Chosen by the High Judge by Jaye Peaches – Extended Preview

It wasn’t to the courtroom that the guard took her, but to an adjoining office overlooking the city of New Ayers Rock. The top of the rock was just visible through the window and slightly hidden by other buildings and trees. The tranquil view didn’t calm her nerves. Why was she here?

Judge Hosta was behind his desk. Hanging on the wall was the ceremonial sword of his office and the sharp edge of the blade gleamed. The Vendu venerated their past, including their ancient symbols of power and the kind of rituals that humans had ended centuries ago. Its presence reminded Zara how barbaric the Vendu were when it came to their attitudes towards discipline.

He rose as she entered. “Remove her shackles,” he instructed the guard.

Once the cuffs were removed, the guard was dismissed.

The judge approached Zara. He was taller and bulkier than she anticipated. The last time she’d seen him, he’d been sitting behind his high bench in the courtroom with a protective shield of glass. She suspected he packed plenty of muscles behind his formal suit. He stopped a few feet shy of reaching her.

“You’re shaking,” he noted. “Would you like a drink of water?”

She smacked her dry lips together. He was showing her kindness—it was a little unnerving. But, she was thirsty.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

He poured a glass of water from a jug on his desk. She clasped it with both hands and sipped a few mouthfuls. It helped. “Thank you. Sir.”

The judge folded his arms across his broad chest. “I’m High Judge Galen Hosta, Warrior of Halos.”

She knew his name, but hearing him introduce himself formally was reassuring because for some reason he had felt it important to explain who he was. He removed the glass from her trembling fingers and placed it back on his desk.

“And you are Zara Webb. Exchange student from the Institute of Climate Studies in New Phoenix, now resident at the Technology University of New Ayers Rock where you study our weather-altering apparatus. You came highly recommended, I gather.” He stayed by his desk, creating space between them. She needed it. It wasn’t just his voice that had presence; neatly dressed in his black jacket and straight pants, he made a striking figure.

“I’m so sorry about all the trouble I’ve caused, I—”

He lifted a finger, signaling her to hush.

“Your conviction stands, Zara. It will not be quashed.”

She slumped and bowed her head. She shouldn’t get her hopes up. The kindness he showed was obviously short-lived.

“You fear that a public whipping will cause dismay back at home, that your reputation will be destroyed, that any sympathy you might gain for the harshness of the whipping will be lost when your fellow humans find out you were drunk and behaved badly.” He described the situation with accuracy.

She raised her head. “Yes, sir.”

He perched on the edge of his desk and crossed his legs. “I’m proposing an alternative sentence. Are you familiar with ordeals?”

She shook her head.

“Not surprising as they rarely happen. It is part of our ancient history. Each ordeal relates to a legend. The legend of Astra tells of a princess, the youngest of the first emperor. She craved his attention, but failed to win his affection as he was too busy fighting wars. When his greatest enemy, Brynt, came for peace talks, out of bitterness, she stole the jewels of Brynt’s dead wife from his chamber while the two men met.” The judge paused.

“She got caught?” Zara bit on her lip. She’d interrupted him. However, he didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes. A maid saw her sneak in and out. The emperor was furious. She jeopardized the peace talks. She was sentenced to a flogging, then exile to a distant world.”

Zara swallowed hard. It didn’t sound like a promising story.

“She pleaded for mercy. But, it wasn’t the emperor who saved her, but his enemy, Brynt. He agreed to take Astra to his camp and punish her himself. He would claim her for his pleasure and discipline her alone until he considered her debt paid.”

“Did she go?” Zara tensed. The story almost bore some resemblance to her situation. Was she going to be sent somewhere? An off-world prison colony was unacceptable. So where?

“She had no choice. She went and humbled herself for him night after night. By the time he finished, she was both contrite and an accomplished lover. And also a thoroughly spanked one.”

Zara had to admit the outcome for Astra had to be better than exile even if Astra had to submit to sex. “What became of her?”

“Her people forgave her and peace was brokered,” he ended the story with some degree of haste.

Was that really the end?

“It’s a very interesting legend, but what’s it got to do with me, sir?” She had an inkling she was the new Astra. Surely it wouldn’t involve everything he’d implied, like how Astra had become Brynt’s mistress?

