The Ennui of Luxury
	The mirrored chamber was opulence itself. Walls of silver and glass reflected a king’s ransom in golden baubles and trinkets through a haze of incense smoke. An ornate brazier of coals was placed in the center, cushioned couches, pedestals, and seats radiating outwards from it. Through a window in the ceiling, the light of the morning filtered through, carving bright ribbons into the smoke as the mirrors reflected it across the room. The sight of the magnificent chamber would have been enough to fill the heart of almost anyone with awe and respect, but Kaya wasn’t just anyone. Set upon her pedestal, she surveyed the room with an expression of profound bleary-eyed boredom. As she stretched her neck, hearing it crack, she even deigned to let out a yawn. Black bangs were plastered to the amber skin of her forehead with sweat. Kaya shook her head back and forth in a futile attempt to get her hair to behave. It was times like this that she wished she had hands, or arms for that matter. Below her neck was a series of golden rings which widened into an elaborately decorated clay pot, the vessel which contained what remained of her body. Through a window In the front of her pot, her ripe, plump breasts burgeoned outward; a sheen of sweat glistened on her skin like morning dew. Before she had been interred into the clay pot that was now a part of her anatomy, she had been possessed of a set of wide-set child bearing hips, now, all that remained of that was a second, smaller window through which one could see her womanhood, flowering below. Her petite frame was studded with piercings, three golden rings, one through her nose, and two through her nipples, and several silver ones through the skin below. The larger golden hoops through her bust jingled as she shook her head back and forth. Kaya was still trying to separate her bangs from her forehead when a servant walked into the room. Clad in the flowing white linen robes of one of her house servants, the young girl looked nervous, and slowly approached her mistress, “c-c-can I help you, miss?” she stammered. The Pharaoh’s sister fixed her with as regal a smile as she could manage and beckoned her over with a flick of her neck. Cool hands met her warm skin, and Kaya shivered, “bring me outside to the balcony,” She said, “I want to get some fresh air.” The sun came into view as the servant exited the main series of chambers from the palace; the hot and smoky air of the chamber of mirrors where she had slept had become soothingly warm, tempered with a gentle breeze. Kaya took in the sight of the capitol city as she peered over the edge of the balcony. She felt herself being lowered onto a pedestal, and the servant girl quickly withdrew her hands, as though she were afraid of being burnt by her mistress. The girl was nervous, and rightly so, Kaya was the sister of the Pharaoh, an imposing man of great power. No doubt she had heard stories about her new superior. This girl was unfamiliar to her, and as the wisp of a servant flitted, fretted, and fidgeted nervously, the potted woman smiled at her warmly. “We have not been formally introduced, have we?” Kaya mused. The servant girl flinched as though Kaya’s words were the crack of a whip, she gazed dumbly at her mistress before she worked up the courage to shake her head, “n-no, my lady, we haven’t.” A playful smile split the ladypot’s face, “Tell me then, what is it you have heard about me that makes you tremble so?” The servant girl straightened up and began to mumble, a blush creeping up her face, “I’m sorry, it’s not my place to…” “Don’t worry,” Kaya reassured, “I am certain you will find me to be far more harmless than you think.” A few more minutes passed and the pair continued to look out over the city, the servant occasionally turning her head to observe her strange new owner. The breeze had picked up somewhat, and now the sweat was gone from her skin, if she looked closely, she could make out goose bumps forming across the potted woman’s flesh. The master stared imperiously out over her subjects while her attendant stood just behind her. Kaya shuddered at the caress of the breeze, her nipples hardened, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. Her eyes were somewhere distant, her face still in the sly feline smile she had when she last spoke to her servant. “Are you cold, my lady?” the girl asked, gingerly placing a hand on her neck, “I could get a blanket, or maybe bring you inside, or-“ “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Kaya paused, as if choosing her next few words very carefully, “Beneath my pedestal, there should be a drawer, I want you to open it.” The sound of wood scraping against wood alerted the potgirl that the drawer had been opened, and while her servant was behind her, and out of view, she could no doubt guess what her face looked like right now. The girl was staring wide-eyed down at the contents of the drawer, with an awkward sort of trepidation across her face, “My lady,” she began cautiously, “Is this…” “Yes.” The reply came almost too suddenly, “It is.” “Do you want me to…?” she began to redden. Kaya nodded slowly, and closed her eyes, “If you please. I find I’ve become accustomed to a certain degree of excitement in the mornings.” The servant girl looked at the object in her hand, a