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A Roman Socialite and Her Tamer (Nurse x Houdini)

She took a step towards him when he moved back, displaying her momentary trust in him. She looked to the bench when he walked to it and then looked to Flavia. She made a mental note to smack the servant girl in the face the next chance she got. She had never been one to be fond of servants. She knew some women who befriended their help, but Adonna thought that was cruel. Servants could never be anything but servants. They should only be treated as such.

"I'm trusting you," she said out loud, looking directly at Justus. That way he couldn't say that she wasn't trusting him and that was why he went against his promise. She walked slowly to the bench and then laid down on it, her chest on the padded part. She even went so far as to place her wrists in the cuffs.
 
Justus smiled when she said she trusted him. It actually meant something to him, even though she doubtless was going to loathe him a few minutes from now. He didn't think she gave in just because there was no other option. He legitimately felt that she trusted him, at least to keep his word in this one case. He knelt over facing her, and looked into her eyes as he locked both wrist restraints. He gave her a little rub on the cheek before moving around to the other side, locking her ankles in as well. Her chest and most of her stomach rested on the pad, her butt sticking up in the air a little, covered by the green gown. Her curves actually were quite accentuated in this position. He'd have to remember than in bed one night, he thought to himself.

"Flavia, you may go about your usual chores," he told the disappointed servant girl. "Cornelius, fetch me the branding iron, and then you are dismissed as well." He didn't go back around to look at her after the mentioning of the phrase 'branding iron', but left Adonna to process this punishment on her own. Cornelius returned a moment later with the red-hot iron on a long handle, handing it to Justus and then leaving, closing the door behind him. The branding part was only about the size of a denarius coin, about an inch in diameter.
 
She felt a great relief when Justus dismissed the servants. Now that they weren't going to be there, she felt confident that she could take whatever punishment Justus was going to give her. She knew it was going to be bad, but it would be a lot easier for her to handle when it was just her and him. Then she heard the words. Branding iron. She felt her blood run cold for a moment. So he was going to brand her. What more permanent way to make her his than to brand her with his seal? She swallowed hard and rested her face down on the padded bench. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for what she knew was coming.
 
Justus took the hot iron in one hand, and approached Elsa from behind. She didn't appear to be fighting too hard in the restraints, at least not yet. He reached beneath her gown and pulled it up, laying it on her back. This served to reveal the intended target for her brand, her perfect, pure bottom. Her pretty butt had no mark or blemish of any kind on it now. It wasn't too skinny or bony, but was shapely, with just the right amount of flesh to it. Walking around to Elsa, he quickly displayed to her fearful eyes the red-hot end of the iron. "This is our family insignia," he explained. "I don't think it's a dishonor of any kind to bear it. But if you do think so, as long as you're faithful to me, no other man need see it. And when I see it, it will only endear you to me more."

He thought for a moment about the significance of this? Would she view it as dehumanizing, a process often done with an animal? Of course, punishment branding wasn't unheard of. Runaway slaves were branded "Fug" to signify they'd be a 'fugitive'. This was a similar punishment of sorts. "I'm going to emblazon it on your right cheek of your bottom," he explained calmly. After I'm finished, I want you to say 'Thank you, sir. It was a fair punishment, my husband'. If you don't say it, I'll also mark the other side of your bottom. Are you ready?"
 
She looked up warily at the red hot iron when he held it in front of her face. Their family insignia. She was in his family now. It almost didn't even matter who her father was anymore. What mattered was who were husband was, and that was Justus. She belonged to Justus legally, he'd taken her virginity, and now he was going to brand her as his, so even if she did get away from him any man who saw her butt would know who she belonged to first.

She took a deep breath when he stood behind her, her dress lifted and a light breeze wafting across her smooth flesh. She swallowed hard and nodded as much as she could, "I'm ready," she said shakily, trying to hide most of her emotions about this from him.
 
Justus walked around to the rear of her. He was actually glad that he'd dispatched his servants. This was a moment he wanted to share alone with his wife. His heart raced a little as he knew this was something that couldn't be undone. She'd always bear his mark after this. He let his free hand rub her milky butt softly for a moment or two, not meaning any malice, but only to settle her down a little. "Don't move, Adonna," he warned. "It will only make the burned area larger."

