19. Axl

We take a House Zu transport and fly over the Capital City through the morning rush hour to the Grand City Temple. Two guards are with us.

When we land they accompany us through crowds up to the elaborate gates at the Grand City Temple’s imperial entrance.

“Why the guards?” Georgiana asks. “Is it dangerous?”

“No. But you are my responsibility and you’re human. I wouldn’t want anyone abducting you.”

“Who would abduct me?”

“You never know,” I reply and let it go as we pass through the ancient gates of the Grand City Temple. I did not let the High Priestess know I was coming, so she is hurrying out with some of her nuns to greet us.

“May the goddesses be blessed,” she says. “And you have brought one of the Lost People with you. She walks in the light.”

“She does,” I reply. “We are here to pay homage to the goddess of home.”

“Let me guide the way,” the High Priestess says and we follow her, my guards behind us, and the High Priestess’s nuns behind the guards. The latter begin chanting as we walk through the elaborate temple compound. I look over at Georgiana, she’s walking confidently as if she’s been here before. It’s impressive.

When we enter the oldest part of the temple, the Chamber of the Goddesses, I walk toward the massive stone statue of the goddess of home. Her green jeweled eyes are glistening in the candlelit smoky room. A sense of peace embraces me. I’m home. There’s no one here but us and the temple’s disciples. I pick up two white prayer candles and hand one to Georgiana. She takes it without hesitation. “Repeat after me.”

Georgiana lights her candle from mine and then repeats the prayer I say as we stand in front of the goddess’s statue. After a few minutes she asks, “Now what?”

“We stay quiet until our candles burn down to our fingers.”

She looks down at her candle and then back at me. “That’s going to be awhile.”

“Yes, that’s the point.”

“Oh, okay.”

Inwardly I’m smiling and can’t concentrate on my prayers at all. Isn’t Georgiana impressed by anything in the Empire?

When our candles finally burn out, the High Priestess corners us. “Would you like to visit the punishment rooms today?”

“Punishment rooms?” Georgiana asks.

The High Priestess looks at me expectantly. She knows we have sinned. She would have read Fox’s report that says we were married. And she would know that we have marriage bracelets that we are choosing not to wear. The High Priestess could make all of this information public if she wanted to. But as usual, I suspect she wants her payment in blood.

“Only myself. Madame Georgiana can’t make any sacrifices as she wasn’t a part of the decision making.”

“It doesn’t matter. You are both guilty of the crime and she accepted the pleasure. Or are the medical recorders on the Alliance Force faulty?”

“What crime?” Georgiana asks.

The High Priestess and I hold eye contact. Then she tells me, “You know there are two ways you can pay.”

“I understand,” then I look at Georgiana. “How well do you take pain?”

“What?!”

“High Priestess, you see Madame Georgiana is one of the Lost People. She isn’t able to withstand the goddess’s blood payment today.”

The High Priestess looks Georgiana up and down. “You both come with me now and we will test this. She looks sturdy enough to me.”

I take Georgiana’s reluctant hand to give her support and my IC goes off for a fine from the High Council.

The High Priestess looks over her shoulder. “You’re only making it worse for yourself, Commander Axl.”

“What’s she talking about?”

“Touching like this is forbidden for us now, among other things. And the High Priestess wants us to pay for our crimes… It’s difficult for me to explain.”

Georgiana stops walking. “Try explaining it.”

I stop walking, lean over, and say for her ears only, as I don’t want my guards, the High Priestess or her nuns to hear. “When I put my lips on your clitoris until your whole body shook with pleasure. When I caressed your breasts and sucked on your nipples, I shouldn’t have done those things without being married. And because I did them and you enjoyed them, we must atone here today.”

“How do we do apologize?”

“With a blood payment to the High Priestess in her Punishment Rooms.”

Georgiana shakes her head and crosses her arms. “No way, Jose.”

“I don’t know who Jose is, but he’s no use to us here unless he is a god who can pardon us for our passion.”

“No one has hit me since I was a child. I can’t do this.”

“Paying the High Priestess is the most convenient way and private way to atone. It’s a few lashes and some prayers. Otherwise the High Priestess can force us into a public marriage right now which would be more inconvenient…”

“And I would be kept in your mother’s dungeon? No, thank you. I see where you’re coming from now.”

I’m a bit disheartened that Georgiana wouldn’t want to marry me right now, but I understand my mother and sister didn’t make a good impression on her yesterday or this morning. I don’t think I’d jump to live permanently on an alien planet after being there only a few hours either. But is seven days going to be enough to convince her I’m worth it?

I caress Georgiana’s ear as I say, “I promise to visit you secretly in your room tonight if you do this.”

“All night?”

“As long as I can without being detected.”

Georgiana nods agreement at this arrangement and I take her hand again. More fines from the High Council mark our steps as we walk on towards the High Priestess’s Punishment Rooms. I am, more or less, a regular visitor here and the High Priestess and I know each other well. In my line of work, I’m frequently seeking purification for my sins, but I hope it won’t be too much for Georgiana.

The House Zu guards wait outside the building as we walk in. The smell of incense, blood, and wood surrounds us. I stop Georgiana in the foyer. “We must remove our clothing here.”

She looks around at the nuns who have followed us in. “With these people watching us?”

“They are devout followers of the goddesses.”

“They still have eyes.”

“Georgiana, we must do this. Remember my promise to you. Keep that in mind when you want to walk away.”

With that she reluctantly begins taking off her clothing and I take off mine. She is naked first and I must admit seeing her naked in the Punishment Rooms sends something through me and I must control myself not to become aroused. My mind races to what it will look like, her laying prostate and being whipped on her pale skin for the pleasure I gave her. And that she hasn’t learned her lesson, that she wants me to come back to her rooms tonight. Now, I must think of something else or I will embarrass us both with my erection in this holy place.