“I’m offering you the choice: a public whipping or the Ordeal of Astra. You would be privately punished and submit your body to another’s desires for the duration.” He maintained a steadfast gaze with a glimmer in his eyes and she squirmed, unable to look away.

It couldn’t be possible—what he proposed was unbelievable. “You?” she exclaimed.

“Me. I am a high-ranking judge and licensed to claim a convict for an ordeal. I will take you to my residence, where you be locked away from prying eyes. A room without luxuries but better than a detention cell.” He stepped toward her, closing the gap and she held her breath. When he reached out to touch her chin, she didn’t flinch, but she snatched a breath. He towered over her and nudged her head up, forcing her to meet his steely gaze.

Oh, my God, she nearly blurted. The warmth of his breath bloomed over her. She crushed her legs together instinctively. Did he know? How could he. She’d not been examined.

“I would be your prisoner? Punished by you?” she whispered. How could she agree when she didn’t know him? Who was this judge and why was he willing to take her to his home to conduct this ordeal? Was he simply after a woman, a human female, to fuck? Or worse, was he a sadist?

“At my discretion. But only me. You would be saved from public humiliation and from your fellow humans witnessing your punishment. They would never know.” He stroked his finger down her cheek. “No tears? You’re not afraid of me?”

She was still trembling. She had to tell him, because at the moment there was no choice. She couldn’t follow in the footsteps of Astra.

“I’m a virgin,” she blurted.

His hand dropped and his eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve never been with a man?”

She smirked, feeling a little mollified by the admission. “Well, yes, but not that way, and just because I get drunk… not all students…” she added feebly.

He laughed softly. “Forgive me, I have been presumptuous with my views of human copulation. Is it not your way to fuck once you come of age?”

Zara rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The direction of the conversation was creeping into the intimate, but if that was what he wanted from her, then he had to understand her better.

“It used to be something you did on the wedding night, you know.” She shrugged a little nervously. “Not so much like that these days. I’m twenty. I’ve just not met the right man.”

“Mmm, I see. Then if I was to tell you I promise to take your virginity with consideration, would you still accept my alternative sentence?”

Fuck, he’s keen.

He wanted her. She tingled all over and she shouldn’t. It couldn’t be right. He was going to punish her, fuck her, do whatever the hell he liked. “And then, after you take my virginity?” she asked slowly.

“You are mine,” he said softly.

“For how long?”

He was close again, hovering right by her breasts and so close to brushing against her. “Until two moons have come and gone. Two moons of Halos.”

Which meant about seven weeks on Earth. That long! Would it take that long to complete her public whipping? Probably not.

“I don’t know, sir,” she stuttered, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain.

“I want you, Zara. I want to punish your sweet bare ass with my hand. I want to witness you come when I demand it. I want to enter you. You will submit and serve me every day. You will stay naked in my presence. In return I shall ensure your privacy is protected, your criminal files kept confidential and you will come to no harm.”

The room was hot. Or felt hot. The blood had rushed to her cheeks and she swayed.

He caught her arm and steadied her. “Sit down here.” He led her to a chair and she flopped onto it.

He brought back the glass of water and held it to her lips.

After the cool liquid trickled down her dry throat, she spoke. “I don’t want to be whipped. Will you whip me?”

He frowned. “The whipping is necessary, but as I shall be conducting it, it will be a formality. The focus of your punishment won’t be the whipping. Neither will you be punished in public. I shall hold you accountable in private. You will obey me and disobedience will warrant further punishments.”

“How can I trust you?” Tears threatened again.

He crouched by her chair. “You have my word. And, if it reassures you, my house is kept by my mother’s old nursemaid. Well, my old nurse.” He grinned. “Bisma came with me from Halos.”

“Won’t she be… shocked?”

The judge—Galen, he had a name and she needed to think of him as a fellow humanoid—chuckled. “Bisma? A nurse is not just there to raise children and nurse the sick. She is quite adept at preparing the body for sex.”

“Oh,” she murmured.

It sounded simple. Submit to Galen and pretend to be Astra, the legendary lover of Brynt, and the slate would be wiped clean. Nobody, only the court recorder, would know.

Galen stood and she remained under his shadow; it seemed to embrace her as if the darkness wanted her too.

