Pictured at the Exhibition

Claudia leaned over giggling and spoke into my ear loud enough above the crowd noise, "We could do this just as well at home or at the school. I didn't come to Europe for kid's pizza parties. Did you?"

I smiled up at her in agreement, "Yeah, I know."

"Well they're probably hungry after that tiny continental breakfast and that early morning city tour of the ruins. I don't think the other chaperones mind if you and I step out and check out that plaza out here. How bout it Ralph?"

"Sure, let's go."

I was ready to back out of the Spanish Club trip what with all my complicated arthritic flare-ups and all, but Claudia was real nice about talking me into it. She helped me out with renting a wheelchair for the lengthier walking tours and her knowledge of the area plus her ability to speak three languages, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese really added to the touring experience.

Her daughter Lisa, a senior headed to Duke University and a really great kid, was laughing with her pals who were enjoying a birthday celebration abroad at this little family friendly joint in the Gran Isles. I taught her math her sophomore year.

"Mr. Davis and I are gonna step out for some fresh air and have a look around. You kids have a great time. We can call your Dad at home when we get back with the hotel wi-fi."

We headed down a narrow bumpy cobblestone street towards the sun splashed plaza.

"You miss havin Cliff and the other two here with ya?", I asked.

"Well, she smiled in her high-pitched sweet sing songy voice, "The other two are a bit too young for a trip like this. So it's convenient to have a husband willing enough to watch the younger ones and let me go and have a good time with my oldest, right?"

"Yeah, my ex doesn't like travel so much. She and my daughters are fine with just chillin' at the shore house."

"Oh?" Claudia chirped inquisitively.

"Yeah, It's fine her getting the beach house in the divorce settlement," I replied reassuringly.

Claudia was a big help over the past couple years while I went through the divorce. We enjoyed working together on curricular projects, and although I think we both sensed an attraction to each other it really just amounted to an extra unforeseen employee benefit. She really made some the tougher days a lot more enjoyable. Cliff seemed to be a really nice guy, although she'd often joke about him being such an older man, even though she and I were both well into our forties.

She leaned up against a stone wall leading to a footbridge overlooking a shallow stream and pulled out a tube of sunscreen. "Looks like some sort of street carnival over there," she mused as she smoothed cream across the bridge of her nose.

She handed me the tube so I could apply some sunscreen as we watched a white and red faced clown with a pointy hat come towards us on his unicycle. He spun around a few times in front of us with his hands casually folded behind is back. He leaned his unicycle against the wall near Claudia and, extending his left hand outward, reached into his other sleeve to produce a a red paper flower. He handed it to her with a smile as she stuck it in her thick black hair above her left ear. He turned and rode away back over the bridge.

Claudia stretched out her arms with her fingers curved in the air and posed for me with a sweet smile, showing off the flower nestled in short thick black curls around her ears.

"Lovely," I said, finishing with the sunscreen.

"Let's follow him," she said and quickly turned, placing her hands on the back of her soft well-rounded cute little hips.

"OK," I agreed.

She smoothed the last of the sun lotion across her chest onto her smooth olive hued skin. It being such a bright sunny afternoon, my mind wandered as I gazed a bit carelessly at the yellow pink floral print sundress that caressed her ample bosom and voluptuous backside. She barely topped five foo two or so, the rays of the golden sun outlined the shadows of her curves underneath the fabric. I could almost discern the faint lines of her eggshell white bra and boy cut panties.

"The bridge arcs way up hill to the other side... and the cobblestones. You gonna be alright?"

"Sure," I said, wheeling next to her as she slung a brown leather handbag over her shoulder.

The end of the bridge split into two sections sloping down and around the ruins of a tall round castle turret type stone structure. The right side was accessible by a jagged stone stairway leading down to a grassy patch of land where more circus type performers frolicked about, unicyclists, jugglers, stilt walkers, etc. So we headed leftward the other way down a gentle slope, which led downstream toward the sounds of swift falling water.

A rather large silly smiling clown clad in puffy green pink and white costume motioned for us to move through a damp underground tunnel passages behind the waterfall. "Good thing I brought good walking shoes," chirped Claudia, as she nudged my chair along while sure-footedly negotiating the wet cobblestoned tunnel-way in her beige and blue-striped hiking sneakers.

