3. Reprieve

Nomia pov

I lie down on the cot carefully, trying to nurse my wrist away from the hard base. Eventually, sleep takes me - I’m not sure how long I’m asleep for but the cell door clangs open suddenly and I jerk awake.

Machteld stands, silhouetted in the doorway, with another bowl of soup and some more bread. She frowns down at me, holding my wrist. “Manfred coulda told me your wrist needed setting too. Men!” she scoffs, setting down the tray and walking out. I remain on my side, watching her.

“Sit up!” she commands as she re-enters the cell, holding a small plank of wood and some bandages.

I hurry to comply, though I don’t want to. Machteld takes my arm - not gently - ignoring my flinch. She runs her fingers up and down my arm - squeezing as she goes. “Well.” she sucks on her teeth “Nothing feels out of place; I’ll just stick a splint on it and bandage it up. Should be healed before sale.” With all the significance of discussing the weather, Machteld wraps my wrist tightly, turns and leaves me to eat.

After my second meal, I am too full to move. I’m not used to this amount of food… I soon fall asleep, seeking the reassuring voice once more I am disappointed.

I wake to my stomach churning. Blearily, I throw the blanket off me as I recognise the cramps and rush to the bucked in the corner. A steady stream of diarrhea later and I feel better… weak, but better. I’m not used to so much food, but at least my bed isn't’ soiled. The stench here is worse now, but I’m used to it. I crawl back to bed and fall asleep.

I’m woken by the cell door clanging open. Machteld enters with a steaming bowl of porridge but her face is scrunched up in horror and she gags, just as my stomach rumbles with anticipation.

“Goddess damn you girl! Whatever crawled up your ass and died clearly came out last night! I’m surprised the stench hasn’t finished you off! Now grab that bucket and follow me!”

I comply quickly; following her to an open cesspool and emptying my bucket there. I rinse the bucket in the pail of water next to it and follow a silent Machteld back to my little cell. “Now don’t wolf this down!” she snaps as she hands me the porridge, I hide my smirk - I have no wolf “Eat it slowly!” she says “It’ll help keep your digestive tract calm.”

Not long after I scrape the last of the porridge from the bowl, Machteld returns; looming behind her is another woman I’ve not seen before. She’s wearing the same dress as Machteld; her arms are thick and her hands look rough. Her face looks like a permanently wrinkled scowl and her eyes look through me with a piercing glare. Instinctively I know there will be nothing soft about her.

“This one is supposed to be a virgin.” Machteld tells her. “Well no man wants a bag of bones.” this new woman scoffs “But bring her out and I’ll take a look.”

“Come on!” Machteld gestures at me impatiently. I follow hesitantly, entering the same room as yesterday. The leather straps that held the eunuch down are hanging loose now. At one end of the table, metal poles have been set up. They have some sort of open boot on them. The new woman points to the table.

“Get up there; lie down; legs in the rests.” There is no emotion whatsoever.

I gingerly clamber onto the table and reluctantly place my lower legs on the rests, as instructed.

“Shall I strap her in, Gertrude?” Machteld asks.

Gertrude doesn’t answer; she simply straps the boots closed, rendering my legs motionless.

Machteld sighs, and straps the belts over my waist and rib cage. Now I can only move my head and arms… until she proceeds to tie my arms above my head so that I am completely immobilised and helpless. Why did I climb up here?! Machteld castrated a warrior yesterday, but now she seems friendly in comparison to the woman between my legs.

“Grab the speculum” Gertrude orders, and Machteld reaches for a metal device that reminds me of a beak on a board… it’s not until Gertrude opens it that I realise what it’s for. It will spread me open so they can look in me! Panic surges and I start trying to kick out of the straps holding me down.

“NO! NOO! NOOO!” I scream “PLEASE! Don’t do it! Don’t hurt me! Leave me alone!” Both women remain unmoved.

“Child, you don’t know what pain is!” Gertrude snaps rudely. “Now shut your mouth before I stick something in it!” I make no sound, but sobs still wrench my body. I feel Gertrude’s rough fingers spread my labia apart and she shoves the cold, metal speculum inside me. Without a word, she wrenches me open and the pain is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

“Stop clenching!” Machteld orders me from somewhere above my head “The more you resist, the worse it’ll be for you.”

I thought I knew what humiliation was. But all the public whippings, the cock fights in my mouth, the soldiers cheering each other on whilst forcing me to swallow their cum… being slapped, scolded and thrown in the dirt - it all pales in comparison to Gertrude peering inside my pussy and jabbing me with her short, bony fingers.

“I feel a hymen in here” she says, as she closes and pulls out the speculum.

“Good. What about her ass?” Machteld responds and I am left with no option other than prayer. I pray to every deity I’ve ever vaguely heard of that I can make it through this. That hole is still raw from the diarrhoea last night.

