by Van © 2024
		Chapter 8

Lady Paulina's "Castle Office" was actually a sitting room located near her bedchamber in Amberdale Castle's centrally located "Family Keep."  She'd chosen it as her personal retreat because of its many large windows, all of which provided a charming view of the countryside on the side away from the driveway and tourist parking.  There was also a large fireplace, making it the perfect place to read and/or take tea in winter and during inclement weather.  There was a stately desk, of course, with a powerful computer that allowed video conferencing if she wished to accomplish actual work.  There were also luxurious conversation areas for socializing, as well as a comfortably decadent daybed for catnaps and luxurious lounging.

Post exercise, post steam room, and post strapping Poor Prudence's friend Catherine to a padded massage table, Her Ladyship had changed into a "casual" business ensemble of sensible heels, skirt, blouse, and jacket, all custom tailored, hideously expensive, and coordinated with exquisite taste.  At the moment she was at her desk and catching up on e-mail traffic from her offices in The City of London, but eventually she intended to leave the Keep and conduct one of her famous meet-and-greet sessions with the afternoon tourists, perhaps in an hour or so.  It was good policy to pop into the the gift shop and other "public" areas on a regular basis to shake hands and reinforce her reputation as a "friendly peer" who was "in touch with the common people."  After that, she'd see about releasing Prudence and her model/actress friend so they could relax (and recuperate) in their guest rooms in the castle.  (She'd already decided that enough was nearly enough with respect to the current game).

Suddenly (and unexpectedly), there was a quiet knock at the office door, it opened (without Lady Paulina granting permission), and (to Her Ladyship's perfectly shielded amazement) Prudence appeared—and not only was she not wearing the maid's uniform Sabrina had said she was going to inflict on her, but she wasn't bound and/or gagged in any way!  Also, she wasn't in the close custody of Sabrina, Grace, or even Elizabeth!  Pru was smiling... and wearing a slightly ill-fitting but very pretty summer dress in a very pretty floral-pattern, a dress that Lady Paulina instantly recognized.  It was one of the new dresses Elizabeth had brought back from London!

"Your Ladyship," Pru purred as (again, without permission) she dropped a quick curtsy, then settled into one of the pair of visitor chairs in front of the desk.

Lady Paulina leaned back in her throne-like and very comfy office chair and gazed at her unauthorized visitor.  The ghost of a coy smile curled her lips.  "So... Sabrina decided to release you?"

"Oh, certainly not," Pru chuckled.  "I released myself.  Brie was being a total ogre."

"And the dress?"

Pru's smile widened and she gave a gentle tug to the top of the slightly-too-generous-decolletage of the dress in question.  "This old thing?  Just something I found lying around.  Apparently its former owner didn't want it anymore.  I can't understand why.  In any case, I'm sure you agree that it's much prettier than the dowdy old maid's uniform Brie wanted me to wear... even if it is a little loose in places.  Maybe I can get it taken in."

"It looks remarkably like one of the frocks Elizabeth brought home from the Fashion District," Her Ladyship purred.

Pru's smile widened again.  "Oh!  Yes!  Lizzie!  I nearly forgot."

Lady Paulina rolled her eyes.  "Yes?"

"I left her naked, bound, gagged, and sequestered in... an undisclosed location."  Pru theatrically frowned and raised an eyebrow in concentration.  "And there was something else..."  Her smile returned and she snapped her fingers.  "Now I remember.  I let Lizzie borrow the shock-collar Brie loaned me... which means she can't call out for help.  Of course, since she's already gagged she can't do that anyway."  Her smile turned sickly sweetly.  "I certainly hope I don't forget where I put her.  Even with a large search party, all of whom would have to be intimately familiar with all of the castle's many cubbyholes and hiding places.  Finding her might take... hours."

Lady Paulina didn't seem to be particularly alarmed.  "My baby daughter isn't in any real danger, is she?"

Pru gasped in mock dismay, then grinned.  "Of course not... except for of maxing out her personal languishing quota for the month.  You know I'd never do anything to harm Lizzie, or Gracie for that matter."  Her smile turned sinister.  "Which brings us to Brie."

Once again Her Ladyship rolled her beautiful blue eyes, but her smile had fully returned.  "Let me guess.  You've decided you've been punished enough and would very much like a chance to do unspeakable things to Sabrina... even though she was only following my orders."

"Exactly!" Pru beamed, then her smile became a puzzled frown.  "Wait... I'm forgetting something else."