Nothing made sense any more. She should refuse, be repulsed by his offer, but she wasn’t, because if she cast aside her doubts and pride, she wanted to know what it felt like to have a man take her. Not just any man, but an alien who was capable of fucking for hours without tiring.

She looked up into his bright eyes. They beckoned, called to her. They weren’t evil eyes; they were serious and kind of sexy in a peculiar way.

“I accept the Ordeal of Astra,” she whispered.

“Kneel at my feet and say it,” he commanded.

She sank and knelt. Her voice came out surprisingly clear. “I accept the Ordeal of Astra. I accept I am yours.”

“Good. This pleases me. To ensure you understand, I’m going to take you over my knee and spank you.”

Zara scrambled to her feet. “Now?”

“If you can’t submit to me here and now, then how will you when I take you to my home and shackle you to my bed?”

“Shackle?” What had she agreed to do! A rush of nausea hit her belly. Galen wasn’t going to ease her gently into this ordeal thing he proposed. He meant business and now.

“You’re a prisoner. You will earn my trust. If you behave, then I shall reward you with greater liberties. The first test is to take down your pants and bend over my lap. Now!”

Her mouth hung open for a few seconds. “But… but why?”

“Your ass needs tempering. And, I want to punish it.” He touched the back of the chair as if to claim it. “It’s time you took responsibility for the trouble you’re in, or have you forgotten what a naughty human you’ve been?”

The reprimand was the sort of silly thing her father might say to her when she’d done something wrong—naughty girl, Zara. Except when Galen said the words, they didn’t sound the slightest bit silly. He’d given them an edge, a hardness in his tone that made her pulse race and her skin tingle.

He pulled her to her feet. Before she could protest, he sat on the chair, drew her down and over his lap, and began to pull down her waistband. He dragged her pants down to her knees and as she wriggled, he did the same to her panties. No cool rush of air hit her skin; she was too hot to feel anything remotely refreshing. She clenched her ass cheeks tight together and went rigid.

Was this any less humiliating than being tied to a post and whipped while the world watched on? Probably, it certainly felt that way.

The smack of his hand on her ass caused her to jump up, so he grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back, then hooked his leg over hers, preventing her from rising up. The next smack drove her deeper onto his lap until she felt the hard muscles of his thighs.

She squawked as he continued to switch from one buttock to another at a rapid pace and the noise echoed around his office in a horrible way, as if her bottom had been turned into a drum set.

“Oh, ow, ow!” she howled, feeling each slap meet her tense cheeks. She knew she should try to calm down, but she couldn’t. The more she battled against him, the harder his hand came down and the worse it felt.

She’d never been spanked before. It wasn’t horrendously painful or even agonizing, but it still damn well hurt. She tried to twist her bottom to one side, but he’d locked her in place with his firm grip.

“Keep still, little human,” he commanded and rained down a few more smacks.

Little human!

What an insulting remark—it made her sound weak. She humped his lap in protest and drummed her toes on the floor. Her panties joined her pants around her ankles. Now her legs were completely bare.

“You will learn to keep still or these spankings will last longer,” Galen said.

“My ass is fucking on fire, you brute!” she shouted in her mother tongue. She didn’t care if he was a judge or some great warrior, or even whether he understood what she said. Each blow added to the heat and pain. It couldn’t go on much longer—he’d stop soon, wouldn’t he? She was starting to feel the tears drip down her nose and cheeks.

“This is just the start of your ordeal, little human. You need to respect me. By the time I’ve finished with you in two moons, you’ll be begging me to spank you, just so you can feel my firm hand on your soft flesh.”

Bloody arrogant alien!

He was going to be very disappointed if he thought she was going to leap across his lap for this degrading display of submission. What the fuck was she thinking when he told her about the ordeal?

She switched back to speaking his language. “This isn’t fair. I don’t want—”

“Your wants are not relevant. You may ask, but you cannot demand.” He wasn’t slowing down as he spoke and the continuous stream of slaps was weakening her resolve.

With a sudden hiccough, she started to cry in earnest. “Please, please, sir. I’ll be good. I will.”

It hadn’t taken much. Just a few minutes of spanking and she’d cracked apart. What would he think of her? Some pathetic Earthling who weakened the moment she was tested? If this was day one of the Ordeal of Astra, in two moons’ time, she’d be a mess, a blubbering wreck who he couldn’t possibly want to fuck.