He realized that she had no way of knowing when the strike would come, so after holding the iron there in the air for a few seconds, he plunged it at the center of her right butt cheek, immediately sizzling loudly when it touched the skin. He pressed in hard, and held it against her skin to the count of three. Her entire body shook violently once he'd branded her, but he held the iron tight against the skin so that the mark would be clear. After the three seconds, he pulled the iron swiftly away, immediately noticing a bright red spot glowing on her skin. His first thought was regret for what he'd done, but he expressed none of that waiting to hear what Adonna might say when she was finished crying out.
 
She clenched her teeth as she waited for the strike to come. She stayed as stark still as she possibly could, not wanting to cause herself more hurt accidentally. It seemed like a hundred years she waited. She waited and waited and waited and then suddenly she felt it there, sizzling her skin. She tried to hold back but she couldn't, her scream erupted from her mouth as if she was being murdered. Her entire body shuddered involuntarily and for the three seconds he held the iron to her skin all she knew was absolute and horrible pain.

When he pulled it away her mind began to clear. She still felt the horrible pain there, but she knew it wasn't going to get any worse. She took a couple of deep breaths and then began, "T-thank you sir," she stammered, the tears welling up in her eyes as her jaw quivered, "It was a fair punishment," she half-moaned half-sobbed those words as the pain really sunk in to her, "my husband,"
 
Justus felt for her when she let out a blood-curdling scream that filled the entire house. He still firmly believed, though, that she deserved it. He walked around to her and dabbed his toga at her eyes, drying some of her tears as she continued to heave and sob. He took her head and held it close to his chest, massaging her scalp for a moment before pulling away. "Part of the punishment, Adonna," is to lay here like this for a while and think about why you were punished. And how you can be a better wife in the future, so we can both love and fulfill each other, and never have to do anything like this again."

He turned and left the room, returning fifteen minutes later with a jar of burn-soothing salve that Flavia had fetched for him. "Adonna, how do you feel?" he called out, entering the room again. "I have some soothing salve for your burn. It will help greatly," he added, placing his hand softly on the lower part of her back. "I was going to have Flavia apply it, but I didn't think you'd like that, so I can do it myself. Then I'll let you loose."
 
Adonna looked up at Justus when he came to the front of her and dabbed her eyes. She looked at him with regret and sorrow. She had never thought, ever, that he would punish her like this. She thought he would hit her, or maybe not allow her to eat or something. But never branding. Justus was serious when he said he would teach her a lesson, that was something that Adonna could not forget and could not take for granted. He wasn't like her father, he wasn't like the other men she had played. He was serious, and he could do anything he wanted to her. She belonged to him.

She laid there for her fifteen minutes honestly thinking about how sorry she was. If she had had any idea that what she had done yesterday would have resulted in this, she wouldn't have done it. She would have obeyed him in an instant. Now she knew better, though she couldn't promise that she'd be the obedient submissive he wanted. She blinked her eyes when he came into the room and turned her head to face him.

"I'm...okay," she said, her voice still wavering. She was glad he'd decided against having Flavia apply the salve. She searched his eyes for a moment and then said softly, "Thank you, Justus. I..." this was a major step for her, and a difficult one, "am sorry."
 
Justus wasn't sure what to expect when he returned to the room, but he was truly touched when she apologized to him. He actually felt closer to her in that moment that any other since they'd met. He didn't regret punishing her, in fact he'd do it again if she continued to disrespect him. But he didn't hold any resentment towards her now that the punishment had been completed. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Adonna," he said, looking her back in the eye. Moving his toga up again, he dried the remnants of her tears, and held her cheek in his palm, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "And I'm glad you understand the lesson here."

Walking around her, he opened the jar of salve and spread some around on her bottom. The mark was still red, but the insignia was clear now. It made a pride, a devotion of sorts, swell up in him to see his mark on her ass. It was even more beautiful to him than before she'd been scarred. She hadn't taken it willingly, of course, but it identified this woman as no other but his. After he finished soothing her mark, he pulled her gown down, and reached down, unclasping the locks on her feet, then those on her ankles. "Come lie in bed, Adonna," he said, extending his hand to her.
 