"You want your girlfriend back?" Lady Paulina suggested.

Pru's smile returned and once again Pru snapped her fingers.  "That's it!"

Lady Paulina reached for the handset of the console-style offuce phone on her desk, then paused.  "I suppose if I summon the staff, have you dragged down to the dungeons, and instruct Brie to torture you until you divulge poor, innocent Elizabeth's exact location, you'll hold out long enough to make all of us late for High Tea."

"I might even hold out until after dinner," Pru beamed.

"I admire a good evil plan," Her Ladyship purred, then lifted the handset, punched a button on the console, and spoke.  "Sabrina, please turn things over to one of your assistants for the rest of the day and come to my office."

Pru watched (and smiled) as Lady Paulina listened to the reply, presumably from Brie.

Then, the gorgeous, 50-something, tyrannical blonde aristocrat's smile widened.  "Excellent!"  Her Ladyship pressed another button.  "Tea for two in my office, please."  She then hung up the phone and focused her smile on Pru.  "If you try and run," Lady Paulina warned, "I'll chase you down personally and make you watch while I flog Catherine until her thighs, buttocks, back, and those delightful breasts are a flushed shade of bright pink.  Then... I'll flog you."

"I have nowhere I need to be," Pru responded with an impudent grin, "especially with tea on the way."

Resplendent in her semi-expensive, tailored, and stunningly attractive (in her humble opinion) business suit of high-heeled pumps, black skirt, white blouse, and black jacket—Brie smiled as she strolled through the castle, into the Family Keep, up the stairs, and approached Lady Paulina's office.  Earlier in the day she'd argued that Her Ladyship was requiring her to be far too lenient on Pru and her hot girlfriend... the one with the stunning doe eyes and semi-big bristols which were nearly as comely and perfect as Brie's own pair.  She'd argued respectfully, of course, but the disobedient visitors needed to be punished like the discourteous miscreants that they were, and afterwards they could all get down to the serious business of introducing Cat to the castle's torture chambers and making Pru watch.  That would be a true homecoming for Pru, as well as serious fun for her fellow former playmates.

Brie knocked quietly on Her Ladyship's office door... waited until Lady Paulina said "Come!"... then opened the door, crossed the threshold—and froze in wide-eyed surprise.

Lady Paulina was behind her desk, which was not a surprise; however, Pru was sitting on one of the visitor chairs, and smiling at her in brazen insolence, and sipping a cup of tea!  That was certainly surprising, as was the miscreant's attire.  Pru was wearing the pretty flowers-on-indigo-background summer dress Brie had last seen on Lizzie, and not the maid's uniform she should have been wearing!  Adding insult to disobedience, Pru's shock-collar was missing and she wasn't bound and/or gagged in any way!

"How dare you!" Brie sputtered, focusing her Righteous Ire on the smiling Pru, of course, not Lady Paulina.

"Be calm!" Her Ladyship chuckled, opened a desk drawer, produced a modest coil of thin cord, and tossed it to her Tours Manager.  "Make sure Prudence remains in her chair," Lady Paulina instructed as she tossed the bundle of conditioned, twisted hemp to Brie.  "I suggest her ankles."

With a gloating sneer Brie snatched the coil from the air, deftly released its retaining hitch, and prepared it for use.  Like all denizens of Amberdale Castle, Sabrina Walker took Lady Paulina's "suggestions" as direct orders, so she knelt at Pru's feet, pulled then together, and set to work. 

As the cord tightened Pru decided that bondage-wise The Evil Brie was channeling John Willie, in the same way manner as Pru herself while dealing with Lizzie.  She was using the ankles-lashed-together-and-to-the-chair-leg technique the Mysterious Kidnappers had used to temporarily immobilize Gwen in The Missing Princess.  Brie even included the same unnecessary instep-cords, making sure Prue couldn't squirm out of her shoes, which she do couldn't anyway, thanks to her pumps' individually padlocked ankle straps.

Mission semi-accomplished, Brie stood, straightened the front of her skirt, and turned to Lady Paulina.  "Is more cord conveniently available, Your Ladyship?" she inquired, nodding at the desk.  "The miscreant's wrists still require binding."

Her Ladyship favored her Tours Manager with a teasingly reproachful smile.  "And interfere with her ability to enjoy her tea?"  She shook her head (causing her magnificent flaxen tresses to sway).  "The ankles will suffice... for the moment."

Pru grinned at Brie and raised her remaining half-cup of tea in a mocking salute.