She stopped writhing and her body froze as she processed that last wild thought—she actually wanted to be fucked by him. Why was that idea lodged in her mind? She was hating the spanking but loving something else about him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what that was.

Galen slowed, then paused, rubbing each ass cheek in turn.

“Good girl. Now ten more hard smacks and you’ll take them without me pinning you down.” He removed his leg and released her restrained arm at the same time.

Zara pushed her palms flat on the floor, ready to spring to her feet. Dare she defy him or should she obey?

Galen raised his hand and waited. Would she stay in position or disobey him?

Her calf muscles seemed to flex, her toes and hands pressed down onto the hard floor as if in readiness to take flight.

A pity if she did, he thought. He would have liked to make progress quickly. Things had started positively with her acquiescence and yet, she’d thrashed about on his lap in response to a mere hand spanking. What would happen if he applied a strap or rod?

Her decision to accept his new sentence had taken less persuasion than he had expected. What he had imagined was the human tendency to be argumentative or excessively inquisitive, as if asking a multitude of questions was going to force a change of decision. Human women were certainly less submissive than Vendu ones and he’d read much about their equality with regard to sexual preferences. Whatever a woman might do outside of the bedroom, inside it, she should submit. Anyone from the warrior classes would expect nothing less.

So, she hadn’t refused or required him to make the decision for her. He was entitled to override her choice and impose his own. In fact, he didn’t have to give her one at all. He could resentence her without her cooperation. Lawful spanking didn’t require her consent and neither did some of the other punishments he had in mind.

Discipline might be his entitlement, but sex wasn’t so straightforward. Technically, by accepting the Ordeal of Astra, she’d given him consent for sex whenever he desired it, regardless of her mood or readiness. It was the law. Nevertheless, it would seem, and given his generous reaction, he couldn’t make her comply. Because of her virginity, he realized she needed to be handled carefully. Force was not an option.

Virginity as a gift was a quaint notion in Vendu society. In their world the first time was less about the occasion and more about necessity. A man or woman of age would want to resolve their inexperience as quickly as possible. A man might fuck many women before being ready to mate, then after offspring had arrived, they would part company and move onto another partner. Life partners were rare.

He’d reassured Zara and she’d accepted his authority. At least, she might have done in her head, but her body would take training, understandably. She was a novice. He would delight in teaching her. Once her mind and body were aligned better, he would take her virginity. He was looking forward to it and he had an idea how to help achieve that goal.

She hadn’t moved. She remained across his lap with her head hung over and her hair flowing onto the floor.

He applied the last ten smacks with a slow rhythm. She stayed anchored to the floor, absorbing each slap with little movement and only a tiny whimper.

“That was much better. Kneel next to the chair.” He helped her slide off his lap and she gingerly lowered herself onto her knees.

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and sniffed.

“After you have been spanked, you must say thank you. It is our way.” There were many Vendu ways of doing things and she was going to learn all of them.

Her sweet breasts rose and fell. He couldn’t wait to uncover them and ink them with tattoos. Her back, too. Temporary ones that would provide a helpful indicator of her emotional state and prevent her from lying to him. While he worked, she would be inked with the special fluid. His cock grew harder and bulged in his pants. He’d kept it under control, but now, having watched her ass turn red hot and her skin flush with pulsating blood, the need to have her was irrefutable.

She clasped her hands together on her lap, probably to steady them. His request had irked her—she wasn’t looking grateful. “Thank you, sir.”

The words weren’t quite spoken through gritted teeth, but neither were they freely given. He would have to work on her respect, too.

The energy she’d unleashed during the spanking was strong and affected him. He had to touch her. Impulsively, he bundled the hair at the back of her head into his fist, drew her up onto her knees, and lowered his mouth on hers.

A hard kiss. Long, too. She hadn’t the capacity of his lungs and started to gasp for breath as he savored her taste, her moist lips and tongue.

His cock burst upward and strained to be released. He couldn’t remember the last time it had ached so hard. With his empty hand, he fumbled with the fastening and exposed the smooth head. He let go of her hair and disengaged his mouth from her lush lips. She inhaled deeply and he noted her eyes were half open. When she caught sight of his erection poking out of his pants, they widened.