Justus, at least for a little while, was not going to receive any flack from Adonna. She was like a child who'd been caught stealing from the kitchen -- she wouldn't steal anymore until she thought she could get away with it again. She was sobered by his punishment and would always think twice before she did something from now on, but that didn't mean that she was always going to stay on the path that Justus wanted her on. She was still Adonna, she was still opinionated and mouthy. But she now also bore a brand that only he could give her, something she could never get rid of and something that would pain her for probably weeks to come. A constant reminder of him.

When he unclasped her restraints she slowly got up, wincing at the pain she felt when the fresh welt was forced to stretch by her moving. She winced again when she stood, the weight of her body in her ass muscles forcing the welt to adapt. Normally she would not have taken his hand, but she did this time. She placed her hand in his and actually used it for support as she walked to their bed. She got up into it, whimpering when she sat down, all of her weight now on her fresh mark.
 
Justus let Adonna support her weight on him as she half-limped over to the bed. "No, no," he said, when she said down on the sheet and almost yelped in pain. "On your stomach," he instructed, placing one hand on her stomach, and assisting her to lie down in the more comfortable position. Once she was down, he slid a pillow under her face, and tucked the sheet in around her body.

"I'll give you the morning to rest, Adonna," he told her as he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her back. He continued to rub her for a little while before saying anything. "Don't you hate me for what I've done to you, Adonna?" he wondered out loud. "Or have you really learned the need to respect me?"
 
She sighed in ease when he helped her onto her stomach and slid the pillow under her face. The bed and pillow were cool to the touch and it made her hot body feel better. She closed her eyes for a few moments and thought she might doze off. Most of her energy had been completely drained from her with that punishment. She hadn't prepared for that, she had thought he would beat her or something (which he hadn't done yet, but she fully expected he would in the future) not that he would brand her.

She glanced up at him when he asked her if she hated him. Was that a serious question? Did he actually want a real answer? She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she thought. She opened them again slowly and then replied, "I realize that you mean everything that you say. But...I don't feel any different emotion towards you than I've always felt." she didn't name the emotion, but she was sure he knew what it was.
 
Justus furrowed his brow in thought as she answered him sleepily. He wasn't too concerned at this point whether she loved him or not, or ever would. He didn't love her, and from what he knew of marriage, if love happened, it was just a nice side benefit. It wasn't the point of a marriage. But what he did demand was respect. If she gave him that, even if she did resent him, as she'd just alluded to, he could accept it.

"I thank you for being honest, Adonna," he responded, moving his hand up to her shoulder. "But you just said you were sorry. You haven't said anything like that before. Is it because you only fear that I mean what I say now, when I say I will punish you?" He didn't really care if she meant her apology or not, as long as she was kind, respectful, dutiful, and took care of all his needs. But he was curious about it this time. "Or did you appreciate that I could have done worse. I could have let Flavia watch, if I'd wanted to," he pointed out, knowing the very mention of that name would be unpleasant to Adonna.
 
Adonna wondered why he was choosing to press this subject. Was he trying to exert more control over her by making her give him answers? Maybe, but she wasn't sure. It actually seemed as if he was genuinely curious as to how she felt about him. She couldn't really give him a definitive answer, the way she felt about him changed with every instant. Last night when he'd taken her virginity, she'd felt okay with him. But last night when he was trying to push his manhood into her mouth, she had fiercely hated him. It depended on what he was doing, she supposed.

"I know you could have done worse." her face darkened at the mention of Flavia's name and she reminded herself to smack that little whorish servant sometime soon. "I do somewhat fear that you mean what you say," she qualified a little so that she wouldn't sound weak, "but I also know that you were merciful when I begged for mercy, and I thank you for that,"
 
Adonna was at least saying the right things, and she'd been through enough, so he decided to let her be. "Okay," he said "I'll let you sleep, Adonna. I have some things to do at home in the morning, but I'll want you to dress me and see me off a little after noontime. I have some matters to take care of in the city. I'll send Flavia in to get you before I leave. You really must learn to get along with her, you know."