Brie's response was a baleful scowl.  It was fully focused on Pru, of course, never on Her Ladyship.

Lady Paulina stood and pointed to a closed door across the office.  "Come," she ordered.

Pru sipped her tea and watched as Her Ladyship and Brie strolled (or in the case of Brie, stomped) to the door in question... then disappeared into the space beyond, closing the portal behind them.  It was one of three overt (meaning non-secret) means of entrance to or egress from the office.  They were: (1.) the main doors, of course, was two opposing doors sharing a single frame, no doubt in case Lady Paulina decided to replace her ridiculously huge desk with an absurdly huge desk; (2.) the single door to the office water closet, and; (3.) the single door just used.  Pru had no idea what might be in the space beyond.  Back in the day, when growing up as a member of the Amberdale Castle Rapscallions, the consequences of being caught snooping around Her Ladyship's office would have been too horrible to contemplate!

The semi-prisoner in the visitor's chair leaned forward and carefully placed her still half-full teacup and its saucer on the nearest edge of Her Ladyship's desk.  She'd just had tea with Lizzie and had accepted the fresh cup only to be polite.  She briefly considered untying her ankles—scampering to the WC and relieving herself—then scampering back and rebinding her ankles to the chair leg as they were now, but decided might not be able to accomplish all of that before Her Ladyship and The Evil Brie returned, and that would be... awkward.  She really didn't need to go anyway.

As it turned out, Pru would probably have had plenty of time to visit the loo, because whatever Her Ladyship and Brie were doing behind the third door... they were taking their time.  Pru had assumed they were gathering the supplies needed for whatever Lady Paulina had decided to do to her (meaning to Poor Prudence) to punish her for kidnapping her darling baby girl (Lizzie) and sequestering her who-knows-where  Then, they'd get down to the serious business of making her (Pru) divulge her (Lizzie's) location using a series unspeakable but ultimately harmless (and entertaining) tortures.  She knew that if it was left up to Brie they'd need an excessive amount of more of the thin cord already binding her ankles, just to get started, but who knew what Her Ladyship had in mind.

As it also turned out, Pru's expectations missed the mark on all counts by quite a wide margin.  When the door finally reopened, something like six or eight minutes later, Lady Paulina, still smiling her gorgeous smile and looking as beautiful and stylish as ever, strolled back into her office, and following in Her Ladyship's wake was...

Pru's eyes popped to their maximum width and she was suddenly very glad she was no longer holding the cup and saucer!  She was shocked and amazed (and aroused)!

Padding after Her Ladyship was, of course, The Evil Brie, but now she was The Evil Naked, Bound, and Gagged Brie!  Gone was her stylish business attire (and whatever lingerie she'd been wearing underneath), and in their place was a black leather armbinder of the single-sleeve variety!

The binder's pair of upper-retaining-straps yoked Brie's shoulders and crisscrossed her chest above her boobs... and eventually, when Brie came close enough that Pru could discern further detail, she confirmed that it was, indeed, a single-sleeve encasing Brie's fingers, hands, and arms behind her back.  It closed by means of tight, vertical, crisscrossing laces running its entire length, and in addition a pair of tightly buckled horizontal straps (totally unnecessary from the restraining point of view) encircled the wrist and upper arm regions of the binder and, like the binder itself, they were tight!

It was abundantly clear that Brie was not happy, as evidenced by the vexation in her pale blue eyes and the pout inadequately masked by the wide, tautly stretched strip of Elastoplast tape plastered over her lips, mouth, and most of her lower face!  That's right!  Brie was tape-gagged!  And yes, as previously mentioned, she was otherwise totally naked!

And oh-by-the-way, it was now even more clear that the 30-something Tours Manager had not been neglecting her exercise regimen.  She was in the same exquisite (and curvaceous) physical condition as the Hardy family, Pru's big sister Hannah, and all the maids and other staff Pru had thus far encountered since returning to the castle.  Without a doubt, starkers and in the buff, The Evil Brie was The Evil Hot Brie!  Also... Brie's boobs bobbled and bounced as she came to a halt and stamped her right foot in frustration.

Lady Paulina said something, but whatever it was Pru missed it.  She'd been busy staring at her beloved nemesis in appreciation.  She then blinked and shifted her incredulous focus to Her Ladyship.

"Do I have your attention now, Prudence?" Lady Paulina chuckled.

Pru blushed.  "Yes, Your Ladyship.  Sorry, Your Ladyship."

