Title: Absolution
Author: Meresankh
Notes: This story is adult. If graphic details of people having sex isn't your cup of tea, stay clear.
I'm all for historical accuracy, but I did not check every detail. The name Zahra was found on the internet along with it's meaning, I haven't checked the spelling, the meaning, or even the origin. This story was quickly conceived and ever more quickly written, so all mistakes are all mine.
Update 12/15: Since does not show replies to reviews (or it hasn't shown up to this date) and I wanted to have an equally public change to have my say, you can find my (rather long and detailed) response at http://meresankh. . I find it unjust to make such statements without having the benefit of hearing both sides, especially when the same result of (hopefully) clearing things up could have been more conveniently and discreetly achieved through private messaging.
Just as soon as the man had gone, Zahra rose from her bed, going over to the window and the basin and water jug that lay next to it. She sat down on the stool and began washing away the remnants of her previous customer, a burly man smelling of wine and piss. For her services he had left her with the required 2 copper deben. She added them to the 2 she already had; 2 more and she would have the rent paid for the day, a compensation her shady landlord eagerly awaited. Only then could she be free to earn some money for food, if there would be any customers left. Ra would be rising soon, and the men who hadn't already returned to their homes by then were either going to or had passed out on the streets.
The room she stayed in had cost her 6 copper deben a night, a fair price for a room in the outskirts of the city of Thebes. It was a small room with nothing but a bed and a small table for the water basin, no door but a thick linen cloth that hung in the doorway. When she had arrived here three weeks ago she had gladly taken the room, hoping she would leave before her money ran out. Two weeks later she had only a few deben left, and none of the answers she had come here to seek. When she informed the landlord she could no longer afford to pay for her room, he had been very helpful in finding her a source of income, an income she would only see a small portion of.
Desperate times bring desperate measures, and she had stayed.
They say Egyptian men never take a woman by force, and for that Zahra was grateful. Although she never had the option of turning customers away, she appreciated that not one of them had ever been too rough on her. Some left bruises on her body after getting lost in their lust, especially after too much beer, but never had a man hurt her intentionally. She had heard of a girl who had been drowned in the Nile a while ago after a disagreement over her price, but she had brushed it off as a myth.
She finished washing herself and got dressed in her turquoise dress. It was the only proper dress she had, the other garment she owned was a dingy linen cloth she could either use as a short dress or a long skirt. That aside for the small pouch she carried her money in was all she owned, but she felt no loss at her material shortcomings. The tangible things may come and go, but the intangible never went away.
And it was the intangible she had come here to be rid of.
She tied her hair back and hid the pouch under the mattress and prepared to go downstairs and out into the street. If she was going to find a customer tonight, she would have to do it soon.
Suddenly the cloth covering the doorway was swept aside and a man stepped in, dressed in black robes and a black scarf covering his head and face, showing only the intense black eyes. Zahra stepped back in surprised and gave out a little startled gasp.
"Are you available?" the man asked in a deep baritone that seemed to burn with the same passion as his eyes. It was not unclear what he had come for.
"Yes," Zahra replied, stepping towards him with caution she hoped would look seductive, "How can I serve my master?" she purred as she ran her hands up his chest towards the scarf he wore over his face, hoping to remove it to get a look at him.
He stopped her before she reached it, taking a gentle but firm hold of her hands and keeping her there, looking her straight in the eyes with a fire that could rival the chaos from which the universe was created.
"With obedience," he said and led her to the bed. With a gentle push she was forced down to sit on the edge of the bed, never taking her eyes away from his. "And with no questions."
He untied the black sash that secured his robes and dropped it on the floor. The robe fell open, revealing a beautiful bronzed chest beneath. The rest of the robe quickly followed, leaving him dressed in nothing more than a simple loincloth.
His hands took a gentle hold of her wrists, then released them and stroked the backs of her palms, continuing slowly up her arms to rest on her shoulders. The slow caress of his warm hands was nothing she was accustomed to. Regular customers did not treat her like this. He touched her like a man touched his lover.