The temptation was strong to grab her, drag her mouth onto his cock, and demand she sucked him dry. His palms itched to do it. However, the look on her face was one not of horror or disgust, but amazement.

“It’s so… big,” she said.

He ringed the shaft with his hand and gave it a tug. By now his cock was nearly fully erect and it possessed the potential to grow bigger. However, she was not quite ready. The wonder in her face reminded him she was a novice.

“You must have seen—”

“Oh, yes, and…” She ducked her head down as she blushed. Kneeling next to him, with her pants around her ankles and her neck flushed pink, she looked sweet and innocent. “And touched it. Just some guy I knew…” She was speaking so quietly he could barely hear her.

He tipped her face up. “Would you like to touch it?”

The blush deepened with a crimson flare across both cheeks. “I… I…”

“Kiss it.” He hardened his voice. He could hold off fucking her for now, but she needed to learn that his needs took precedence.

“Kiss it?” she repeated. “Like cock-sucking kiss or a peck?”

He laughed. Perhaps not as innocent as he’d assumed. “Have you sucked a cock?”

“A little… not very well.” She tried to hide her face again, but he wouldn’t let her; his finger remained rigid under her chin.

“Then I shall teach you. Kneel between my legs.”

Unlike the spanking, where she had balked and struggled, she obeyed immediately, shuffling around on her knees. He straightened in his seat and adjusted the angle of his cock.

“Start with your hands. Stroke it up and down.”

Her fingers crept forward, the tips trembling.

“It won’t bite, Zara,” he added.

She stroked as if he was a slender vine and delicate. It tickled in a pleasant way and his cock twitched.

“Firmer,” he commanded. “Use your whole hand.”

She coiled her hand around the base of his erection and slowly drew it upward. Up and over the glans, then down again. Each pass of her hand drew the blood flow to the tip and he leaked pre-cum. Her confidence grew, as did the tightness of her grasp.

Galen groaned and tipped his head back. If she carried on like this, he would have to come.

“Stop,” he growled. “Rise up and lower your mouth onto it.”

She pressed her hands onto his thighs for support and sank her mouth over the head of his cock. No tickling this time. She was struggling to accommodate the head, never mind any part of his engorged shaft. She would need training.

“Lick it.”

She altered the angle of her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Just as she had done with her hands, she massaged his member with her tongue.

“Faster,” he said, resisting the temptation to grab her hair and force her down onto his balls.

She opened her mouth wide and once again took him. Her cheeks drew in as she sucked, then she spluttered as he filled her. Over and over, she bobbed her head up and down, never sinking beyond her limits, which were restricted to little further than the back of her mouth.

The energy released coursed through his blood. It almost pained his cock to feel it rush along its length, filling it to bursting. The load spurted into her mouth and hit the back of her throat.

She choked, but didn’t pull back. Instead, she swallowed most of it and the rest of the liquid trickled down her chin.

“Good girl,” he said softly.

The wondrous sensation of bliss passed while she remained on her knees, licking her lips with a small smile.

He tidied himself and brought her a fresh glass of water.

“Thank you, sir.” She drank most of it in one go.

“Make yourself presentable,” he told her.

She seemed to have forgotten she was disheveled. She hastily pulled up her panties and pants.

“I’m right in thinking that was the first time you’ve swallowed cum?” He couldn’t resist arranging her hair by combing it through with his fingers.

She blinked. “Yes,” she squeaked.

He circled her. She wasn’t shaking now. The bloom in her face was one of confidence, not shame. “You did well. However, you will have to learn to take the full length of my cock to serve me correctly. But, I think you’re a fast learner, aren’t you, Zara Webb?”

“I hope so.”

“You will go to my residence now. Bisma will give you ointment for your ass. Use it.”

She nodded and clutched her bottom, as if to remember the pain she must be feeling.

“Will I see you again today, sir?” she asked.

“I can assure you, you will. I think, my human, you will need a little reward for doing what I asked.”

The smile on her face broadened. If she had any fears, she was hiding them well. The spanking had worked. She was beginning to appreciate how the Ordeal of Astra was going to work. Humans called it the carrot and the stick. Galen liked the analogy. He would give her plenty of the stick—she needed discipline. As for the carrot, he would have to see.