Le Château Noir

Chapter 1

The heavy velvet draperies of the private parlor inside the Hourglass Corsetry Boutique blocked out the Charleston sun and humid heat, leaving the air cool and scented with lavender and fine leather. Ariana stood perfectly still on the elevated walnut fitting pedestal. The forty-four year old woman's posture was erect, her presence radiating unyielding grace and elegance.

Ariana was nude aside from her patent leather high heels and the exquisite, custom-tailored under-bust black leather corset currently being fitted onto her body--a masterpiece of cordovan leather, matte-black brocade and rigid steel boning that cinched her waist with flawless, wasp-like perfection. Her large breasts were fully exposed, her bare, pale flesh of her vulva gleaming in the soft light of the studio.

Kneeling on the plush rug at her feet was Gabrielle, the atelier's most gifted young artisan. Gabrielle was typically the epitome of professional precision, but today her hands trembled slightly against the leather laces--her fingers fumbling from the unexpected thrill of a rising, forbidden curiosity. She had tailored garments for Ariana many times before, but she had never seen the woman in such a striking state of undress.

It was the first time she had seen the distinctive tattoo etched on to the pale flesh of the older woman's pubis.

The close proximity of Ariana's nudity was having a titillating effect upon the twenty-five year old blond. She had never been with a woman in her life--never even considered it--but she suddenly felt drawn to raw sensuality of the woman before her. Perhaps it was the primal magnetism of Ariana's regal bearing or her aura of unquestioning authority. Whatever the cause, the shopgirl's eyes kept returning to her customer's breasts and the cleft between her thighs.

Reaching around to adjust the heavy satin laces at the back of the corset, Gabrielle let her hands linger for a long, delicious moment just above Ariana's lower spine, feeling the smooth warmth of her skin. She smoothed the fabric downward, her fingers slowly tracing the contours of Ariana's waist and upper bare buttocks before rising and stepping back around to face the older woman.

Gabrielle's let her eyes drift up and down Ariana's body, ostensibly to check the fit of the bespoke leather corset, but her eyes kept darting to the woman's large breasts and bare sex. She suddenly realized her own pussy was thrumming with arousal, her cheeks warm.

What's wrong with me? I'm acting like a smitten school girl.

Ariana remained stock still as the shopgirl attended to her, completely unselfconscious in her nakedness. As Gabrielle reached up to straighten the top edge of the brocade, she let the back of her hand brush against Ariana's left nipple, her own breath hitching slightly at the intimacy of the close contact.

"Pardon, Madame" she apologized quickly, her voice suddenly breathless.

"Not to worry, dear," Ariana replied crisply. "Hazard of the profession, I'm sure."

As Gabrielle knelt down to smooth the lower front panel, she came face to face with the tattoo etched on to Ariana's pale pubis that had first caught her eye when she entered the room for the custom fitting. Up close, she could now see the inked image was of a grand, majestic black fleur-de-lys executed with intricate precision upon the tender white flesh.

Gabrielle swallowed hard, unable to look away.

"Forgive me, Madame... but this mark is absolutely exquisite. May I ask what it signifies?"

Ariana looked down at the artisan, a slow, knowing smile playing upon her lips. She had of course noticed every lingering touch and stolen glance from the hapless seamstress. She was enjoying the playful tension that had crept in to the room and decided to have a little sport with the young, pretty shopgirl.

"That mark represents a specific position of authority," Ariana replied, her voice steady and resonant. "The right to bear the grand fleur-de-lys was granted when I was appointed La Grande Maîtresse."

Gabrielle's eyes widened at the formality and gravity of the title. As a lifelong resident of Charleston, the low country steeped in the culture and language of the French Huguenots, Gabrielle immediately recognized the meaning of the words.

"That sounds very important, Maîtresse."

Ariana smiled thinly at the artisan's respectful use of her honorific. She stepped gracefully off the pedestal, her heels clicking softly on the hardwood floor as she twirled to face the kneeling woman. Ariana reached down and tilted Gabrielle's chin up with a single, manicured finger until their eyes met.