Stupid girl, Zahra told herself, don't expect him to take you as his wife! You're a pastime, nothing more! After he's done, he'll walk out the door and go back--
Her thoughts were interrupted by the touch of warm lips on hers. They were gentle, as caressing as his hands have been a moment ago. For the unfamiliarity of the situation, a startled gasp escaped from her lips.
"Do not be afraid. I shall not harm you," he grumbled in a low voice as he slipped the shoulder strap, immediately caressing the bare skin with a large, warm hand, "Just lay back and let me take my pleasure."
Zahra couldn't help but wonder who was about to give pleasure to whom.
The other shoulder strap soon followed the other and the dress was slid down, revealing her full breasts. His lips slowly trailed kisses down her neck, shoulder and down her breast, gently sucking on her nipple. His hands slowly went up her legs, pulling the hem of the dress upwards to her waist. When both his hands settled on the narrow waist and held her firmly still, the wet tongue circling her left nipple suddenly pulled away. She whimpered in protest but soon made a surprised gasp as the tongue flicked over the sensitive spot between her legs.
This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. She was here to serve him, not the other way around. "My lord, I..."
"Stay quiet," the man whispered, making Zahra immediately regret ever saying anything. She already missed the hot tongue between her legs, rhythmically stroking her to whatever sweet torment he had planned.
The tongue moved upwards slightly, and it's original quest was resumed by a strong finger, probing it's way inside and gently massaging the front wall, just below the cervix. The movement combined with the swirling tongue over her most sensitive spot made her catch her breath. One strong hand kept her small form in place as she squirmed, effectively pinning her down on the bed. She ran her palms over the strong shoulders, encouraging to give her more.
Just before she thought she couldn't take anymore, both the hand and the tongue pulled away.
She should know better, she should not beg him to please her. But still... "Please, my lord..."
"I said stay quiet, woman. Stay quiet or I'll find something to silence you with," his voice was stern, powerful, but underneath lay the slightest hint of amusement, to see if he had enough power over her to make her want it.
And she was tempted, so tempted, for there was very little doubt as to which part of his body he would use to silence her with.
Still, this seemed to be his game, and she was curious to see where it was going to.
His lips returned to her neck, trailing a river of hot, wet kisses from her collarbone to her neck, feeling her pulse racing. The tongue progressed in tiny circles to her ear, her earlobe gently tasted by his exploring mouth and finally the low whisper of his voice registered in her lust-driven mind, she knew she was lost for good.
"Obey me, my goddess, and you shall be rewarded," he said as he confidently positioned himself over her entrance, ready to thrust himself inside, deep into the hot, wet satin that awaited him. She could feel the tip of his shaft just outside, mimicking the motion his tongue had started, gently massaging but not entering, not just yet.
It seemed like he would force her to beg anyway.
Yet, she did not want to disobey him. So how would she let him know what she wanted, without asking, without making a noise? She ran her palms up and down on his strong, muscular arms, encouraging him to continue. Nothing happened. In her mind's eye, she could see him sneering at her desperation, could feel the corner of his mouth turn upwards into a self-satisfied smile against her neck. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and he had her exactly where he wanted her.
Arrogant, obnoxious little demon, she thought. In her frustration, she dug her nails into his shoulders, managing to get a small grunt out of him.
"So, my kitten has claws?" the man huskily whispered into her ear. The voice alone was enough to make her quiver inside.
"You must forgive me, little creature, for I am a desperate man, bound by the needs of my body. I seek absolution, my goddess, a release from this mortal world, even for one night. Your body shall be my temple. Accept my offering," he said, instantaneously pushing himself inside her, as deep as he could reach. The movement made her moan aloud in pleasure, and he didn't have the strength to stop and deliver the punishment he had threatened her with.
