibly got off herself… set off another explosion within me.
“I… uh… no. No, thank you,” the R.A. said.
“It’s okay,” Amaranth said. “Go ahead.”
“I don’t think it would be appropriate,” she said. “I’m still on duty, anyway. I… I should get back to the desk.”
“Okay!” Amaranth said. Her voice was all smiles. “Have a great day.”
“Um, thank you.”
I heard the door open and close. Amaranth helped me get to my feet. I had to lean on her for support.
“That was Kara,” she said. “Kara something. Juniors’ resident advisor. Straight, but really fascinated by discipline. I think she wishes she could be R.A. for a boys’ dorm.” She giggled. “She really wanted to spank you, too… bare-handed. I wish she would have. I don’t know why people insist on denying themselves these things. Do you have something to say, baby?”
“Thank you,” I said weakly.
“You’re more than welcome,” she said. She drew me in close and bent her head to kiss me. I melted into her. Her skin was like the summer sun on my own. “I’m just so glad you’re back. These last few days, you’ve given me so many scares… I kind of just want to lock you up in a box in my room so that I know you’re safe.”
Her smile twitched playfully, and I shivered at the image.
“I will be talking to the Anankhan,” Amaranth said. “Her attitude towards you was unacceptable. Members of her order are routinely given safe passage across borders and through war zones because of their absolute neutrality in giving aid. Her sort of behavior could undermine the reputation which protects her brothers and sisters.”
“I don’t think she could have done anything,” I said.
“She could have called the professor herself,” Amaranth said. “Obviously, she was more devoted to her grades than her goddess.”
“And yet, you still punished me for disrespecting her faith,” I said.
“Baby, I told you… that wasn’t about what she did but what you did. I mean, you wouldn’t say that it’s okay to be racist against nagakin just because Celia’s a little abrasive, would you?” Amaranth asked.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t say she’s a ‘little’ abrasive,” I said, and Amaranth glared and raised the belt over her head before we both laughed.
“I love you so much, Mack,” she said. Her eyes looked misty behind her glasses. “So… so very much.”
“I love you, too,” I said, and I suddenly had a lump in my throat.
We hugged again, and I thought she would crush me, demonic invulnerability or no.
“Anyway, I shouldn’t have to work tonight,” she said, when we broke apart. “Not after all the great fucking I had at the rally… so… I think I’m going to require your company in bed tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smile.
“You’re going to your afternoon classes?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s my good girl,” she said. She straightened up, and the smile disappeared. “Now, before we rejoin the others, there’s just one more thing.”
I tensed. More punishment? A further lecture? A warning?
“He said yes.”
I looked at her, not sure what she meant.
“Viktor,” she clarified. “He’s given his permission for you to date Steff. I didn’t want to say it in front of her, so that you would be able to ask her out yourself, but he’s said yes.”
I couldn’t find words to answer this, so instead I threw my arms around her and pressed my face to her chest.
“No sex, though,” she said, and her tone of voice suggested disappointment. “I’m sorry, baby, but Steff’s still on restriction there and Viktor says he’ll need to talk to you some more before he makes up his mind there.”
“That’s okay,” I said.
“I’m sure he’ll come around,” she said. “Ready to go back out?”
“Yeah,” I said, and started hobbling towards the door.
Amaranth laughed.
“What?” I asked.
“Baby… your clothes,” she said, holding them out to me. I blushed.
“Oops,” I said.
“Unless you’re ready to put public nudity on your white list,” she said. “As long as you’re with me, it wouldn’t be illegal.”
“No,” I said quickly.
“I’ve also got another pad for you,” she said, handing me my bra. “I figure you might want to change after that, knowing how much you gush when you come… and anyway, I think it’s a good idea if I start carrying them for you, since you’re not very good at keeping track of that kind of thing on your own.”
I think I must have been a vivid purple by then. I was so glad my period would be over in a day or so, if things held even halfway normal for me.
I dressed and then we headed out. I walked more than a little stiffly.
Amaranth giggled and I blushed harder when she informed the others that I’d be standing while she finished eating. Ian and Steff were both rock hard. Excited as I was by the news Amaranth had given me, it didn’t seem like the best moment to put the question to Steff. I figured if she did show up for our history class, I could ask her then.