"Tell me, Gabrielle," Ariana asked, a sharp, testing glint in her eyes. "Have you ever heard of Le Château Noir?"

Gabrielle gasped.

"Le Château Noir...", she repeated her voice a hushed murmur. She didn't pull away from Ariana's finger on her chin; instead, she leaned into the touch fractionally, her gaze locked onto the older woman's captivating eyes.

"I... I have heard whispers, Maîtresse. High-society clients who come into the atelier for their finery. They speak of an estate hidden away in the countryside, a place of absolute secrecy and immense wealth catering to the darkest fantasies of the super-rich."

Ariana cupped the pretty artisan's chin.

"You've heard the rumors, Gabrielle, but whispers from high-society clients never quite capture the true theater of the reality," Ariana murmured, her rich alto voice dropping into a smooth, teasing register.

Ariana released the shopgirl's chin and brushed an errant strand of hair from the younger woman's forehead.

"Le Château Noir is more of an experience than a place, Gabrielle, an elite, private sanctuary where the ordinary rules of society no longer apply--where the darkest, most exquisite dreams can come true."

Gabrielle nodded up at Ariana, a playful smile on her lips.

"If it's so secret, Maîtresse, why are you telling me?" she asked her tone openly flirtatious now.

Ariana nodded as if she had anticipated the question. She stepped away from the kneeling woman and examined herself in the mirror. The older woman reached up and casually thumbed her nipples until they were both nicely erect, then turned to face the kneeling clerk.

"Because we currently have an opening for a new maiden. How much do you get paid here?"

Gabrielle didn't hesitate.

"Twenty-five dollars an hour, Maîtresse."

"I can double that and also include free room and board."

Gabrielle's head began to swim with possibilities.

"What would my duties be?"

"As a maiden, your role is to maintain the immaculate clockwork of the estate--the linens, the luxury suites, and the wardrobes."

"Would it involve me having sex with the clientele?" Gabrielle asked bluntly.

"Absolutely not. You are staff, and there is zero physical contact between our customers and our maidens. However, because you will be living in the compound, you will be continuously exposed to all of the activities that do occur on the grounds."

Gabrielle nodded pensively.

"I'm not sugarcoat it. You will bear witness to hidden desires brought to life in their rawest forms. Tell me... are you willing to see how deep the shadows go, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle considered the offer.

"Why me, Maîtresse?"

"Two reasons. First, because you have impressed me today with your demeanor in the setting of what otherwise could have been an awkward interaction. Other attendants may have been flustered by my nudity. You handled the situation with equanimity and grace."

Gabrielle smiled, feeling an irrational blush of elation at the older woman's praise.

"And secondly..." Ariana began.

Gabrielle watched, spellbound, as the older woman slowly and deliberately ran a finger through the slit of her shaved pussy. When it emerged, it was glazed with a thick coating of her essence.

Ariana held the shiny digit in front of the kneeling woman's face.

"Secondly, because you have made my pussy tingle with your awkward flirtations, ma petite. I wish to get to know you better."

Gabrielle stared, mesmerized at the proffered finger. She licked her lips unconsciously.

"I will require absolute discretion and absolute obedience." Ariana chided gently.

"Yes, Maîtresse. I understand."

Gabrielle continued to stare at the glistening digit.

"May I start my duties now, Maîtresse?"

Arian looked down at the pretty blond, her expression puzzled.

"May I please clean your finger, Maîtresse?"

Ariana smiled.

"Yes, you may, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle leaned forward and engulfed the entire finger, moaning as she got her first taste of another woman. She savored the salty sweet flavor of Ariana's essence, redolent with the heady musk the older woman's arousal.

Ariana allowed the young artisan to suckle and lick her finger for over a minute before slowly pulling it away.

"You'll have your interview tomorrow. I'll send a car for you at three o'clock."

"Yes, Maîtresse," Gabrielle replied softly.

Ariana reached down to help Gabrielle up from her knees.

"Now, help get me out of this corset and back into my clothes, ma petit.

***