SCIFI-BABE.COM - Alethea meets with The Empress Serafina Roh Lin.

Alethea meets Her Serene Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin.

I was having a conversation with a slave, a while back, about the financial burden being a Dominant places upon one. I manage, of course, but I have often wondered what it would be like to be so incredibly wealthy that I could surround myself with slaves, and have two or three trainers to keep order. So, imagine my surprise when I received an invitation to visit one of the richest women in the galaxy: Her Serene Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin. Here is a woman with a reputation for 'denying herself absolutely nothing'.

Now, when visiting nobility, it's important to create the right impression, even if their title owes more to the illegal financial and strip mining activities of their predecessors than any entitlement of birth, so I recruited two of my submissive girlfriends, Lyra and Jeni, to act as my escort, dressed them appropriately - more of that later - and boarded the Empress' personal barge at Kyrax II's principle spaceport, Lept.

As we entered the barge, I have to say I found the decor a little overpowering! The murals were way too graphic in their depictions of the Empress, and others, at play. The architecture was completely over the top, too! Sheets of the precious gold-blue metal, Rhodethium, had been used to conceal the barge's supporting framework. For those readers who do not know, in the old days - when the Empress' ancestors and their criminal fraternity had free range to wander and plunder the galaxy - the mere existence of a sizeable deposit of this metal ore on any world was enough to seal the fate of its entire eco-system. Priceless animal skins were draped over the furniture and spread upon the tiled floor in a haphazard kaleidoscope of stripes and blotches of every hue. Two dozen slaves, from several races and of both sexes, knelt on either side of a narrow strip of purple colored carpet running from the entrance to the far end, where six deeply upholstered chairs were arranged in a semi-circle. Apart from simple Duralloy collars, they were all naked, and held their arms extended and crossed at the wrist.

We three made our way to the chairs, sat, and strapped ourselves in to the sound of the access ramp closing. The slaves took up position along both 'walls' and sat on the floor, strapping themselves in as, seconds later, a slight vibration announced that we were taking off.

The Empress keeps herself well away from the lower classes. In fact, her abode is not even on the ground. Her Sky Palace floats three miles above the planet's surface and is heavily defended by the very latest in energy weapons - yet another lucrative string to the Empress and her predecessor's financial bow - and a fleet of agile interceptors which can be launched at a moment's notice from an orbital platform. Clearly, the Empress values her privacy!

As we approached a distance of twenty kilometers from the Sky Palace, an escort of three interceptors zeroed in on us and herded us the rest of the way. We landed on a pad close by the Palace's pressurized dome, which glowed a soft mauve in the dimming light of evening.

It is impossible to describe the sheer size of this place! It must be a good ten kilometers in diameter! We crossed the space between the ship and the dome through a short, pressurized walk tube which had been positioned against a small airlock in the side of the dome by a small tractor. We entered the air lock, measuring some ten meters wide and six meters high, which normally seals the Palace off from the thin, outside atmosphere. In our case, however, the airlock was already pressurized, but we still had to wait until the outer doors had closed before the inner doors began to open, granting us our first view of the small city that has been constructed inside. Imagine downtown Los Angeles, under glass and, around the periphery, dozens of small, sumptuously appointed palaces, built for the Empress' favorites; and, around it all, a half-kilometer ribbon of parks, gardens, fountains and lakes. Quite how this enormous construction stays aloft is a closely guarded secret. It has remained, at precisely the same altitude, plus or minus one meter, regardless of atmospheric conditions, I might add, for more than thirty years. It is truly an engineering wonder!

A luxurious looking ground vehicle, complete with two male slaves to each side, stood on running boards, slewed to a halt in front of us. The slaves dismounted and moved to the rear door nearest to us. All were young, slim and of the same ethnicity. Their dark brown bodies were naked, except for a loin cloth and the 'regulation' Duralloy collar. They formed a small honor guard, two to each side of the door. One leaned and opened it. A small, wizened creature emerged, dressed in a flowing red robe and dripping with gold and Rhodethium chains of office. One of the slaves announced him in a high pitched, almost feminine voice, which had me wondering if there was much of anything concealed by his loin cloth, "Mistress, honored guests, may I present His Noble Personage, Her Supreme Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin's, Lord High Vizier [Principle Advisor]?"

