One Week Ch. 06

"You will be the handmaiden of his concubines. You will clean and scrub the Dojo and you will perform all errands asked of you. The work is punishing." She spoke from knowledge and Jade's heart went out to her once more. It was clear that Peifu's interest in her was simply to humiliate her and SIS. "You will break eventually and you will go to him." Emma went silent at that and as Crystal opened the door to her bedroom, she walked in without a sound and slid it shut behind her.

Crystal showed Jade to her room and, as they walked the length of the corridor, Jade asked about Peifu. The small building was empty yet Crystal still looked around in fear.

"Smuggling, drugs, guns, you name it, he's got his fingers in every little pie in Hong Kong. He's the worst kind of human. Loves power over others."

"How long do people last until they break?" Jade asked, so quietly, that Crystal wasn't sure she had heard her.

"Sometimes a day, sometimes a week. The longest was a month." Jade sighed heavily and reached for the door. Crystal spoke, her voice a comforting gesture to Jade's bruised soul.

"You'll last longer though Miss. There's something different about you. Anyway, good night. I'll be here in the morning to help you get dressed."

Jade bade goodnight and closed the door behind her. A small candle offered a dim light to the room and she made her way to the floor bed that sat flush against the wall, sitting with her back to the wall and her knees up by her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, she wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked herself slowly, fighting the tears that threatened to engulf her.

She soon lost the battle and wept freely for her loss.

The next day.

As a wan light rose through the window, Crystal knocked silently and found Jade still sat against the wall. She hadn't moved and her eyes were puffy and raw. Silently, Crystal knelt down beside her and lay a comforting arm around her shoulder. Jade gave a weak smile and thanked her.

"How did Emma fare last night?" she asked. Crystal gave a mirthless smile as she answered.

"Went straight to Peifu as soon as the party ended. She's one of his concubines now." Jade shook her head in amazement and made to stand.

"Well, if that's what she wants, that's her choice. I'd like to get started on my chores now." Crystal stood up and Jade looked at her properly for the first time today. She wore a flesh coloured rubber corset and stockings. The corset had frills that mimicked the skirt of a dress and reached down a few inches past the waist. Underneath, Jade could see that she wore a chastity device around her cock. The corset had a thick halter neck strap designed to let the breasts spill out, but simply showed her flat chest. The halter neck straps ended in a thick collar that pushed her head up and was locked at the back. She wore shoes that had a thick platform on the sole and an eight inch spiked heel. She wore matching corset gloves that kept her arms straight and Jade wondered how she hadn't noticed her dress as soon as she had entered. Crystal shrugged as Jade gave her a concerned look.

"Li dresses me every morning according to Master Peifu's instructions." Jade was at a loss for words and leaned over to hug her.

"You have me now," she said. "I will look after you." Crystal smiled and tried to hold back her tears.

"Let's get you dressed," she said, her voice thick with emotion. Jade allowed Crystal to unzip her dress and pulled the Chinese satin down her body. She then went to a concealed cupboard and pulled out the same shoes that she wore. Jade, used to heels of all kinds, gulped as she saw them. She realised that it was the physical punishment made worse by the clothes that made the girls crawl to Peifu's bed. Crystal then took out a dress much like the one that she herself had worn yesterday and hooked it to the door as she undid the straps at the back.

Jade pulled her corset from last night off and kept her stockings on. She appraised the dress and chuckled. It was made of a shimmering black satin and she pictured Louise's face if she saw her in it. They'd have had fun and games, but now held a much more sinister task. As she pulled it up her body, she realised that the material had a corset woven into the inside and Crystal helped her to pull the straps tight and buckle them in. She was effectively trapped in the dress. Jade adjusted the front as it was tightened so that her breasts stayed within the top of the dress and didn't spill out. Crystal then zipped the back of the dress over the straps and helped Jade into the shoes. She couldn't see her feet over the frilly hem of the dress and found herself having to adjust to such a thick sole and high heel. Crystal then passed her the gloves and Jade sat in front of the mirror to adjust her make-up.

She gave a start as she realised that she still wore the red nail varnish that Louise had applied and stared at them as if seeing them for the first time. She pictured Louise and remembered what she had felt in the metal container the previous day. Louise would find her. It would take some time, but she would. All Jade had to do was survive until then.