warm-colored porcelain shaft with a somewhat bulbous rounded head, all set upon a polished wooden handle. She held it up and looked at it for a moment before approaching her mistress, now aware of how furiously she was blushing. The servant girl placed her hand on Kaya’s womanhood and felt the silver rings cool against her skin. The woman shivered and tilted her head back, a small sigh escaping from the back of her throat. Cool fingers traced her mistress’ skin and probed the inside of her, darting in and retreating with increasing intensity. Kaya’s breathing had quickened now, and she felt a growing dampness spreading out from within her. The girl’s fingers slid out of her, and she let out a soft moan, followed by a slight gasp as the porcelain was slid in. Much to her embarrassment, Kaya noticed her tongue was hanging out of her mouth, but beyond a slight reddening of the face, she didn’t care, she was lost in the pulsating throes of ecstasy. As she climaxed, a second gasp escaped her throat, and she began to pant, her tongue still lolling. The porcelain slithered out of her and she let out another shuddering breath. The servant girl had set it down beside her on the pedestal and was now standing a few feet away. The two of them sat there, Kaya regaining her breath, her breasts shuddering with each intake, the redness beginning to fade from her face, and her servant, hands in front of her, fingers laced and eyes focused on the ground. Slowly, Kaya looked up at her new servant girl, and her grin returned, “Wonderful!” she said at last, still dripping with moisture, her voice slowly becoming more regular, “Now, bring me back inside, I wish to take a bath.” Kaya, enjoying her "casual" masturbation session By the time midday had come around, kaya had been sent to the bathhouse and was ready to leave. Passed along from one set of careful hands to another by smiling women clad in silken robes, her final destination was a luxurious circular chamber carved from limestone, a series of smaller pools set into the floor. The Pharaoh’s sister had been set down, tended to, fussed over, and polished to perfection, and once she had done her best to undo all the cleaning her servants had done, they fixed her up once more. Kaya had in fact had her porcelain bauble brought along with her, and it had not gone unused; in her absence, her servants talked about her new favorite toy with no small amount of disdain. She had no interest whatsoever in what her servants thought of her, after all, to the royal ladypot, they were merely extensions of her body, barely worth her attention. She went through all the niceties of course, smiling, nodding, and pretending to care about their drivel. With them, Kaya did not listen, so much as she waited. As her hair was combed and washed, she was assaulted with all manner of nonsense, everything from the weather to who had arrived at the palace that day. All the while, she just agreed, doing her best to feign interest with the appropriate responses. Kaya left the bathhouse smelling of perfume, her hair damp, her eyes darkened with makeup, her lips glossy purple, and her skin glistening with oil. Her servant held her tightly as she ambled from corridor to corridor, her bare feet gingerly treading the floor, careful not to trip and fall, especially not in a busy hallway. Each time Kaya’s gaze fell upon her, she did her best to put on a smile, but, behind the scenes, she was a knot of stress. Every few minutes, the servant would stop, allowing her cargo to get a look of her surroundings and give her further direction. As they proceeded deeper into the palace, the flow of traffic died down, and soon, it was just the two of them. Kaya had closed her eyes and was trying to relax when she heard a group of voices around a corner. She gestured for her servant to carry her closer, and as she did, the voices became clearer. “So, have you heard about the Pharaoh’s Sister?” “Which one?” Kaya felt herself come to a stop, and she tried to peer around the bend as discretely as possible to see who was talking. Beyond the wall, there was a group of five women, standing in a loose circle and talking amongst themselves, most likely the wives of lesser nobles, the Ladypot judged from their dress and mannerisms. They were too fine to be peasants, too cheap to be high nobility. One of the women gestured to her chest and held her hands out in front of her breasts, “Which one do you think?” She responded. This elicited a laugh from everyone at the circle. Kaya bit her tongue, but she could feel herself flush with outrage. These women were barely above the servants, and yet they mocked her so. Her! The nerve of it all! “I hear she’s quite energetic.” Said one with a wink, “Keeps the servants busy.” “I hear that one of her handmaidens, the poor thing, I hear that her right arm’s strength is the rival of any man in the palace.” Another chuckled. “Have you seen her sister? The two are really nothing alike.” Said a third, “The way she behaves is outrageous. If she isn’t asleep she is either drunk, masturbating, or gorging herself, possibly all three at the same time. It’s as though she has a complete disdain for decency! And have you seen the way she displays her pierced nipples?!” “I quite like them actually.” Kaya retorted, her servant taking that as a cue to