The Vizier stepped forward to greet us. One of the slaves bent and grasped the hem of his robe and held it off the ground as the Vizier genuflected and exposed us to a view of his gold plated teeth.

The slave, who had made the initial introduction had, apparently, been appointed the 'Official Announcer for His Noble Personage, Her Supreme Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin's, Lord High Vizier'. He cleared his throat and said, "In the name of Her Supreme Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin, I bid you welcome to Her Domain. I am Coloni [pronounced Co-low-knee]."

I held out my hand. Coloni reacted by backing away and almost falling backwards over the slave holding the hem of his robe. "Apologies," I said, hurriedly. "I merely wished to shake your hand. It is a custom on my world."

The 'Official Announcer' translated.

Coloni relaxed, but kept his distance.

"It is unlawful to touch the person of the Lord High Vizier," the 'Official Announcer' told me, "on pain of expulsion." [Note: from here on in, I shall refer to the 'Official Announcer' as 'OA'. It will be easier on my fingers.]

My curious expression prompted 'OA' to explain, "Expulsion from the Palace grounds." He drew an arc in the air with his right hand, edge on to me. The meaning was clear. Three miles, straight down. It gave new meaning to the phrase, 'Sorry, Fred, but we're going to have to terminate you'.

The Vizier stood aside and indicated we should enter the vehicle. The disapproving look on his face as I gestured Lyra and Jeni to get in before me left me in no doubt that here, in the Sky Palace, 'hierarchy' was everything! In truth, I hadn't noticed that one of the slaves had opened the lid of the trunk. Doubtless, the girls were expected to travel inside. However, I am not known for bending to local customs, whether I am aware of them or not. What point is there in my claiming to be a Dominant if I do not insist on doing things my way? I simply ignored the Vizier's look of distain and ducked my head as I slid into the thickly upholstered rear seat, which sighed as my weight bore down on it. The Vizier climbed inside, a slave closed the door, all four slaves took their places on the running boards and we were off.

At this point, as I am close to describing my first meeting with the Empress, herself, I shall return to unfinished business. I was decked out in a pale blue silk dress, with a tightly fitted, high necked bodice, puffed, full length sleeves and voluminous skirts, beneath which I was wearing my corset du jour, silk bloomers and three stiff petticoats. I was also wearing matching gloves. Both Lyra and Jeni were dressed in a way that I find particularly pleasing: a tightly laced satin corset and stockings beneath a simple maid's outfit, with short sleeves, a scoop neckline, wide skirt and a white crinoline petticoat with lace trimming. Sashi is particularly fond of this get up and usually goes the whole hog by adding thigh boots and opera length gloves. Thigh boots are a little too 'Dommie' for me, so I replaced them with simple black, patent leather shoes with five inch heels. It is a style that usually meets with approval from most people in my circle. In this place, however, they were positively overdressed!

For my upcoming meeting with the Empress, one additional item was needed to complete their ensemble: a discipline hood. This was not to be worn as a punishment, you understand - since I had chosen a 'comfortable' hood, in soft black leather, with back lacing and eye and mouth holes. My reason for providing this additional piece of 'fetish' was not whimsy. It was the only way the girls would be admitted to the Empress' inner sanctum as my escort. I must explain.

Even the most psychotic Dominant, myself included, is not exempt from aging. There are surgical procedures, of course, that can, and do, mitigate the onset of the appearance of advanced years. One is conscious that one is no longer the whipper-snapper one was when one put on one's first Dominatrix outfit and a pair of finely crafted gloves, before reaching for a whip and going to work on a pair of taut buttocks. Every cosmetic artifice, every surgical nip and tuck that one has employed in the interests of self-denial, vanish the instant one sees the youthful, upturned face of a submissive kneeling before one. It is difficult, sometimes, to avoid punishing them, not because they have transgressed, but because they are young.