"Ready?" Crystal asked, disconcerted by Jade's vacant look. Jade looked at her from the mirror and gave her a smile that spoke of strength and courage.

"Of course," she said. "Lead the way!" With the creak of rubber, Crystal set about teaching Jade their morning duties. Before the training at the Dojo started, they were to sweep the courtyard and, twice a week, scrub it clean. They were then to clean the main building before Peifu awoke. After that, they cleaned the smaller buildings, working themselves ragged and raw with their efforts. Jade switched off from the routine and helped Crystal as best she could. She was struggling in the high collar and corset gloves and Jade tried to ease her load by taking on the bigger jobs.

Once they were done, they made their way to the Concubine House and had to help the girls clean and dress themselves before seeing to their needs. Emma avoided Jade, the odd guilty look betraying herself. She was shunned from the rest of the girls and they treated her as poorly as they did Jade and Crystal. They constantly teased and harassed, making ever more outrageous demands, but Crystal kept her head down and her mouth shut, clearly used to the abuse. Jade bore it in good grace and retreated into herself. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

At the end of the day, they were given a small bowl of rice and they wolfed it down greedily. As they ate, Crystal glanced over at Jade.

"They were horrible today weren't they?" she said. Jade shrugged. She had no idea what they were like normally. They were pretty but in an artificial way and they were spiteful. Jade reasoned that circumstances had made them that way, but then looked at Crystal and saw that she had not become bitter or twisted. "Do you know why?" Crystal asked. Jade shook her head as she finished the last bit of rice.

"Because next to you, they all look drab. They know that and hate you for it. I'd be careful if I were you."

That night, as Jade lay down on the bed, too exhausted to worry over her predicament, Crystal's words hung heavy in her head.

Six months later.

She nearly broke that morning. Nearly gave up and went to Peifu to offer him her body. For the last six months, she'd worked tirelessly, suffering abuse at the cruel hands of the concubines and letting it all wash over her. She'd clung to her faith in Louise and it had seen her through the most difficult of times. She'd worn the sissiest of outfits and performed her duties without a care. Often, she'd seen Li staring at her openly as she worked and caught glimpses of Peifu as he appraised her. Each time they'd made her wear something new and humiliating, he'd been there, his shadow unmistakable as it slunk from view. She'd refused to give in, refused to go to him and the work had been made harder and harder.

As she woke that morning, she saw her clothes and nearly gave up. If she didn't complete her duties, she was denied food. Without food, she didn't have the energy to complete her tasks. Crystal had been by her side the whole time, offering comfort and support and Jade was grateful to her now as she offered her support. The dress was a tight leather hobble dress that had the corset worn on the outside. It was a hot day and she knew that the satin lining would make her even hotter. As Crystal zipped up the dress that went from ankle to the base of the neck, Jade was gripped in its warmth. The corset added an extra layer of heat and the sleeves were long and tight, made more punishing by arm corsets. The hobble dress was bad enough. She would be able to walk no more than a few inches at a time in it, but it was the shoes that nearly won. They were ballerina shoes with a seven and a half inch heel that made her walk on tiptoe. Coupled with the dress, she knew she would not get her duties done.

This would be the day that Peifu won.

"We have to try," Crystal said and they helped each other to the courtyard to begin sweeping the floor. Today, they had to scrub it as well and Jade struggled to her knees to begin the laborious task. As she set about her work, the yard started filling with students and she knew herself to be several hours behind. They had learnt to ignore their Master's proclivities and paid her and Crystal scant heed. Jade ignored them as well and kept her head down as she scrubbed.

A familiar smell wafted past her and she felt someone walk past, very close to where she scrubbed. Someone had entered the courtyard and she heard the students chatter excitedly at their new guest. It wasn't the noise that caught her attention. It was the smell.

Ralph Lauren Romance.

Her heart skipped and she started to shake. She looked up to see, but the figure wore a hooded top and the students blocked her view as they crowded round the figure. She scrabbled to her feet and cursed her shoes and dress as she tried to make her way along the side of the courtyard to where the figure stood, now waiting for the doors to Peifu's abode to open. As they opened and Peifu made his way angrily out of the house, Li scurrying after him with several bodyguards, Jade finally worked her way round the students to see the figure.

Her heart caught in her throat as the figure pulled back its hood.

