Page 8 of Temple

She had changed a lot since the day she arrived. She walked through the marble halls where statues and artwork were next to precisely arranged floral displays. They were trained for beauty, comfort, and lust. Love had little to do with the life of a companion.

Sage walked to the front of the Temple and paused when she saw the line of companions waiting to see her off. “Aw, Matron, I will be back.”

The matron smiled and said, “I hope not. Get hugging.”

The ladies giggled, and the males chuckled. She started with the novices and hugged the men and women who had been with her during her training and who had been trained by her in return.

She kissed lips, hugged, and was passed from one trainee to another. The matron hugged her and said, “I will miss playing strategy games with you but will not miss your musical efforts.”

The laughter rippled through everyone, and the scuff of a boot on the gravel made Sage look toward the twelve men in dark, blood-red livery.

The matron released her, and Sage turned to the commander. “This is Sage, daughter of the Temple. She is beloved by all of us, and we will be watching her progress. She will not disappear into the stars. We will be looking for her.”

Sage looked at her friend and said, “Damn. Just tell them that every whore in the system knows what I look like and will be watching for me.”

Matron grinned. “I just did. Now, off you go. Go shake the tower.”

Sage looked, and one of the crewmen had come to take her bag. She sighed and said, “Yay. Another new world.”

The men bowed, and the commander murmured, “Please come with us, Mistress. You are under the care of Zell’s tower.”

She nodded and said, “I place myself in your hands.”

The men shivered, and she realized she had usedclient voice. She sighed and placed her hand on the wrist of the commander and let him walk with her into the shuttle that had clearance to arrive and depart from the Temple.

Sage sat in the seat, surrounded by strange men, and mentally played a game of "Guess the Member Size." It used to be guess the penis until the matron had informed her that what she was facing might not always be a penis. Cock was for when they were up for funzies.

She kept her brain playing silly games as they arrived at the station and transferred to the Zell ship.

The commander led her to her quarters, and they were nine times larger than the one that she had been in when she had been stolen.

When she was alone, she unpacked her lute and tuned it. She wasn’t bad at the lute; she just wasn’t good. She had time to learn, so she was taking it.

The songs she sang were pop songs from Earth. Matron wasn’t a fan, but they made Sage smile as she softly sang ballads that she had listened to endlessly on the radio and online. When it was time for tea, she got the supplies from the unit, laid everything out, and practiced measuring, stirring, and pouring into small teacups. Her sleeves flowed as she moved her hands with slow focus. Months of lotions and massages had taken callouses down, and her hands were actually pretty now. She wasn’t allowed to get any rough patches, so even playing the lute had to be done in moderation.

Treating herself like a limited-edition collectible had been awkward, but once she had started passing weekly inspections, things had gotten smoother in all senses of the word.

She finished the tea service and went to the next part of her routine. Dance. Sage moved slowly as she sang, and when she had danced for half an hour, she slowed her steps and relaxed. Meditation was next on the list since she couldn’t go for a walk in the gardens.

The soft knock on her door brought her out of her meditation, and she said softly, “Come in.”

“Mistress, the captain wishes you to join him for dinner.”

“Again? That is seven days in a row.” Sage got to her feet and brushed her robes into straight lines. She smiled at the three crewmen sent to escort her.

“We don’t often have a woman of your beauty or charm on board.”

“He just likes to play Tekko.”

“Will you come now, Mistress?”

“Oh, of course.” She left her room, closed and sealed the door, and walked with the three to the captain’s dining room.

Sage smiled slightly and was pleased as always that the companion clothing didn’t wrinkle. It always hung and fluttered lightly as a companion moved.

The path to the captain’s dining room was familiar by now. When they arrived, her guards knocked softly on the door, and another crewman opened it and smiled. “Mistress Sage, please come in.”

She walked in, and the captain shot to his feet, setting the tablet down. “Mistress. Thank you for coming.”

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