Resentment is a common human reaction, of course, but it is the wrong reason to bring out the whip. The Empress, despite her immense wealth and easy access to all manner of age-defying remedies, is no less prone to this feeling of resentment. She has, however, arrived at her own, unique, solution. All female slaves, courtiers, servants and ladies-in-waiting are required to be hooded whenever they are in her presence. Since only courtiers would normally have advance warning of being in her presence - because they would have to be summoned to court - only they may remove their hoods when away from the Palace. The others must be hooded at all times.

I have heard that the Empress, herself, is not above wearing a hood when meeting dignitaries from other worlds. I was wondering whether I should have done so, myself, as a pair of magnificent, heavily engraved Rhodethium doors swung open before us.

The Audience Chamber.

We found ourselves in a cavernous reception room, decorated from ceiling to floor with Egyptian style wall paintings. The floor was covered in highly polished tiles. The ceiling was corbelled. The roof paneling was decorated with a stylized rendition of a night sky. In the distance - some fifty meters away - was a raised dais, complete with an ornate throne, potted palms and a dozen armed guards, dressed in the strangest outfits I had ever seen - at least for armed guards. 'OA' told me, in answer to my whispered question, that they were, 'The Sovereign Guard'.

They were all female, armed with lightweight energy weapons and dressed in a red, one piece cat suit made of a breathable rubber, over which they wore very tight, matching corsets and thigh high boots with front lacing and five inch heels. This bizarre uniform was topped off with a heavy rubber helmet, incorporating a neck corset and a breather gag. Their eyes were concealed behind dark lenses. Their hands were gloved. I couldn't help wondering how long they were on duty, or if were they were present only for the time the Empress was seated on the throne. I also recall wondering whether they might suffer from neck problems as a result of wearing the helmets. It was a common occurrance, after all, during the Victorian Era in Britain, that the abdominal muscles of women who had been tightly corseted from childhood would suffer atrophy, to the point of their not being able to stand erect without their corset. As for the gags: presumably, they were not required to speak in order to discharge their duties! I viewed that as a sound move on the part of the Empress. Nothing, after all, interrupts one's thought processes quite like the stream of mindless babble, from the chattering masses, that constantly assails one's ears. Were I in charge, here, I think I might well extend the policy to.... well, EVERYONE!

I couldn't help thinking the Sovereign Guard would be little use in a fight. But that was not their role. They were for show and to amuse their Sovereign with their silent immobility. No enemy force would make it this far into the Empress' sanctuary. And, with her wealth, she had likely bribed any enemies she might have into worshipping the very ground she walked upon, or hovered above. As for the millions of people on the planet below: she took nothing from them, including slaves. Everything required to sustain her Palace was produced within it or obtained off world. Though, of course, the people below might well ruminate on where the bodies of those unfortunates expelled from the Palace, that must land in their back yards from time to time, came from.

The reader would be forgiven for thinking that paying for everything she required was not exactly Dominant behavior. Au contraire! She desired to be left alone to indulge her idiosyncrasies. Paying the asking price - plus a little more - would ensure the co-operation of merchants, planetary leaders and the veritable army of agents she employed to scour the galaxy for artifacts, statuary and objets d'art.

The Lady of the Empress' Bed Chamber was responsible for locating nubile young females upon whom the Empress would expend her insatiable lust. It was a price these concubines were happy to pay, since those from whom she derived the most pleasure - especially the highly prized, 'tie me up and whip me' devotees - would find themselves, in due course, being given a well appointed Palace and servants of their own, from which they would be summoned, from time to time, to resume their 'devotions'. As far as I could establish, in the brief time I was on the Sky Palace, the Empress' interests did not extend to male concubines, other than for the purpose of acting as recipients of her more sadistic tendencies.

'All Hail the Empress Serafina Roh Lin.'

A pair of doors, behind the throne, opened. A disembodied voice called out, "Her Serene Highness, The Empress Serafina Roh Lin." The Sovereign Guard on each side of the throne turned to face each other and presented arms. Moments later, the Empress entered, accompanied by her 'pet'.

