AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her smile grew a little more. "Do you think she really asked for me?"
I honestly hoped that she did. Mostly, that was because Nari was so adorable with her new crush, and I loved seeing this look on her face. There was something oddly innocent about it, and my woman deserved a little pure, honest joy in her life lately.
"I think you'd better make it clear to Migard that she's on the approved list," I pointed out. "He hasn't been assigning you any women."
"Good point," she agreed.
On her other side, Talin was smiling at her fondly. I knew that if Xenia had requested her, all three of our guardians would be vying over watching over her in this session. For Wraythe, it was his own fantasy to see Nari with another woman. Not to be involved, but just to watch and take it all in. Sure, he could enjoy watching any sex, but we all knew that he was only attracted to women. The idea ofhislover with another? Yeah, that would make him a very, very happy man.
Which was why Talin would never let him. Besides the fact that Talin's protective nature had been growing lately, the chance to torment Wraythe was just too good to pass up. I had a feeling that Talin would also enjoy the show - because I knew I would. But Anver did have a point.Hewouldn't get distracted. While that made me think letting him watch over her session was the best idea, someone would have to watch Tishlie for him, and I wasn't sure that blathering idiot would make it out of that situation alive.
Saval finally stood, snapping me out of my musings, and started handing out the paperwork for our limits. "As you know, this means we have a session coming up," she announced. "And yes, I am aware that it's currently the middle of the week instead of the beginning. That's because this session will not be this weekend, but rather at the end of next week."
Ok, that gave us a week and a half to prepare, but why? I looked over at Nari in confusion, but she just shook her head, clearly as clueless as I was. Around us, everyone else was doing the same, but Saval knew exactly how to get us to actually pay attention, and it was working.
"For a lot of you, this will be your first display-only session," she explained. "For others, it will be a date. This session will be held outside the temple at a venue that has already been arranged. The High Society Club is an exclusive social gathering area for the wealthiest and highest rankedmenin Calseth. Yes, the patrons are only men. No, I don't care if you don't serve men, because sex is not the nature of this assignment. However, it is also not prohibited for those of you who choose to engage that way."
"If we're not fucking them, then is this just like the holidays?" someone asked.
"No," Saval said before pausing to count out pages for the next row. "For the Day of Blessing and the Day of Planning, you were meant to host someone at an event outside your comfort zone. This time, you will be an icon of sexuality. You will be either a date or an adornment. It doesn't matter if your arrangement with the patron is as a mere companion or arm candy for a well-ranked gentleman or noble. As their date for the evening, your duty will be to flatter them. That can range from keeping the conversation around them interesting, making excuses to get them out of an awkward social situation, or fawning over them like a lover. However..."
Again she paused, but this time a little sneer curled her lips as she counted out the papers. From the shifting and shuffling, it was obvious that we were all hanging on her words. Some in this class would likely be annoyed at the assignment because they didn't serve men. Others would be excited for the chance to get an introduction to the kinds of patrons that would help our careers after we graduated.
"Those of you who are not picked by a patron will perform some kind of display. You will basically act as decoration for this event, making the nature of the interactions very clear. Now, your display could include synchronized dancing, it could be gymnastics, or it could be anything else that will work as a stage performance with no patron contact and no nudity. Think of yourselves as the quartet setting the atmosphere. Likely, you will barely be noticed, but you can still make useful connections, and your actions will keep the ambiance to something more elusive and enticing for these powerful men. For the priests in the room, you may be seen as a stand-in or surrogate for their own view of themselves."
Something about this whole thing seemed off, though. Her words were chosen carefully. The assignments would fall far outside the range of what half this class would agree to do. I couldn't even imagine how this had been approved as a training session - and then it hit me.
Before I could even think about it, I blurted out, "This wasn't the planned session, was it?"
Saval's fingers paused, and she looked over at me with an expression that was too serious. "Schedules change, Ela. The High Society Club has connections that the Temple of Temptation needs to encourage. To this end, you will all be placed with the highest bidder for your time and services. It is a blind auction, your limits will be respected, and your grade will be increased proportionate to the amount of your contract. You will also be able to accept tithes for this event, regardless of what position you end up in."
Which caused a ripple of murmurs to sweep across the room. Saval had phrased that well, but I could hear what she hadn't said. Kinen was trying to raise money and using the students to do it. And while Saval's mannerisms were perfect, something was off about how she was acting, so I had a feeling she was pissed about this.
Then a student across from us shoved to his feet. "So we're now being sold off like whores? We're still initiates, andwe'resupposed to receive the tithe for our services, not have the temple charge for the use of us!" He sliced his hand through the air in anger. "I don't serve men, so my grade will be lowered because of it? This isn't right!"
"It's because the temple didn't get the annual tithe," someone grumbled.
"So our High Priest is selling us off?" the guy asked, hearing it. "You know that's where this came from. Auctioning us off has to be approved by the temple leadership, and tithes or not, that is not what we're here for! We have limits. We have the right to refuse. We still have the rights to our own bodies, but if our grades are dependent on doing something outside our limits, then how is this any different from the reason why Oryll was removed?"
Saval's lips just curled into a devious smile that she was clearly trying to hold back. "I did mention that if you were forced to refuse a session in my class then you simply wouldn't be graded on it.Ihave not changed my grading system, and your limits are still to be respected while I am your instructor."
Which meant she was being forced to do this. She'd just given the students an out, but there were likely a few people in here who would repeat what she'd said, so she had to be careful about it. Saval was walking a very narrow line, but I couldn't blame her. Not at all. There was just one problem with all of this, and I had a feeling Nari hadn't realized it yet.
"This is all men, which means no Xenia," I whispered to her.
"Yeah," Nari said, the disappointment audible. "Nobles and high society, so I'm not going to be popular."
Shit. Fuck! She was right. Then again, Saval had said a blind auction, which meant our names likely wouldn't be mentioned. Still, how would they know who they were bidding on? What system had Kinen set up to sell us off for the highest dollar? Because I had a feeling the money earned from this wouldn't go to paying for things like medications for the infirmary or delicacies for the kitchens.
"Saval?" I asked. "Are we going to be paraded out and sold off like pigs for slaughter? And, if we're not going to be standing before them, then how are the potential patrons deciding whether or not to bid? In other words, how can we increase our chances to raise our bids, and thus our grades?"
"A list of your details will be posted for the buyers and read aloud at the auction," she explained, pausing to lick her lips and unclench her jaw. "Height, hair color, and other identifying features will be listed, as will your sexual preferences. Your schedulers will be responsible for putting those things together in an appealing way. The auction will be held this weekend, privately, so make sure to update everything before then, and you should be fine."
"In other words," some woman grumbled, "the more we're willing to let them do to us - sexually - the higher our bid will be. We're not Exotic specialists!"
"No, you are not, nor are you intended to be," Saval assured her. "Also, you will need appropriate clothing for this event, as you will be representing the Temple of Temptation. In this instance, scandalous is acceptable. Plebeian is not." She counted out another row. "The dress requirements are on the back of this page. Read them. Know them. If you have any problems meeting them, come talk to me. At the start of next week, I will let you know how you did in the auction and give you your official assignments."
"And for those who can't afford expensive gowns or suits?" Nari asked.