The big clown leaned against the wall at one point to usher us along, then hurriedly burst through between Claudia and myself while loudly blurting out something in a foreign language.

"What's that all about," I wondered aloud to Claudia.

"It's some sort of ancient Mediterranean island tongue," she replied inquisitively, "something about needing to get to a ceremony," she continued with a chuckle.

The other end of the tunnel opened into a rectangular polished marble plaza lined by tall pillars. It looked like a scene out of the Italian Renaissance or something. An array of bubbling fountains ringed a rectangular pool and along the sides stood marble statutes of mythological figures, cupid-like figures, and water bearers filling more water into the pool, even some mythical circus like half-human-half-beast figures.

We stood next to a corner pillar where we could observe two chubby maids setting up a throne-like seating area, laying out cloth, fruit snacks and the like. Very English maids as I could judge by the accents. "Oh so nice to see you!" the auburn haired freckled one beamed, while the dark haired one smiled from behind.

Suddenly, one of the statues, a scantily dressed cherub figure started to move towards us. He said something that Claudia tried to decipher. "A scroll.. document, ticket?" she mused perplexedly.

"Your papers? Passport, er um visa?," the dark haired maid inquired. One of the suddenly living statue water bearers turned toward us while some sort of sprite with a curved staff or walking stick jabbed at him playfully. They seemed to argue a bit

"Tsk, tsk", the freckled maid, throwing down her hands, "We don't speak their language, we only work here. For the Contessa," looking at each other and giggling deviously. "I'm Julia," she went on, "And this is Vivian."

"Welcome," Vivian said as they both extended handshakes with us. "Your papers," if you please," ordered Vivian, smiling politely.

I complied and handed my passport nervously over to them as Claudia fished through her handbag for hers. "Oh, shit," she blurted out, "I must've left it with Lisa and the kids while at that check in counter at the pizza place.

"Hello, Vivian... Julia... I'm, Ralph... ah, uh you sure you left it Claudia?" I inquired worriedly.

I really wasn't sure if the some of these movie mythical figures were white body painted actors or even robots in some sort of Greco-Roman pillared theme park setup. Trumpet playing cupids emitted a low volume soft melody whilst figures with angel wings and some with winged helmets began pulling down white cloth from the archways to form a curtain along side of our pool. Vivian hurried over to the far end of the pool to finish her work at the seating area which faced a marble altar rising out of the shallow water and angled toward the other end of the pool.

Julia touched Claudia on the shoulder, "No worries, Luana." Strangely she addressed her with a different name, "Contessa will be very forgiving of you and your master, " she said perkily. Two of the figures leaned against a pillar a few feet aways from us murmuring something, prompting Claudia to glance at me and say softly, "They've got us in some kinda interactive play, I think."

Vivian headed back over to us with a small metal tray with a couple of drinks. I asked them, "Do you know what's going on here?" They both laughed and Julia repeated rather sternly, "As I said, we don't speak their language? We only work here to serve Contessa! Hahaha!"

Vivian handed us each a drink in small fluted glasses. I thanked them as Claudia and I looked at one another and drank up quickly our drinks, which were very sweet and laden with a kind of mentholated alcoholic kick.

Suddenly a couple of the actors raised their long curved staffs to hoist the curtain up over top of us in a makeshift tent. Then, shockingly one of the water jug bearers who had been standing idly behind us dumped water all over Claudia! As he briskly walked away toward the far end of the pool, I pulled my cane out from the rack mounted behind my chair to try and pursue him, but was effectively foiled when a winged helmeted trumpeter approaching from the opposite direction and blew his horn silently emitting profuse amounts of confetti and glitter all over me, along with some of the residue soaking all over Claudia!

The two maids edged the trumpeter aside and surrounded us as they tugged on the big sheet, making it curve around us. "The dousing of the Slave Virgin!," exclaimed Vivian cheerfully. Now, now Luana let's get you and Master prepared for your presentation to Contessa!"

We now found ourselves alone with our two maids in attendance behind the makeshift dressing tent while the alabaster statue people murmured noisily in that strange Mediterranean language.

"Contessa will be arriving soon, while we get you into your presentation gowns," explained Julia matter of factly, as Vivian moved behind me to drape a thin white garment over my right shoulder.

Poor Claudia smoothed her wet black hair behind her ears, "Ah, I could use a ladies room to get my self together."