Serafina was very tall, and dressed in a full length, black silk dress, with leg o' mutton sleeves and voluminous skirts, which were much larger than mine. A quick calculation suggested she must be wearing four, maybe five petticoats and, perhaps, a hoop or two. A woman after my own heart, indeed! Her waist was impossibly small - doubtless the result of a lifetime spent in the crushing embrace of a corset. Her head was covered in a hood, made of a similar material to the dress, with eye and mouth holes. Her pouting lips were painted a soft pink, while her eyes were heavily made up, with very long lashes. Around her neck, she wore a high, very stiff, neck corset, which caressed her chin and passed just beneath her ears. It held her face up tilted, forcing her to lower her eyes to survey the scene before her, while giving her an imperious look. She wore little in the way of jewelry, though there was a small ornament, encrusted with jewels, pinned to the cylindrical hat she wore on her head, again made from the same material as her dress. Her 'pet' was a slender, tiny waisted creature, encased in a dark blue, figure hugging hobble dress and matching hood. Around her neck was a Rhodethium collar, to which the Empress had attached a leash. There was a brief moment of confusion when the Empress began to take her seat, while her 'pet' remained standing. This would have placed the girl's head above that of her 'owner' - which would never do - and two of the Sovereign Guard were forced to assist her to a sitting position on the top step of the dais. It was quite a performance! The Guards teetered on their heels, while the 'pet' attempted, with their support, to negotiate the step in her hobbled condition, which was compounded by her impossibly high heels. One of the Guards dropped her weapon. It clattered down the steps. She hesitated, wondering if she should recover it, first, but at that point the 'pet' was entirely dependent upon their support of her. Quite how she could sit down in that dress was a mystery to me. Perhaps the material it was made from was able to stretch where needed?

At length, the mission was accomplished and the Guard retrieved her weapon under the ever watchful eyes of the Empress. I had no doubt that certain bottoms were going to be glowing cherry red after that little demonstration! I could not resist a slight smile, I must admit.

Order restored, the Empress eased herself onto the throne, while one of the Guards arranged her huge skirts around her. I imagine everyone on that dais was now sweating profusely inside those hoods, despite the fact that the temperature inside the hall was on the low side. Doubtless, it was set low to make the wearing of such garb tolerable?

The Empress extended a silk gloved hand and beckoned us forward.

With my two 'attendants' and 'OA' a step behind, I moved forward as regally as my heels and the weight of my skirts would permit. I was told, later, that the Empress had been very impressed with the way I appeared to glide across the intervening space. Such 'gliding', I further learned, was something she required of her courtiers and Ladies in Waiting. Without knowing it at the time, I was off to a good start!

When I reached the foot of the dais, I stopped and curtsied as deeply as my corset would permit. The Empress lowered her eyes in recognition of my gesture, her neck, of course, being unable to move. 'OA' moved to the right of me and waited. She spoke in a language I was unfamiliar with, pausing from time to time to allow 'OA' to translate. When she had finished, 'OA' nodded to me, indicating I could now reply. I responded to her gracious welcome with a few, well chosen plaudits of my own. She seemed content.

Felicitations over, she arose and left the room, after a brief pause to allow her 'pet' to be raised to her feet. [Note: No weapons were dropped during this undertaking]. As the 'pet' was led out, my question as to how she was able to sit in that dress was answered. Her buttocks were entirely naked, rendering the dress suitable for 'spanking'. Yes, indeed. A woman after my own heart!

Coloni came near and, through 'OA', informed me I was invited for lunch. I followed him, with the girls and 'OA' in tow, to a room to the back of the throne, though we entered it through a side door. Once inside, I was struck by the overwhelming impression that the Empress was a woman with absolutely no taste, and not a single ounce of insight as to what comprised a homogeneous decor. I identified Ancient Egyptian vases and statues of Anubis - acquired from a museum on Earth, no doubt - the minimalist paintings and wall drapes of Cetrizone III, pottery from the planet Asrat's equivalent of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and an especially awful tapestry from Gallica IV, which illustrated the Enslavement of the Severine Priestesses by Minaro the Wise. I was familiar with this snippet of Gallican history. Trust me. Minaro was neither 'wise', nor did he enslave the Severine Priestesses. At the time of the battle, he was lying, drunk as a skunk, in his palatial tent, several miles behind the lines. He did not, in fact, regain consciousness until the war was over. Sadly, as is the case in most of recorded history, Kingship has its perks and the account of the battle was subsequiently 'reworked' to place Minaro in a more heroic light. The furniture came from numerous worlds, some of which was wood, some plastic and some chromium plated metal. Flowers, both cut and hand made adorned every nook and cranny. Rugs, from the skins of animals of every kind and hue, littered the floor, while others were draped over long, leather or plastic covered sofas and chairs. It was a veritable explosion of color, and very hard on the eyes. I remember thinking that any small object casually put down in this room would surely prove impossible to find at a later date!