He left her in the bedroom, seeing a couple of visitors during the morning who'd stopped by to pay their congratulations. A couple of hours later, he pulled Flavia aside, telling her he was going to his changing room. "Fetch Adonna, and tell her to meet me in my changing room to help me dress. Be kind to her please, she's still a little shaken." Flavia gave a little bow. "Of course, sir," she said sweetly, flipping some of her long brown hair, and heading for the bedroom. She purposely slammed the door once she'd entered without knocking. "How's that ass?" she shouted out rudely to Adonna.
 
Adonna's eyes fluttered open when she heard the door slam. She saw that nasty girl standing there with a smug look on her face as she shouted her rude comment. In that instant she completely forgot about the pain in her ass and she sat up, putting her weight on it but not feeling a thing. She slid off of the bed and stood, advancing ominously towards Flavia. Flavia was shorter than Adonna because Flavia wasn't as well nourished as a child the way Adonna was. Flavia had been poor her entire life and was still poor, despite the fact that she lived in Justus' house.

Adonna had always been cruel to servants she didn't like and Flavia was not going to be an exception. All of the pent up anger and frustration Adonna had towards Justus was now going to be taken out on this girl. She shoved Flavia up against the door. "Listen, you little slut servant," she hissed, her eyes narrow, "Don't you ever speak to me that way again. And don't you dare show anything except the utmost respect for me." and then she slapped the girl as hard as she could across the face. She grabbed the girls cheeks and forced her face to look back at her after having twisted her neck sharply with the slap. "That's the least I can do to you. I'm sure you don't want to know what will happen to you when I'm really angry."
 
Flavia whimpered as Adonna shoved her back against the wall. She didn't like being called a slut, as Adonna had done yesterday and again today, but she wasn't expecting a physical confrontation. She'd thought that Adonna would be too weak after her branding to lash out like this. "I... I'm not a slut," she pleaded, squirming and trying to throw Adonna's hands off her. But Adonna was stronger and angrier, and she was no match for her.

She winced in pain, letting out a yelp as she was slapped, her face in Adonna's hands before she knew it. Her cheeks held tight, she was forced to stare Adonna in the eyes, her own eyes big and scared. She didn't want to back down, though. "Just.. Justus has always liked me," she dared to say as Adonna gripped her up. "He's ju... just always been afraid because we're not in the same class. But... but he wouldn't like it if you really hurt me. He might do something worse to you than he already did," she whimpered. Flavia wasn't sure if that was true, but she'd heard Adonna's pained scream echo through the house when she was branded, so she hoped that would put enough fear into her new mistress to make her leave Flavia alone.
 
"A punishment from my husband is worth putting you back in your place." she seethed, letting go of Flavia's face and purposely shoving it back so that it banged against the door behind her. "If he liked you enough, he would have screwed you. And the way you ogle at him, I know that he hasn't." she smirked evilly and crossed her arms in front of her. "He is my husband, Flavia. Whether I like him or not, that's the way it is. You are a servant and if you expect to keep serving here, you will respect me." she grabbed hold of the girl's wrist and yanked her away from the door. Then she opened the door and gave her a false smile, "Leave."
 
Obviously, her threat didn't have its intended effect. Flavia was seething beneath her fearful surface, and desperately wanted to strike Adonna back, but she knew she wouldn't get far, and might be punished by her master on top of that. She winced, rubbing her head after it was banged against the door. Edging towards the doorway nervously as Adonna ordered her out, she paused for a moment. "Um... Justus sent me to tell you to come and see him in his changing room. He wants you to help him dress," she said sheepishly.

With that, she practically ran out the door, before Adonna could say or do anything else. She was very angry at what had happened, but knew she couldn't strike back verbally or physically again at Adonna. The new wife had made her point. If she was going to get back, it would have to be by ramping up her constant efforts at seducing Justus.
 
She watched Flavia scurry away and was only partially satisfied. She knew that the girl had a thing for Justus, and surprisingly, it enraged Adonna. She didn't even like Justus, why should she care if the servant girl had a crush on him? But she did care, because to Adonna Justus belonged to her just as much as she belonged to him. Not in the legal world, political world, or in outside society of course, but this was her house now. She was lady of the house and some stupid servant girl was not going to disrespect her just because she wanted in Justus' toga.