step out, “But please, tell me more.” The woman blanched, her face going from jovial to panic in the instant it took her to recognize the voice, “My lady! I’m sorry, I-“ “Enough!” Kaya cut her off, “Your tongue seems to be a little too loose for its own good. Perhaps we can change that, however?” The woman looked as though she was about to faint, “Please, no, I only meant-“ Kaya smiled at her, a sly grin, “Come over here, why don’t you?” She stepped forward nervously, now face to face with Kaya. A few of the other women started as if to leave, but a single command halted them, “Stay.” The servant holding the pot was looking nervously, sympathetically at all the other women. She didn’t know what was coming, but she had a feeling it would be unpleasant. She didn’t like the grin on her mistress’ face. “You shouldn’t be afraid; I’m going to let you keep your tongue. It would be a terrible thing to waste. However, before you go, for such a generous act, I’d like a small favor in return.” The woman nodded dumbly and kaya leaned forward, whispering something into her ear. Her eyes went wide, and she looked unbelievingly into those playful emerald eyes, that fiendish smile. “On your knees!” Came the command. The other women stared with morbid curiosity as Kaya was lowered slightly so that the woman’s face was level with her lower cleft, her eyes staring at those silver piercings below. “Well?” The woman looked up at her, but received no pardon. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, holding back tears. The four others continued to stare, their confused looks turning to shock as they understood what was happening. The fifth leaned forward and placed her mouth on freshly oiled skin. Her hands sought purchase on the ground, and she was on all fours. Kaya felt her tongue enter her and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes back and moan, for now, she just smirked downward. A spasm wracked her body as she felt the tongue moving around in her. “I think you can do better.” Kaya squeezed out between gasps, “I’m not convinced.” Almost immediately, she felt a face press up against her, tongue darting in and out of her body. The sound that this odd couple made was an odd mixture of grunts and sighs. When she felt the tongue turn its attention to her clitoris, she felt something electric crawl up into her, “Wait!” she panted. The woman, all too eager to stop, quickly pulled away, looking up at her with hopeful eyes. Kaya looked down, a patronizing look in her eye. “Do you find me to be to your tastes?” “Yes, my lady.” “I am glad you learned something better to do with your tongue than offend me. You may go.” As if struck by lightning, the woman stood up and retreated back to her friends. They were about to leave, when Kaya called out to them, “Where do you think you’re going?” The woman looked back, wiping her mouth, “You said we could leave!” Kaya shook her head jovially, “I said you could leave. I still see four more people who are in need of a reminder of whom they serve.” As night descended upon the capital city, flickering rows of torchlights came alive along the palace walls. The busyness that consumed the palace had been bled off along with the crowds of people that had left for the night. Within, servants came and went about their business, and from high above the palace commons, it looked as though Kaya was staring into an anthill. The dining room was high above the rest of the palace in an open air balcony, overlooking the city. She had been placed at a long dark slab of a table, flanked by flat benches. At either side of her, handmaidens sat, clad in the white linen robes of servants. Before her, on the table was an extensive array of foods, by her count, at least ten different varieties of bread, three types of fish, and countless other varieties of spiced meat and cooked vegetables. Perhaps a bit too formal for her tastes, but, one must make do. The rest of the royal ladypot’s were also set at the benches, their handmaidens sitting between them. At the head of the table sat the Pharaoh’s wife, Nefra as was the custom. She had been mounted into a raised platform, and was surrounded by servants offering her wine, food, and doing their best to ensure she was not displeased. Her canopic pot had been decorated with inlaid gold and precious stones, the finest gilding and jewelling that not even money could buy. A set of handles carved from exotic wood allowed her handmaidens to easily transport her. The long neck of her pot, combined with her own long neck and the golden coils wrapped around each of them served to give her a dignified and refined appearance, allowing her to stand a head above the rest of her court. Her skin had been recently oiled, and the candlelight glinted off of the perfect skin of her breasts. She was truly a perfect centerpiece for the meal. Across the table from Kaya sat her sister Mirri. Her pot was significantly plainer than either Kaya’s or the Queen’s, but it had a quiet, simple appeal to it. Unlike either of her sister’s canopics, hers did not display her breasts, instead having only a single window. A mid-length neck flared out into a body, giving the impression of a wide set of hips. A set of handles joined the neck and body of her pot, unlike the queens, they were each a single piece, composed of