Yeah, rock hard…my opinion exactly.
Once again I find myself displeased by Amaranth’s jump into punishment. Her tendencies to not hear Mackenzie out on what would be a reasonable topic and just punish and command have more bias and preconceived mentality than what Amaranth is trying to “teach” to Mackenzie.
I’m really hoping something happens to change that.
While I agree with your assessment of Amaranth as a person…
As a character, the author has ;D ruthlessly stuck to Amaranth’s personality and motivations.
Don’t forget that Amaranth’s disciplinary response is informed by her earlier spat with Mackenzie over the nymph’s own scientific leanings, which was a source of quite a bit of (still unresolved?) emotional turmoil. I’m interested to see how this plays out in the context of their sub/dom relationship; I sense that Amaranth is having her nymphly tolerance tested by some very unnymphly *feelings*.
Well I think it’s intentional, she remains in charecter constantly – whether she is right or not. In this instance Mackenzie was wrong, the punishment was just. Bit there have been cases where talking would have been better.
This is one of the great things about the story, good people can still get it wrong, but that dosn’t nessesarily mean total failure. It’s a far more authentic depiction of relationships.
Honestly, it’s these scenes with Amaranth that stopped me reading this wonderful story the first time through. Finally picked it up 3 years later and she still aggravates me to no end, honestly she’s the kind of person I’d love to berate and beat until she became certain in her own worthlessness.
I think she’s a well written character, don’t get me wrong. But her beliefs and way of treating Mack just destroys any respect I could have for her and it’s not like it’s just because she’s a nymph, Barley proved that point earlier. She has a blind belief in “how things should be” and goes absolutely bonkers if someone messes with that, even her own deity.
I don’t see anything wrong with Amaranth’s punishment, in this case.
Yes, Amaranth certainly has her flaws and could do with a little more flexibility. In this case though, she was right.
Maybe Mack was right about the religion this time… but you know what? It *doesn’t* actually matter. It makes no difference to her whether that chick thought her deity was a full goddess or just a demigoddess, and while Mack might have been right this time, you have to admit that she *was* badly sheltered and can have a very warped view, especially of religion. This was shown very clearly with the Arkhanite thing.
So, it’s clearly established that Mack can’t always accurately judge if her arguments are correct in these situations… and not correcting the girl would not have changed the outcome of the situation or anything in Mack’s life in any way… yeah, seems like a perfectly good idea to me to enforce the behaviour that Mack should think a lot harder – in fact, even research – before she says these things. Bare minimum. Certainly it’s easier and still not all that problematic to broaden it to “It’s not actually your problem or your business, learn to bite your tongue”.
Don’t get me wrong, I fully sympathise with Mack here and have myself gotten in trouble on numerous occasions with being a little too zealous to correct people. I just don’t think this punishment is something anyone should be condemning Amaranth for – it seems downright sensible to me. As Amaranth said, it had nothing at all to do with the religious girl, anyone’s view of her or what she may or may not have done. It was purely for Mack’s unnecessary and somewhat rude (and given the situation it was in, also not entirely well thought-out) correction.
My response is generally also “But they’re wrong!” when faced with such rebukes, but objectively I can still understand the point 😛
Gotta agree to all of this. And also, bear in mind that although however calm and composed Amy seems at this point, the fact was that Mack had magically vanished from the centre after just recovering from a life-threatening injury. That’s gotta throw Amy a bit. Some of the punishment may have partly stemmed from her own frustrations and fears of losing Mack, as well as re-establishing her command and dominance of her toy.
I will never understand how people can hate on Amaranth so much. She is a 17 year old farm girl who Mack has willingly given herself to, quirks and all.
The punishment was for several things.
Mack passing judgement on another persons faith. In front of that person.
The fact that this is the third time Mack has done so.
And the fact that, by doing so, Mack has broken a rule that was put in place for her, by her owner. Clearly, and distinctly.
While I agree with many that Amaranth is, at this point in the story, still very much in need of a strong, experienced mentor, and is far from ready to own another being, this particular instance? She is right. Punishment was truly merited, and administered in a timely manner. With appropriate aftercare (appropriate for Mack).