“Hmf” Gertrude scoffs “Fetch me the cheek spreader” and Machteld hands something over almost immediately. They look like strange hooks… Gertrude places the cold metal between my butt cheeks and turns something… I can feel my cheeks spread open and my butthole being exposed. “This is red raw” Gertrude exclaims

“Diarrhoea last night” Machteld answers, bored.

“Hand me some ox-fat”

Machteld moves between my legs holding a tub, she dips her fingers in and lathers it between my cheeks, and moves away.

A strange sensation runs up my spine and then I feel a finger enter my hole. I immediately clench, trying to push her finger back out, but the only effect is to cause the hooks to dig deeper into my cheeks.

Gertrude slaps my pussy and utters an irritated “Don’t move” I’m forced to lie still and let it happen. Tears roll down my cheeks.

“You’re only being checked” Machteld scoffs “The warriors actually lose something - they have a reason to cry.” she hisses “Now stop the dramatics - it’s almost done and no blood has been spilled!”

“Based on her reaction, this one was exit only up until now. Still nice and tight.” Gertrude proves her assessment of my ass.

“Let me feel.” Machteld says “The last girls we had weren’t anal virgins - let me feel the difference.”

Gertrude moves out of the way and Machteld takes her place. I feel the now familiar intrusion of her finger and steel myself ‘don’t let them see you cry, don’t let them see you cry’ reverberates around my head.

Machteld attempts a second finger and I clench further. “I can hardly get it in” Machteld sounds surprised.

Gertrude simply steps back up and gives me a hefty whack on my pussy; Machteld’s second finger slips right in.

“Slap them on the pussy and they relax a bit so you can enter.” Gertrude grunts, as Machteld merrily wiggles her fingers around inside me.

She pulls her fingers out “She’s up for sale in six weeks. We’ve got about enough time to fatten her up and get some curves on her.”

I’m released from my bonds and I flee back to the cell like a frightened cat. Back on the cot, I allow myself to wallow in humiliation for a while. At least until the next meal is brought in. I find it hard to pity myself for too long with a full stomach, warm bed and no chores.

I tell myself it could be worse…

Six weeks seemed like an age when I got here. But the auction is any day now. Soon I’ll have a new owner; a new life. I try to think positively but this unknown is killing me. I went from being fed, to overfed - forced to eat when I really didn’t want to. I’ve gained so much weight - there’s swelling on my chest which I think might end up as breasts. I’ve even got a little bit of a butt now!

Lying on my back on my cot, I daydream about the future. Will my new owner be kind? Will I be bought for my virginity and passed on when that’s been stripped from me? Will I find someone who will love and protect me - like Brian did? Will Alpha Ahriman come to take me as a second mate; alongside his chosen one? Fated mates are stronger than those in a chosen pair. I sigh; the Moon Goddess must have plans for me or she wouldn’t have mated me to such a strong alpha… even if he is the ultimate dickhead.

I’m pulled from my thoughts as The cell door clanks open. Machteld and Gertrude assess me from the doorway.

“Auction day is today, you will wear this,” she says while she throws a flimsy piece of cloth at me. Once I’ve changed into it I’m sat on a stool and they fuss over me. Trying to make me look attractive to potential buyers.

“Her nose is… acceptable. Her wrist has healed and she has the potential for curves” Machteld lists.

“Yes.” Gertrude doesn’t sound impressed “Now shove her in that auction dress and get her sold off. Manfred is convinced she’ll fetch a pretty penny as a double virgin.” She throws a thin piece of cloth at me and I take the hint; stripping off my nice warm woollen dress I pull on the… transparent cloth. There’s no way this can be called a dress!

“Out” Machteld demands. “Sit” she points at a stool.

Gertrude comes up behind me and starts dragging a brush through what hair I have on my head. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but it’s still dull, thin and… sparse.

Machteld slaps me on both cheeks, then pinches the “Got to make your cheeks nice and rosy… so you don’t look quite as dead” she tells me. I think she just wanted an excuse to slap me.

I am not impressed at what I see in the mirror.

Machteld adds some red fat to my lips to ‘make them look plush’ I think I look ridiculous. Especially as Gertrude has pinned my hair up over a piece of wool so that it looks ‘voluminous’.

I’m too scared about what comes next to laugh though.

Once satisfied, the two old women take me from the room and escort me to the auction waiting room. Instead of standing with me, they shackle me to the wall by both ankles and bind my wrists in front of me. Then, they leave.

I look around; seven other girls are waiting, bound to the wall, like me. Some look beautiful. Others are rake-thin, like me. Most of them have tear tracks down their cheeks. Four men stand, chained, to the opposite wall. I think I recognise the eunuch from my first day. The stench of fear is almost as thick as the silence.