clay. Around the neck of her pot, a red and blue porcelain necklace hung. She was an impressive contrast to her Kaya, considering that they were biological sisters. As she ate, she took small, dainty bites from the morsels offered to her by her serving staff. Kaya drank deep and ate much, her appetite seemingly unaffected by her reduced form. Occasionally, the two would glance at each other and lock eyes, staring intently and daring the other to say something. Just as Kaya was opening her mouth to say something, the Queen cleared her throat, effectively silencing the table. Calm blue eyes regarded each of the potted women at the dining table, and from high up on her perch, she smiled and spoke, “I have a brief announcement to make before we have finished dining tonight.” That cool gaze settled on Kaya and her sister, “As you may know, following the most recent series of conflicts, many of the cities on the edge of our kingdom lie in a state of disrepair. Our military is tasked with defending the border from further incursion, and our coffers can ill afford another enormous venture.” All around the table, there were solemn nods of agreement, “Our Pharaoh, my husband has requested that I travel to the northern empire with my sisters in order to request assistance.” She looked down at her two sisters in law, “We will be leaving within the week. All has been prepared for, and I have already spoken to those who will take up my burdens of duty in our absence. I would then like to dedicate this meal to our gods, in the hope that our travel may be a fruitful one.” A cheer rose up around the table, and the sounds of the guests voicing their support drowned out any reply the other two could have given. Kaya looked up at the Queen, barely managing to keep her jaw from dropping. She was dumbfounded more than anything. By the time the meal was over and she was being carried to her private chambers, she had hardly recovered from the shock. Her smile couldn’t have been wider. Mirri, sister of Kaya and also a ladypot Whilst Kaya was in the midst of celebrating, Mirri entered her chambers. Her servant slid the porcelain out of her and set it aside, gesturing to the new arrival. So close. The newcomer sighed and rolled her eyes, “Must you Kaya?” “And you don’t?” “Not as often as you, sister, and I have the decency to keep my private affairs private. I heard about what you did earlier today.” Kaya’s lips tightened into a thin line of disapproval, “And what of it?” Mirri began, “The people are talking about it, I am sure you are aware of your reputation and how-“ “Of course I am!” came her retort, “why should I care what those so far beneath me think of me?” “Your reputation reflects poorly on all of us, dear sister. You recall what happened the last time you allowed your appetites to get the better of you, yes?” Kaya’s eyes were narrowed now, “I recall all too well, and you would do well to still your tongue.” “I am here on behalf of our sister to speak with you on this very subject, and so you would do well to listen to what I have to say.” Mirri sternly chided, “I understand you must be excited to be leaving the palace for the first time since you became a woman, but you must understand that you cannot continue acting the way you have been. The Pharaoh has placed a great deal of trust in you for this-“ “Some great deal of trust! You said it yourself, it’s been years since I left the palace, and how long, dear sister, how long since I have been allowed male servants? Do you know how little our brother trusts me?” “Can you blame him? You cannot go more than a few hours without pleasuring yourself; even the female servants are uncomfortable around you. Rather than learning your lesson, you simply became worse!” Kaya raised one eyebrow, “If a man is treated like a criminal, he becomes a criminal.” “You are different, and it worries me.” Mirri said plainly, “Before you became a woman you used to care about more than your own body.” “I’ve found being locked in this gilded cage to be both liberating and confining. I am free to pursue my every vice, so long as I do it within the palace walls. Tell me that you would not do the same in my place. The people avoided me because of my reputation, so my reputation grew, and so I grew more and more isolated. You are the only one who talks to me without first being spoken to first, even then, you and I both know our friendship is less than perfect. ” Mirri’s features softened, a trace of pity flashed across her face, “Then you must make sure that when you are allowed this freedom, you do not squander it. Our brother is not known for giving second chances, you will not get another. I had to beg him to allow you to come.” Kaya’s face fell slack, “you what?!” “I was concerned for you. I understanding finding a husband won’t be easy, but, perhaps you will have better luck overseas. In any case, there is nothing for you here.” Kaya nodded vacantly, unsure of what else to say, her tongue suddenly felt too heavy in her mouth, it was all she could do to squeak out the words, “Thank you!” “We leave tomorrow, please be ready, and please be sober. You know why I worry about you.” As if to explain, Mirri leaned forward and planted a small kiss on Kaya’s cheek. When the servant had carried her sister out of the room, Kaya let the tears come.