To Have A Wandering Soul

Chapter 2

Caroline awoke to the bright sunlight streaming through the windows, as every morning the sun woke her early.  Adrian was still sleeping so Caroline let him be and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower.  Once out she blow-dried and curled her long brown hair.  She changed out of her nightgown and into ripped skinny jeans and a gray and white striped top.  Adrian had woken by the time she emerged.

“May I take a shower?”

“Sure. Let me take your collar off.”

Adrian came and knelt next to the couch where Caroline was sitting and she removed the black band around his neck.  She then took his wrists and removed the cuff like bracelets.  Adrian smiled at her and walked into the bathroom.  Caroline glanced at the bands in her hand.

The collar was simple and black, exactly like a dog collar apart from the presence of tags.  The cuffs and collars were not worn by slaves for identification, rather distinguishing and punishment.  Every slave in Seba wore a collar of some sort, most were simple like Adrian's but others grew excessively extravagant.  The Princess' favorite slave girl wore a collar made of gold with emeralds and diamonds embedded into it, decorative gold chains hung in patterns off of the collar.  Common folk though used the collars for their intended purpose, collars and cuff bracelets were all made with metal rings attached so that one could clip a lead or bind the hands together without strife.  

Caroline of course rarely used either the lead or restraints. She had no need.  When she had first trained Adrian she admittedly needed to use a lead and bound his hands together, but it had been almost five years since then. Now Adrian was nearly the most obedient, compliant slave in all of Seba.  Caroline considered herself lucky to have him. She fingered the collar in her hands, part of her wondering why he even wore it.  He knew his place, very well in fact, and he never needed punished severely enough to merit a painful tightening of the collar or restraining that would require the cuffs.

Adrian walked out of the bathroom in his usual attire of jeans and a black and gray t-shirt, his hair still damp from the water.  He came and knelt before Caroline again, setting his wrists in her lap, waiting for her to replace the cuffs and the collar.

“I don’t think you need them Adrian.”

He glanced up at her in surprise.

‘Mistress, it is an honor that you trust me this much,” he hesitated, “but...I was told that it is law.  And they remind me of my place mistress, they remind me that I am wanted.”

“You’re right aren’t you?”

Adrian’s eyes went back to her lap in reply. Caroline took his wrists and placed the black leather cuffs around them, buckling the strap to keep them in place.  She then lifted his downcast head to buckle the collar into its place around his neck.  He watched her face the entire time, admiring his young mistress. She twisted the collar into its intended position and leaned down to kiss Adrian on the forehead, running her fingers through his hair as she did so.

“I have to finish the ads and commercials for the Yoski’s today, it’ll probably occupy most of my time. Do you have anything you need to do?”

“My time is devoted only to you.”

“You can watch T.V. if you’d like, and I’m sure that once Leon gets up he’ll beg you to play games with him.  Or Riley and Ryan’s nurse could probably use a break.”

“Whatever my mistress wishes of me.”

“I’m positive none of them are up yet, why don’t you watch something.”

Caroline stood from the couch and sat instead at her desk, focusing all of her attention to the photographs on her computer.  She glanced from time to time at Adrian, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the program from the floor.  She smiled at the man sitting, back to her; she really appreciated how wonderful her life was.  Shaking her head Caroline returned her attention to the photos on her computer.  She was sifting through files and deleting unnecessary photographs when she came across a photo she thought she would never see.