"Good," Lady Paulina purred.  "Untie your ankles.  Then, remove Elizabeth's pretty new dress, and please be careful with it.  Elizabeth is quite proud of it, and she looks adorable wearing it."

"Yes, Your Ladyship."  Pru had to agree that Lizzie looked good in and out of the dress in question, and "adorable" was as good a descriptor as any.  She glanced at Brie as she bent forward and began untying her ankles and noted the gorgeous, naked, armbinder-bound, and tape-gagged monster's gagged pout had become a gagged smirk, but, unfortunately, there was nothing Pru could do about it.  Ankles free, she stood, dropped the cord on the now empty seat, then removed Lizzie's pretty new dress and draped it over the back of the second visitor's chair.

Pru was now as naked as The Evil Brie, not counting her padlocked high-heeled pumps, dark stockings (with white lace garters with pretty little black ribbons and white rosettes), and steel chastity belt.

Meanwhile, Lady Paulina had opened the desk drawer and produced two more coils of the same thin hemp cord she'd provided to The Evil Brie to bind Pru's ankles.  Smiling her gorgeous, sexy smile, Her Ladyship stepped close to Pru and set to work.

Lady Paulina started by binding Pru's wrists together... then lifted Pru's arms, pulled her bound wrists behind her head, and crafted a relatively simple upper body harness to keep them there.  She used multiple neatly stacked strands, included Pru's upper arms in the construction of the matrix, and made sure everything was well-cinched.  There was no way Pru would be able to squirm free, duck her head under her arms, and/or reach the key knot with her fluttering fingers—and she included Pru's thumbs in the bondage for added insurance (and aesthetics).

Pru's armpits were on fully exposed and vulnerable display.  This wasn't her first experience with the behind-the-head-two-hands-tie.  She'd done it to Cat more than once, Cat had done it to her... and now Lady Paulina had done it to her!  She just hoped tickling wasn't in her immediate future—and if it was, she certainly hoped The Evil Brie wouldn't be allowed to watch!

Meanwhile, Her Ladyship had strolled to the room-beyond-the-third-door... and was returning with a wide roll of off-white Elastoplast tape, a pair of shiny stainless steel bandage scissors, and a... red blob?

The blob in question appeared to be molded of silicone-rubber and had a curious shape.  Then, as the blob in question drew closer and Pru got a better look, she realized it was one of the Silencilicone company's "silicon tonge gags."  They came in a host of colors and incorporated a carefully designed cavity to trap and contain the wearer's tongue, as well as a molded top and bottom bite-tray.  Supposedly, the things were even more effective that a typical rubber/silicon mouth plug, as in a conventional ball-gag.  And, as it turns out, one of the things (probably in pastel green) was already on Pru and Cat's mutual wish-list of things to add to their toy chest of hobby equipment.

So, Pru thought, the Hardys have been into kinky fun for generations... but Lady Paulina is keeping things up to date.  Interesting.

"Say ahhh," Lady Paulina purred.

Pru heaved a tragic sigh (for show), then opened her mouth and "allowed" Her Ladyship to shove the red glob inside and make sure it was properly seated.  As designed, it trapped Pru's tongue, and when she bit down and closed her mouth, it severely restricted all possible sideways movement of her jaws.  She watched as Lady Paulina cut a six to seven-inch strip from the roll of Elastoplast... then (obligingly) Pru held her head still with her lips closed over the smooth front of the glob as Her Ladyship smiled, stretched the strip between her hands, and pressed it home over her mouth, lips, and lower face.  They locked eyes as Lady Paulina smoothed the taut, stretched, tightly adhered strip with her strong, tan fingers.

"Mrrrmpfh," Pru complained.  (Actually, it was a Gag Test, a recognized subset of the traditional Courtesy Struggle.)

"Exactly," Lady Paulina purred, then turned and strolled around her desk, settled into her comfy, throne-like office chair, picked up the handset of her phone, and pressed a button on the console.  She smiled at her essentially naked, bound, gagged, and helpless visitor and her Tours Manager for several seconds... then spoke into the phone.  "Grace, are you in a position to do something for me?  Good.  It would seem Elizabeth is... shall we say... playing with the shock-collar Sabrina put on Prudence.  Be a dear and use the tracking app on your phone to find your sister and, uh, deal with the situation.  ...  Excellent.  Love you!"

Pru blinked and watched Her Ladyship hang up the phone... then they locked eyes as Lady Paulina smiled at her over steepled fingers.