All of this didn't make her actually like Justus anymore, but she knew that she had to make a more concentrated effort with him in order to keep Flavia at bay. Of course Adonna wanted Flavia gone permanently, but the only way she was going to get that to happen was to rack up enough points with Justus that he would do it for her. She walked briskly to the changing room and knocked gently on the door before opening it. She saw Justus standing there and she gave him a very small smile.
 
Justus had been standing in his changing room sizing up a toga he held when Adonna entered. He was wearing just a thin, belted tunic reaching just above the knees, one of his preferred garments to wear around the house. “Ah, Adonna, come in.” He didn’t change his expression as he glanced at her briefly. “It’s good to see you up and about.” He took the toga he held and tossed one end over his shoulder, the heavy cloth free from wrinkles of any kind, as his servants always kept his clothes properly creased when he wasn’t using them. He looked the pretty girl over, her brown curls a little less bouncy than before. He made a mental note to obtain a new servant to be at Adonna’s disposal for beauty purposes. Not that Adonna needed any help, but a woman so beautiful needed to be given the opportunity to adorn herself to the fullest. He’d never had such a need in his household before, and Flavia certainly wouldn’t do. Flavia could barely do herself up right, hard as she always tried to impress him.

“You know, a dutiful wife helps her husband dress, and sees him off when he leaves. She stands in expectation when he is due to return. I’m a realistic man. I know you won’t be waiting around with bated breath, at least not now. But I’ll expect you to make a display as if you do care for me.” He brought the end of the toga up beneath his other arm and across his chest. Tying a toga was no easy task, and always required some assistance. One of his servants would doubtless have been faster and better, he thought, but he’d prefer Adonna to learn this now that they were wed. “I assume you know how to tie a toga,” he said, holding the end of the heavy cloth out to her.
 
"Yes, Justus. I know how to tie a toga," she said a little more dramatically than she probably needed to. She closed the door behind her and walked up behind him, taking the two parts of the toga and holding them together. She sighed a little and began to tie it, working the complex knots. It took her a few minutes, but she managed to do it fairly cleanly. With practice she would be able to do it faster and better still. "Did you have a good morning?" she asked absently as she smoothed out the toga in the back. It wasn't wrinkled but now that it was tied it needed to be spread across his back adequately. She ran her hands over his shoulders lightly, thinking again that she actually quite enjoyed his broad, strong shoulders.
 
Justus smiled at her when she mocked his question a little, turning his back so she'd have ample access at the parts she needed to tie. He didn't think it was an unreasonable question, after all. Patronus was wealthy enough to have someone always tie her togas for her if that's what she wanted growing up. Besides, the knots in the back were the kind one rarely did themselves, that was learned only by working on others. But she did an adequate enough job, so he couldn't complain.

He wondered again why she asked if he had a good morning. Justus wasn't going to ask her about her motives anymore, though. That hadn't got him too far with her, and he was sure he could learn more by observation anyway. "It was an excellent morning, Adonna. My cousin Caletus stopped by with a gift. It's a beautiful, expensive vase. You'll meet him sometime. He's an excellent man. Also Senator Sidonius. He left a new toga for you." He turned around, feeling her soft touch on his shoulders, and took one of her hands in his as it fell off his body. "And what about you, Adonna? Do you feel much better now?"
 
She was touched by the fact that he took her hand. It was strange, their relationship. At times there was hate brewing between them and at other times they were soft and almost romantic with each other. She couldn't make a decision about him. She knew she had no choice but to stay with him, so why not make the best of it, but that was easier said than done. A senator left a toga for her? That was interesting. Hopefully it was a fashionable one, as she knew she would need to wear it if the Senator ever came to supper at their house.

"I do feel much better. I'm...a little sore, but alright otherwise." she contemplated bringing up what happened with Flavia. She thought it might be better if she was the one to tell Justus about it rather than her, "I must tell you, though, that Flavia doesn't respect me. She was quite rude to me when she came in." she paused and then looked up at him, a little sadness in her eyes, "She wishes she were in my place."
 
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