Louise! Jade almost wept with relief but held it back. She couldn't reveal herself until she knew what was happening. She looked at her wife and grief clutched her heart once more. She could see the toll the last six months had taken on her. She looked thinner, her face pale and drawn, but she seemed different beyond that. Harder. She'd dyed her hair blonde and pulled it back into a severe pony tail, Jade giving the ghost of a smile at the strand of hair that always escaped, dangling down in front of her face in defiance to conformity. She still looked stunning, the most gorgeous person Jade had ever known, but her eyes were cold and flat. A red scar ran down her cheek and Louise had done little to conceal it. She wore a loose Gi and Jade's heart sank.

"Who are you?" screeched Li. "How dare you enter uninvited! I'll have you shot!" Louise held up a placatory hand and addressed Peifu.

"I wish to fight for your Dojo. I challenge your champion," she said, her Welsh accent carrying her voice easily across the courtyard. Despite the hardness in her eyes, her voice was still soft and melodious. Jade's heart crumpled to hear it. Peifu laughed, spittle dribbling down his jowls as he clutched his side. He spoke to Li who translated.

"We have a championship match this afternoon. We do not accept your challenge. We also don't accept women here," he said, his voice dismissive.

"I'm no woman," came the reply and Peifu sobered up. He looked at Louise as a cat might look at a trapped mouse. His concubines suddenly streamed into the yard and Jade saw Emma come to a sudden halt, horror on her face at the scene. The last six months had been unkind to her and she'd aged badly. The silence stretched out as Peifu stared at Louise. Eventually he spoke to Li and horror traced an icy finger down Jade's back as she translated the words.

"Give her a trial. Hung can fight her." He made his way to his seat and perched himself on it as a circle was cleared. Jade, hobbling to one side in her dress wanted to shout out a warning, some kind of alarm to Louise but couldn't risk spoiling whatever she had planned. She scoured the walls of the Dojo, expecting something to happen, some SWAT team to burst over the walls whilst the guards were distracted but nothing came. Hung was a savage man and was spoken of by the other students in hushed tones. He had never lost a fight.

"Who's that?" asked Crystal, as she nervously approached Jade. She'd seen the change in her demeanor and sensed that Jade knew the mysterious stranger. It wasn't new for someone to come knocking on the dojo looking for work or a fight, but Crystal knew this was different.

Hung stepped forward and flexed his shoulders. Louise stood still in the centre of the circle and watched Hung circle her. He laughed with his friends, joked at Louise's expense and darted back and forth, never engaging and constantly teasing. Still Louise didn't move. He clapped his hands, getting his friends to do the same and darted forward in a teasing lunge again, giving a mocking imitation of a woman. That was when Louise struck. Swift as lighting, she punched his throat, using his own momentum to add extra force and slid to the side, her feet moving swiftly as he flew back. Perfectly positioned, she kicked at his knee and a loud pop silenced the crowd. It was followed seconds later by a loud scream as Hung clutched at his torn knee.

Jade was as stunned as the rest of the crowd. Master Leung had taught her well, the movement of the feet steady and sure, but the attack itself was not from him. It spoke of something else altogether. It was Louise who stood as victor in the courtyard, but she was different.

Peifu was both delighted and apoplectic. Delighted to have a new fighter and apoplectic to lose his champion on the same day that he was due to defend his title. After a hissed argument with Li, he announced that Louise would take his place. The sullen silence from the students showed they disagreed but had no cause to argue. She'd beaten the best of them. Mainly through Hung's own arrogance and Jade knew that it wouldn't work again. Whatever Louise had planned, it had to happen quickly. Peifu indicated that Crystal and Jade were to take her to get bathed and prepared for the fight. Crystal breathed a sigh relief, knowing that their duties for the day were cancelled. She walked up to Louise, her small steps taking an age in her shoes and introduced herself.

"I'm Crystal," she said. Louise gazed at her impassively before replying.