"You didn't know our shock-collars have an electronic tracking feature?" Lady Paulina inquired.  "Well... they do."  She shifted her gaze to Brie and her smile faded.  "Hmm... I think something more is needed."

Pru and Brie watched as Her Ladyship stood and strolled to the infamous third door and into what apparently was the kinky bondage materials storeroom beyond.  The essentially naked prisoners then gazed at each other.  Obviously, Lady Paulina was in what they'd used to call one of her "frisky moods."  Despite being on opposing sides in the current game, the childhood friends shared a bound and tape-gagged shrug.

It wasn't like there was anything either one of them could do to alleviate the situation and Pru had no idea what was about to happen, but apparently Brie was the one in jeopardy, so...  It couldn't happen to a nicer sadistic monster, she decided.

At that point Lady Paulina returned, and dangling from her right hand was... a black leather hood!  Pru watched with naked, bound, gagged, and amused approval as Her Ladyship stepped behind Brie, slipped the hood over the openly disgruntled blue-eyed brunette's pouting and tape-gagged head, and started the process of tightening the lacing running up the back, tugging on the laces until it was skintight—and it was a classic "Gwen Hood!" once again carrying forward the imagined John Willie theme-of-the-day.

When the proverbial dust settled, Brie's cranium was totally encased in chamois-thin, gleaming, black leather.  Only her upper face was exposed, from just under her pert nose to the top of her forehead.  Also (being a classic full Gwen Hood), there were two broad straps incorporated into the design.  The first cupped Brie's chin, covered her mouth, passed to either side of her exposed upper face, and buckled tight at the crown of her head.  The second strap was horizontal, passed over the first strap and also pressed against her mouth, then buckled at the nape of her neck.  Brie's long brown hair emerged from the bottom margin of the hood and trailed down her back, as if the hood was an elaborate means of enforcing a loose ponytail.

"Yes, that's much better," Lady Paulina purred as she strolled around Brie's naked, armbinder-bound, hooded, and disgruntled form to stand in front of both prisoners.  She crossed her arms under her ample breasts.  A gorgeous smile curled the lips of her gorgeous face.  Then, after several long seconds of aristocratic gloating...  "Follow me, ladies," Her ladyship ordered, then strolled between Pru and Brie and crossed the office to the double doors leading to the hallway and the castle beyond.

Pru and Brie didn't immediately follow, but exchanged another gagged (and slightly perplexed) stare.

Her hand on the doorknob, Lady Paulina turned to smile at her captives. "Now, ladies," she ordered.  "And if you try to escape, I'll be very disappointed... and you'll be very sorry."  With that ultimatum, the beautiful, 50-something aristocrat opened the doors and sauntered from her office, unconsciously and gracefully swinging her hips in an unavoidably seductive manner.

Pru and Brie exchanged yet another glance—one of half mutual commiseration and half reciprocal loathing (although neither of them actually meant it)—then rolled their eyes and scurried to catch up with Her Sexy Ladyship.

About five minutes passed in the now empty office... then one of the maids entered.

It was Erin, the cute little ginger with freckles and green eyes who, apparently, had come to retrieve the tea-service-for-two Lady Paulina had ordered earlier.  Erin made quick work of stacking the used cups and saucers on the tray and was about to return to the kitchen; however, she'd noted the pretty dress draped across the back of one of the visitor chairs and decided dealing with it should be part of her mandate.

The band of colored thread stitched on one edge of the dress' manufacturer's tag as a castle laundry marker matched Elizabeth Hardy's code (white/pale-pink/sky-blue/white).  Also, the door to the office storeroom was ajar and she decided to investigate.  Inside, haphazardly tossed against the far wall, she found a black skirt, black jacket, white blouse, and a complete set of frilly and skimpy white lingerie.  Their tags were all coded rose-pink/black/Prussian-blue/tan, which identified their owner as Sabrina Walker.

Erin carefully folded and stacked the clothing (Lizzie's and Brie's) on the two visitor chairs, then departed Her Ladyship's office with the tea tray.  Once the used tea service was properly in the scullery she'd return with a mesh nylon bag and carry the clothes down to the laundry to be sorted and cleaned.  It was unusual to find loose clothing items in inappropriate places at Amberdale Castle... but not without precedent.

Lizzie struggled and fought to escape her tight bonds.  Granted, none of the cords/ropes were all that tight, nor were they damaging her skin (as long as she didn't get carried away), but... Oh, the drama!  She was bound, gagged, and totally naked!  Starkers!  In the raw!  Without a stitch of clothing!  Nude!