"Now, now Luana," smiled Julia "Just let me get things together for you. Off with your wet clothes so Viv and I can have them clean and dry for you and Master at the end of the finale!"

I reached for my phone, "Claudia, what's going on? Can we get outta here?"

Vivian squeezed my forearm, quickly threw the white gown over her shoulder, snatching my phone away. "Julia and I will make sure and have your things for you when you finish your duties to Contessa," she saiid firmly. She then leaned closer to my ear and softened her voice slightly to say, "You as Master must address Luana as such to please Contessa. Understood?" as she began unbuttoning my shirt.

"I got it, thank you" nudging her hand away indignantly, bending to untie my shoes. I looked over at Claudia who peered woefully over her shoulder at me as Julia knelt to unzip her and let the dress drop to her feet. My shirt off, Vivian slipped the white linen like cloth over my head as I nervously started to remove my pants. I lifted and turned my head to see Julia unhook Claudia's bra, and next knelt behind her to slip off her wet panties.

As Julia glanced over at us sternly while unfurling the "Luana" garment, Vivian suddenly delivered a sharp, yet playful smack across my face. "No peaking just yet, rude Master! There will be plenty of time for that very soon!"

Cheering suddenly erupted on the other side of the screen cloth, "Contessa's arrival," beams Julia. The maids head around a corner at the end of the plaza carrying our folded wet clothing. "Ta-ta children," they say, "See you after the ceremony."

Two of the very tall, very thin, winged helmet figures quickly spin their curved staffs to promptly fold close the screen cloth, revealing the Contessa's throne area as she is brought in to loud fanfare by four mermaid looking marble white body painted guardians hauling a royal litter. They motion for us to come forward. Contessa stands up and smiles, looks at Claudia and says something to her in a deep authoritative voice, addressing her ceremoniously as "Luana". Otherwise, I can't make out the language, but Claudia nods in a gesture of nervous understanding.

By now, an assorted crowd of of white figures clad in togas, and a few clowns, and circus type folk have assembled at the far side of the ceremonial pool and altar, opposite the side lined by all the classical statue figures as we look on from our position adjacent to the Contessa's throne.

The Contessa motions to me to come sit beside her and some behind me, a winged helmet guy wheels me to sit by her side as she rises to address Claudia, i.e. Luana, who has been brought to her by two of the mermaid guardians linked arm-in-arm on either side. Contessa is oddly, other worldly striking as she is not marble painted like the statue people at all but almost glowing in very pale skin, almost evoking a transparency revealing of very faint soft blue veins running up her neck and along her supple fingers. Her grayish lavender flowing robes and silvery mane of wavy hair frame her exquisite face and deep dark eyes and lush lashes. A kind of ghost queen image almost. She says something causing a look of concern on Claudia's face, her damp mussed hair still holding the clown flower.

The guardian women prod Claudia to kneel before Contessa as she says something like "asi, ah so ahora" or something as she points downward. With that, Claudia glances at me nervously, bites her lips slightly and bends down to kiss the Contessa's sandaled left foot and then the other. Contessa says "Si aye si..." some words of approval and smiles back over her shoulder. She motions with her fingers in an up and around gesture and strokes Claudia's hair, having her reach around to undo the ties on the flowing lavender robe. The Contessa leans back slightly, running her fingers through her soft long silvery gray tresses. She smiles down at me over her shoulder, allowing the sides of the flowing robe to part enough to reveal her bare ass, save for a bright blue jewel encrusted g-string running up the sensuously curved crevice.

Claudia straightens from her kneeled position, "We are to humble ourselves... " in a quivering voice, she continues, "I'm a virgin slave... about to be consume... consummated. You, my master, her prince needs to show loyalty and obedience."

"Oh?" I look at Contessa, folding her arms and laughing approvingly.

"You need to kneel and kiss her ass, Ralph... er Master" Claudia says, rolling her eyes in frustration.

I rub my chin and my hesitation seems to create an impatient murmur from the gathered crowd.

"Do it." urges Claudia.

