Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

But to her intense discomfort, she found that she couldn’t take it off. There didn’t seem to be any buckles or hooks or fastenings—at least not anywhere she could reach. Also, the suction crystals on her nipples and clit were stuck fast, as though they’d been glued on, Selena thought in irritation. Feeling desperate, she tried to break the thin, platinum chains and get the harness off that way—but though they looked delicate and fragile, they were incredibly tough.

After a long moment of tugging and fumbling, it became increasingly clear that the harness wasn’t coming off without help. Help that Selena did not want to ask for. Pashmeena seemed like a perfectly nice person, but Selena was certain that pulling suction crystals off her nipples was not in the Ma’shorkan housemaid’s job description.

At last, she had to give up and pee with the harness on. It wasn’t in the way or anything—it just wasn’t comfortable. But her bladder was screaming at her and at that point she had to go or burst.

Selena gave a long sigh of relief as she finally let loose—she’ had really had to go! She finished at last and was looking around for some toilet paper when suddenly a warm jet of water hit her pussy.

“Oh!” Selena gasped, half-jumping off the padded toilet bench. The water was still jetting and it hit other parts of her exposed anatomy too.

Like the one in the spaceport, she thought to herself. Well, at least this one didn’t have the scary, fire hose-intensity of the other Ma’shorkan bidet she’d witnessed. It did seem to go on for quite a long time, though, and she didn’t dare to move until it was done, for fear that the jetting water would get all over the bathroom.

At last it finished, but then a warm wind gusted up at her, drying her thoroughly. Again, it was not unlike the toilet at the spaceport, so Selena waited patiently until it stopped—and she was completely dry—to finally leave the alcove.

“Oh, there you are, little Mistress!” Pashmeena smiled at her as she stepped out from behind the privacy curtain. “Good—your bath is almost ready!”

“Oh, uh, thank you.” Selena smiled at the little old lady and nodded gratefully. The huge, spotlessly white tub was indeed nearly full of pale blue water. The cleansing blooms, as Pashmeena had called them, were dipping down into the water as though looking for a drink. Their honeysuckle shaped blossoms perfumed the air, promising a truly exotic bathing experience.

But exotic or not, Selena felt like she couldn’t enjoy having a bath until she took the damn platinum and crystal harness off!

“Excuse me,” she said to Pashmeena. “I really hate to ask you this, but I need a little help getting this thing off.”

She blushed as she gestured to the harness, clearly exposed by her red dress. It was one thing to be paraded around the palace like a sex kitten by Valen when he was acting as her Master—it was something else entirely to be on display in front of a woman who was not unlike her grandmother. And Selena’s Granny most certainly would not have approved of her current attire.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” she said. “But could you please—”

“Oh, no!” Pashmeena shook her head firmly and took a step back. “No, little Mistress, that I cannot do.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Selena felt like her hair might catch on fire from her heated face. “I never should have asked,” she said quickly. “I just couldn’t get it off by myself so—”

“Well, of course you can’t take it off yourself, my lady,” Pashmeena exclaimed. “And I’m not s’posed to, either! Only a Dependent Female’s Master may remove her harness. Nothing else is correct.”

“Oh…” Selena bit her lip. “Well, then…do you think we could ask Valen, er, my Master, to come up here and help me out of it?”

“I’m afraid that’s quite impossible, my lady.” Pashmeena shook her head firmly. “He’s gone into his study and given word that he’s not to be disturbed—we cannot bother him.”

“But I can’t take a bath with this on—can I?” Selena protested, gesturing down at the harness. “Won’t it hurt the metal or…or ruin it somehow?”

“Never you fear, little Mistress—that’s a fine, quality harness, that is—a bit of soap and water won’t harm it,” Pashmeena said decisively. “In fact, I have never seen its like. If you don’t mind me asking, is it pure silver?”

“Platinum and crystal,” Selena said with a sigh. “It was supposed to go to Empress the Third,” she added, as the old lady bustled around her, helping her remove the red dress she’d worn to dinner while leaving the harness on. “But the royal harness maker gave it to me instead.”

“Oh, my!” Pashmeena’s eyes went wide as she came back around to help Selena into the bathtub. “He gave you her harness?”