With a mad thrust after another, he hit deep within her, every stroke igniting millions of thunderbolts that shot everywhere through her, making her skin tingle with the electricity. He seemed to think of this as a religious act, and she felt the full force of the divinity of it.
His hand reached down to where they connected, caressing her with his whole palm until he found what he sought, the little bud of pleasure he could use to drive her over the edge. He flicked it with two fingers, then took it between them to move his hand up and down in time with his thrusts.
If Zahra was trying to keep quiet before, she surely wasn't making an effort at it now. She moaned and rocked against him, desperate to get him even deeper inside her. He kissed her deeply, his tongue imitating the movement of his manhood deep within her. The pleasure was immeasurable, nothing like this had she ever felt before.
The wave of pleasure that suddenly crashed over her made her gasp in shock. Staring at him straight in the eye, her wide eyes conveyed every emotion she was going through, passion, desperation, lust, pleasure, surprise.
She had heard of the explosive pleasure that women had when intimate, but having never experienced it, she had always thought of it as a myth. Right up to that moment.
His eyes greedily drank every sensation he saw in her eyes, the two of them connecting on a new level of lust. She was his delicious nectar, and he wanted all of her. With a few more thrusts, his movements became more urgent, more rough, and with a loud grunt, he finally released himself into her, the tangible offering he had promised.
They lay there a long while, she under him in awe of what she had just experienced, he supporting his weight on his elbows as not to crush her. He panted heavily, all the lust spent into her, leaving him content, comforted.
"What is your name, woman?"
Zahra slowly recognised his voice again and reluctantly returned to reality. "My name is Zahra, my lord."
He turned his gaze into her eyes, looking deep into the black pools that looked up at him. "Zahra...flower," He sampled the name on his tongue, savoring the feel of it, the meaning, "My little flower, you are beautiful when you come to bloom."
She blushed, the blood coloring her cheeks and she turned her head away. Once again she was acutely aware of her status in the society.
He withdrew from within her, got up and quietly redressed in his loincloth. When he looked back to where she lay, he saw the satisfied smile on her lips.
"Do you find me amusing?"
She looked up at him in surprise. She could feel simple interest in that question, as well as a hint of insecurity, maybe even a fear of rejection, but the man kept it well concealed. His expression showed nothing.
"No, my lord, I do not find you amusing."
"Then what has you so pleased?"
Truth or silence, she weighed. The truth would be overstepping her place, the silence would possibly hurt him. She decided on the lesser of two evils. "No one has ever made me... feel... like you just did," she said quietly, running her hand along her abdomen for emphasis. "No one has even been concerned for my pleasure before."
She bit her lip just as soon as the last sentence left them. You stupid, selfish girl! This is not about you! Show respect, for Amun's sake!
The man nodded, satisfied with the answer she had given him, knowing full well what particular 'feeling' she was referring to. "How much?"
Reality had never had a more cruel crash-land, but she had only been fooling herself, letting herself get lost in the passion. She knew this time would come.
"Two deben, my lord," she said, got up and lifted the shoulder straps back to their original place and smoothing out the hem of the dress.
"Two deben?" his brow went up in surprise, but his expression didn't give away whether his reaction to her price was a positive or a negative one.
Her mind only accepted the latter. Had she not been good enough?
He stepped up in front of her as he put his robe on, then took a hold of her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "You have served me well tonight, my flower, so I shall leave you with three."
He nearly laughed out loud when the surprise shone in her eyes. With a wink, he handed her the three copper deben, put on the scarf that concealed most of his face and with a final look at her pushed the door cover aside and stepped out.
Zahra was left standing in her room with 3 copper deben in her shaky hand.
When she could once again think straight, she looked at the three deben she held in her hand. With the four she already had, she could now pay for the room, and while the deben she would have left wasn't much, it would get her a small amount of bread and wine.
After she had paid her landlord for the day's stay, she took the half a jug of wine and a loath of bread and made it back to her room, ate in silence and retired for the night.