Specifically, Lizzie's wrists were crossed and bound behind her back!  Also, her arms were pinned to her sides and bound against her torso, making it impossible for her to execute the classic escape tactic of passing her bound wrists past her hips and through hre legs and feet, bringing her wrist bonds to the front and within reach of her teeth!

That wouldn't have worked anyway, of course, meaning Lizzie using her teeth, because she was also tightly gagged, with panties stuffing and multiple layers of cloth cleaving and covering her mouth.  She probably would have been able to untie the gag once her hands and fingers were in front, but as already established that was wishful thinking as her hands and fingers were not in front and the torso-and-arms bondage was preventing her from getting them in front!  It was elegant, simple, and (one might say) understated bondage!  It was also proving to be quite inescapable.

Worse yet, Prudie, the pernicious perpetrator of Lizzie's bound and gagged predicament, had dragged her to and incarcerated her inside one of the castle's many "damsel holes," a secret cubbyhole with a camouflaged entrance designed to sequester an innocent maiden (like The Honorable Elizabeth Hardy) in a cramped, inescapable prison, leaving her no option but to languish without hope of discovery, rescue, or tea!

This particular damsel-hole was in a subterranean dungeon corridor under the North Tower.  The secret entrance was a roughly rectangular section of stone blocks that opened by means of twisting a nearby wall-sconce, but it wasn't just an otherwise empty stone cell.  It held a cubical cage of heavy iron bars about four feet on a side, with its door secured by a heft y iron hasp and a formidable iron padlock!  Poor naked, bound, and gagged Lizzie was inside the cage (or course), and with her ankles, feet, and big toes bound in addition to her wrists and upper-body-and-arms bondage!

Fortunately, the cage floor was cushioned by a thin burlap pallet stuffed with straw.  Better yet, the burlap was conditioned and the straw synthetic, so the mattress wasn't nearly as scratchy, pokey, and uncomfortable as would be the case if it was the real thing.

Finally, a steel shock-collar was locked around Poor Lizzie's neck!  Unlikely as it would be that screaming for help through her gag could be heard through the thick stone wall, if she even tried she'd receive a painful electrical jolt that would paralyze her larynx!  It would hurt!

Thankfully, Lizzie was not incarcerated in total darkness, but the only light was provided by a single candle set in a tiny alcove!  It wasn't a real candle, of course.  In keeping with Amberdale Castle's medieval ambiance, it was an electric candle with a flickering LED bulb.  In any case, she was grateful for the illumination, however feeble and however depressing the view.

So, Lizzie was naked, bound hand and foot (and arms), gagged, shock-collared, locked in a not exactly roomy iron cage, and trapped in a dungeon cell behind a secret door of thick stone blocks!

Oh the horror!  Prudie's really outdone herself, she had to admit.

When it was Brie's turn on top and Lizzie's turn on the bottom, the blue-eyed brunette usually went for bondage overkill and used enough tight rope to rig a sailboat.  Gracie was more-or-less the same.  Also, Mother hardly ever let them "play" with the really scary furnishings in the dungeons.  Lizzie had never even been allowed to see what it was like to ride the horse in the Main Torture Chamber!

Prudie's bondage, however, was creative!  Not that creative, but Lizzie had to admit she'd done a good job and crafted a deliciously dreadful scenario.

Just then, with an ominous scraping sound—Screeeee!—the secret stone door swung open... and Gracie appeared in the opening!

How disappointing.  Lizzie had been expecting Prudie, followed by the start of the next phase of whatever horrific fate she had in store for Poor Lizzie.

Gracie smiled as she pocketed her cell phone.  "Oh... here you are," she chuckled.

Lizzie squirmed in her tight bonds in the inescapable cage; however (because of the shock-collar), she did not whine and/or scream and/or moan through her gag.

"Do you have permission to play in the dungeons?" Gracie inquired.

Lizzie's only response was to roll her eyes and continue struggling.  Since when do any of us need permission to play in the dungeons? she mentally objected.

"I didn't think so," Gracie purred.  "I'm telling Mother," she added, then took a step back.

Lizzie watched in wide-eyed horror as the thick, heavy, secret stone door rumbled closed—Screeeee-thud!—and once again she was alone, naked, bound, gagged, shock-collared, caged... and with no choice but to resume languishing.

Lizzie loved her big sister... but there were times when she really hated her.