I was led to a chair, to the right of the Empress, who had seated herself at the head of the table. Her 'pet' was lying prone on a chaise longue, with a gaudy pillow beneath her head. Her leash was attached to a ring on the Empress' chair. Coloni was placed opposite me, on the Empress' left. My girls were taken to one side and seated at a small table of their own, while 'OA', who was not invited to eat at this time, stood to the right and a little behind the Empress, who know picked up a small, golden bell and rang it. A long line of servants entered the room, bearing trays of delicacies, pickles, breads, meats and platters filled to overflowing with salad vegetables of every kind. Quite why there was so much food I had no idea. We were both corseted to the point of fainting so our appetites must needs be suppressed. I guess the richest woman in the galaxy has no need to concern herself with such a boring subject as meals on a budget. Doubtless, the servants and kitchen staff took care of what remained. I must say, everything I managed to consume was exquisitely prepared. The meat, though a little dark, was succulent and moist. The breads were light and still warm. The salad was minutes away from having been harvested. And the wine! Oh my! It was to die for!

Lunch lasted all of two hours, during which time I asked many questions and the Empress occasionally fed her 'pet'. Serafina's responses were forthright and delivered without hesitation. Her reputation as a woman with the most varied and demanding of appetites - each one being indulged to the absolute limit - had been earned for sure. Of course, she can afford to explore her darker impulses. Who is there to deny her? And, while I might regard her habit of expelling transgressors by way of a small opening in the floor in one of the countless rooms in her palace as being uncivilized - to say nothing of illegal in most evolved societies - it was clear to me that for those who managed to uphold the highest standards of service, the rewards were very great. It was simply a case of her taking the stick and carrot training method I favor myself to its logical extreme. 'Expulsion', I later learned, was never used after a single transgression, except in the case of an assault on the personage of Empress, her Vizier, or one of the Empress' many favorites and others in her court. More than a few attempts at correcting the aberration would be undertaken before the ultimate price was paid. With this knowledge, I found myself thinking she was a bit of a pussy cat, really. An overdressed, overbearing and tasteless pussy cat, perhaps; but hardly the maniacal tyrant I had been led to believe her to be.

Too soon, the meal was over and we were dismissed.

We left that floating pleasure palace the same day, arriving at Lept towards evening. I hurriedly entered my ship and headed for my room, with the girls close behind. A quarter of an hour was needed to remove me from the confines of my dress, corset and undergarments. I lay on the bed, scratched my belly and sighed contentedly as the ship left Kyrax II behind.

A Wonderful Surprise!

I awoke a few hours later, slipped on a wrap and went in search of the girls. I found them in the small dining area. They were sitting, their eyes fixed on a very large parcel. I had no recollection of having seen it being placed there. I could only assume it had been put on the ship while we were at the Palace, or during our flight back to Lept. I tore the parcel open and stood back in amazement. There, before me, was a replica of the dress the Empress had worn, in my size, complete with petticoats, hood and neck corset. I was right, by the way, there were two hoops at the bottom of the box. In a small, silk covered case was an exact duplicate of the jeweled ornament she had worn in her hat. The hat was there, too.

A second parcel, placed at the side of the table, contained beautiful dresses for the girls.

It was a splendid experience, shared with a generous hostess, whose praises I shall sing for many a day - despite the fact that she cannot design the decor in a room to save her life!

I live in hope that, one day, I shall be invited to return to the Palace in the Sky and sample a few more of the delights the Empress has it within her power to offer me.

Post Scriptum: I have, indeed been invited to visit with the Empress, once more. I shall report on my escapades as and when I return. Be well and be safe.