"Hi Crystal, I'm Louise." As Jade made her way over, Louise kept her expression blank. Jade bowed and kept her broiling emotions under control. She introduced herself and asked Louise to follow her to the changing rooms. Jade had never spoken of Louise to Crystal. She kept that part of herself hidden and Crystal, none the wiser, chatted freely at how exciting the fight was and how amazing it was to see her win. As they were flanked by security guards, Jade, following alongside Louise, couldn't help but catch as many glances as she could in her direction. Louise kept her face firmly forward and allowed herself to be taken to the bathroom and sat patiently as they ran a bath. The two guards waited outside and Crystal beckoned for Louise to strip so that they could bathe her and have her ready for the fight. It was custom to make sure that the Dojo champion was cleansed before a fight and all negative energy soothed away.

She undid the buckle of her Gi and slipped it from her shoulders. Her breasts were perfectly formed and smaller than Jade's, but fit her slender figure. She'd kept up with the hormone treatment and her hips were curved, her waist slender and her rear firm yet plump. What made Jade gasp and put an involuntary hand to her mouth were the scars. As Louise stepped towards the bath, she kept her gaze from Jade, her cheeks blushing as she fought to control her emotions. Her left shoulder had a puckered scar, bright red against the flesh that looked as though a bullet had torn through the skin. Her leg, just below the groin had a scar that curled around her inner thigh, but it was her back that showed the most damage. The lower part was crossed with bright red and angry welts that looked like they had barely healed. Louise flinched as her back met the hot water and Crystal picked up a cloth to begin scrubbing her, nervously glancing at the damaged skin.

As Jade picked up a cloth, tears started to form. She'd suffered for six months and, after her first night here, had resolved not to shed a tear. Now they flowed, freely and without inhibition as she gazed at her wife and wondered at what she had endured to be here now. The bathroom was silent except for Jade trying to control herself unsuccessfully. Crystal, unsure what was happening glanced over nervously and tried to catch her eye, but Jade couldn't take her eyes from Louise's scars. Had she looked, she would have seen a single tear escape from Louise. It traced a path over her soft skin until it met the scar on her cheek and was funneled by the tissue to her lips. As they finished the bathing ritual, Louise stood up from the bath and brushed her hand against Jade. As she did so, she gave her arm a quick squeeze, so brief as to be barely noticeable, but it was enough.

Jade hobbled across the courtyard, her long leather dress and seven inch ballet heels making the task virtually impossible. As she reached the half way point, she saw Peifu's shadow in the window and knew he was watching. She abhorred his grotesquery and the way his beady eyes held such malicious hate. Passing the single tree in the courtyard, she silently sent her daily prayer to it. It was the only thing that she could see from her window and every day had watched the sun rise over the tree, birds dancing around its blossom. It had become her totem. Her symbol of strength and she drew on it now.

As she finally made it to the door, her feet and Achilles sore in her punishing shoes, she heard the latch slip and the door slide open to reveal Peifu in all of his lecherous glory. He wore his customary robes and his lavish jewels glinted in the sun. Li appeared by his side and glared at Jade. The courtyard was empty and she felt isolated and alone. As the door slid open, she gingerly knelt on the floor, the task made difficult by the dress and the corset gloves she wore. As she prostrated herself on the ground, she spoke in Mandarin, earning a shocked look from the pair.

"My Lord and Master Peifu. I have been here for six months and have worked tirelessly under your gaze to show you that I may be a perfect concubine for you. I hope that you have seen my determination and see that as a symbol of how determined I will be to please you and be your dutiful servant, forever yours. I submit completely to you."

He licked his lips and his chubby fingers clenched greedily as he readily agreed to her request. He beckoned her in, but Li stepped towards him and they had a hushed argument, one that Peifu clearly lost. Li stepped forward and snapped his fingers, telling her to rise.

"You have thirty minutes to prepare yourself before we leave for the tournament. Tonight, you will show your love for your master." The words sent a ripple of fear through Jade as she managed to stand and make her way to the concubine area.

She was not greeted well.

Half an hour later, the procession left the dojo. The frequent fights with local dojo's generated prestige and income. The prestige brought the best fighters to your dojo and also put you in high regard with your partners. The money came through illicit gambling and was a tiny fraction of Peifu's income, but it was how he had started out and so he continued with it. As they wound their way through the narrow streets and alleys of the older parts of Hong Kong, the students formed a vanguard, pushing aside any stragglers and strays and making sure that the litter that carried Peifu was undisturbed. The litter was carried by the youngest students and they sweated with strain at the weight. Behind this, walked the concubines and they were flanked by an armed guard, members of which were littered throughout the procession.