And so I do. I drop from the chair and lean forward on my achy knees and press my lips against the soft curve of the pale ghost queen's flesh. The smell of her laundered robes intermingles with the scent of her fresh scrubbed skin, redolent of exotic incense and spice. I kiss the left and right buttock. Her eyes alight in disapproval until I repeat in the opposite direction provoking a smile. She motions for me to return to the chair and signals towards the altar rising from the shallow water, about knee deep or so, for her attendants to accompany Claudia to walk through the shallow water and station herself there. A flattened wide arching small series of steps lead down into the shallow water then up again towards the marble slab altar, which is slanted upward towards the long end of the pool. A levled edge tops it off to support a small tray of fruits and snacks and a drink. The Contessa offers me a similar tray as Claudia is taken out to the altar about twenty feet away.

We consume our food and drink the liquor, similar to what the maids served us. Contessa raises her voice to utter instructions out to Luana who's back is turned as the attendants assist with feeding her. I finish eating and drinking as a murmur rises from the crowd. Claudia's thin white robe is quite soaked about half way up by now, pretty much caressing the contours of her ass to the point where I can recognize the tan lines in sharp contrast to her deep tanned olive skin. Suddenly, one attendant takes away the empty tray while the other hastily slips the ceremonial white gown over her Claudia head! I go to grab my cane and try to go out to her but the Contessa abruptly restrains me with a forearm.

Claudia turns toward us and leans up against the marble slab and modestly hunches down, covering her breasts with crossed arms. "You.. Ralph... the Master has to fuck me!"

"What?" I blurt out panicky and confused about how to deal with this strange theatric sex cult show of some kind. I turn to the Contessa to try and reason with her but she matter-a-factly says something unintelligible to me and throws up her hands in a gesture of exasperated belligerence. And with that the crowd becomes, raucously, even frighteningly impatient from the sound of things.

Claudia turns to step up and over up from the shallow water and drapes herself over the altar, her head turned to the left side, her glistening white ass protruding in the air for the taking. The Contessa smiles at this Luana's show of submission and motions me towards her.

I stumble out of the chair, my legs are achy and the waters is cold. By now it seems that they have allowed more water to fill up so I feel buoyant enough midway through the pool to head towards her quickly. I pull off my own robe and put it over her head and attempt to sit her comfortably atop the marble slab altar. She puts her arms around me, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"You gonna be Ok," not knowing what to say at this point.

"Yeah."

Again the crowd becomes indignant. The noise level a bit hostile prompting a sharp rebuke from Contessa.

"This isn't gonna cut it Ralph, honey. We need to put on a show for them to let us out of here."

A series of shallow steps lead up to the Luana altar making the water knee deep but as the water filled higher I was able to back step down into deeper levels to hide my bare backside.

"The water's cold" I said.

Claudia leaned back on the marble slab, smoothing back her wet hair as her eyes widened, "Jeez, you think you can get it up enough for this can you?"

"Sorry, this, these people" I felt so confused and so bad, as if this whole sordid spectacle wasn't humiliating enough for her.. for us!

"Come up here and go down on me and get it together...Master," she laughed sarcastically. She leaned back and lifted the gown, revealing her love flower and exquisitely manicured onyx colored glistening wet pubic fur just above it. The marble pool floor made it hard to maintain my footing along with all else, as I steadied myself with my hands on her hips and lowered my face onto her muff.

Gripping my hair tightly as I worked my tongue in and around her vulva, she whispered, "I don't like what Contessa is saying to them... and this crowd's reaction, if we don't complete this." You're going to get hard and fuck me... and... my husband Cliff has a vasectomy so you need to pull out at the right time. Got it?"

I shoved my tongue up into her and moaned in frustration. Her exasperated, impatient tone drove me to slight arousal as the gallery grew more restless. She threw my head back and looked down at me frantically massaging myself to readiness.

"Ugh" she moaned, "Back up." She slid off the marble altar and removed her gown and smoothed it over top of the slab. "You know, it's good thing I was star of my college swimming and diving team" she winked. Steadying herself on my shoulders as I knelt down into the water, she took a deep breath and submerged, suddenly gripping both my ass cheeks hard and pulling my cock into her mouth, all while under water! The sensation was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. A huge fast bubbling stream cascaded from her nostrils as her mouth worked my cock to a deliciously ecstatic urgency. I gripped her wet hair very gently, aroused yet fearing she could drown. The cold water and the iron grip of her cheek muscles brought me to a strange incredible fire and ice level pleasure that no tentative school girl blow job administered by my ex could provide for me.