Cultivating Lilly

IN THIS CHAPTER: The Vatspalt family begin to share the story of the Santa Lucia holiday with Lilly. Following a family tragedy, Lucia and her mother are placed in the custody of the church. Lucia is stripped naked in front of the congregation so that she may be deflowered. Anointed as a Forever Virgin by the church, Lucia is forbidden by doctrine from having sex. With her mother's help, Lucia discovers the joy of self pleasure. Mother reports to the monastery for an important ceremony, of which Lucia is commanded to participate. Lucia and her mother are forced to provide their bodies to the whims of strangers.

The Swedish words for pussy (snippa, slidan, fitta), asshole (stanga), korka (corked) and completely (igen) are used intentionally. They are not misspellings.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

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Lucia leaned back, spread her legs and placed her ankles into the widely spaced notches of the special cleansing chair the church had sent to their home. It wasn't as ornate as the chair used during her ceremony in the cathedral, but it accomplished the same goal.

Clutching the arms, she winced as Mother dribbled the molten wax between her opened thighs. She had been through this so many times, she'd grown almost tolerant of the discomfort that came when it was stripped from her skin, removing any vestige of her womanhood. But the application of the wax was always uncomfortable.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that she'd seen the soft dark hair down there. Mother explained that within the delicate pink folds at the crux of Lucia's slender thighs was her bunny den. "It's soft and warm and bunny's would live in such a place." Lucia smiled. She liked that name. "And next to the bunny den is your fox hovel." Mother was referring to the tightness where she made dirt. "Both must be smooth before this evening's journey."

"Yes, Mother."

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Mother had taught Lucia about the importance of these two special places the week of her 18th birthday, within only a few months after her Father's death. He drowned during a fishing expedition when the boat capsized. While other members of the party clung to the overturned hull, he had slipped beneath the stormy waves and never resurfaced. This was a common occurrence as the clan often fished far out into the ocean.

The sea provided life-giving sustenance, but was also an unforgiving and dangerous beast. One day her father embraced mother, tickled Lucia and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. "I love you, Lucia. Be a good girl for your mother while I'm away."

"I will, Father." She bowed her head out of respect.

"I know, Beansprout."

"Don't call me that. I'm too old for you to call me that baby name." She squirmed within his embrace. He laughed and kissed her again and that was the last time she saw him.

And because Father died, Mother explained, Lucia had no one to give over her hand in marriage. According to the church, it was forbidden by the gods that a girl in such a situation would ever know the pleasures a husband could offer her body, nor the financial security he could provide. As such, Lucia would be anointed as a Forever Virgin of the church upon the following Sunday of her 18th birthday. After Father's death, the church took ownership of Mother and Lucia and would do the same for thousands of other women and girls across Sweden who were held under the same law.

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And so it was on that Sunday that she dutifully walked to church with her mother. Lucia knew what was coming; she'd seen it performed many times. At the end of the regular service, the cleric announced the arrival of another Forever Virgin and he beckoned Lucia forward. With her back to the congregation, her head bowed and kneeling at the altar, the male attendants carried in the sacred chair. It was large and engraved with men and women engaging in the act, which baffled Lucia because the chair represented for her a world in which that act would never be experienced.

With the chair in place, the attendants approached Lucia and turned her to face the audience. They removed the black clothing she'd been required to wear since her father's passing and applied a warmed oil over her entire body so that she shined in the morning light piercing through the window above the altar. They worked it earnestly across her mounded breasts and nipples until they became stiff, and then between the folds of her bunny den and fox hovel, before helping her into the seat, which was covered in white silk. It was the first time she'd ever been touched in such a way and it felt nice, except for the congregation staring intently at her nakedness.

The chair was large so as to accommodate her ankles in ornately carved arms. They were widely spaced and designed to expose everything between her legs. The attendants shackled her wrists and ankles to the chair as the cleric prayed.

Lucia stared at the beautiful stained glass overhead, chewing her tongue as her body grew tense. The cleric spoke a few more words and Lucia cried out when he poured enough hot wax over her bunny den that it was completely covered. He turned back to his audience and spoke the words she knew by memory. "Lucia is a Forever Virgin and she will live her days resembling the beautiful virgin goddesses of the ancient past."

He turned and pulled on the wax and she yelped as a strip of her dark, downy hair was torn away. "She will never know the touch of a man or his masculinity between her legs and for this we will rejoice in her purity." The congregation hummed its approval. He tore another strip away and said, "The church decrees she shall never be the property of any man and she will remain the property of the church so that the gods may watch over her. She is never to be violated and she shall remain childless. As with every Forever Virgin, this one is to be corked to protect her purity." He pulled another strip and tears streamed down her reddened cheeks. It hurt like nothing else she'd ever experienced; even more so than the dreaded monthly bloodletting from her bunny den. The shackles clattered as her body jumped within the restraints.

The cleric continued. "From this day forward she will be korka igen and by the grace of the gods, I will perform such a task on this girl with the congregation as my witness." The altar attendants approached and tugged the remaining wax away as the cleric prayed.

The attendants stood aside and the cleric turned back to inspect her. He bowed his head between her thighs, placed his warm, sweaty palm upon her now-hairless bunny den and pushed his thumb roughly inside her as he chanted a song in the old language.

Something inside her tore and she cried out again. As he sang, she felt him pushing ever-deeper into her body. When he finished chanting, he withdrew his thumb and she saw it covered with her blood. He stood and turned to look at the congregation; his clenched fist held high, his bloody thumb pointed toward the heavens. "From today onward, unless she is performing the duties decreed upon by the church for all Forever Virgins, Lucia is to be korka igen whenever she is outside her home." He stuck his bloody thumb into his mouth; closing his eyes as he sucked. Withdrawing it, his body shuddered and his thumb shown clean in the light. "It is to be a warning to those men who wish to cause her to be impure that they shall not avail themselves upon her. It is the responsibility of her family to maintain her virginal appearance and following Sunday services, she will report to the church for my inspection of her purity."

An attendant approached with another chalice of oil and he worked this into her bunny den and fox hovel; his thick fingers pushing into both places at once. The cleric held two soft corkwood pegs, each rounded at the tip and a bit thicker along the shaft. She grunted when he pushed one deeply into each place. Next, he held high a silver chalice and poured the chilled water between her thighs. Her blood was washed away and within a moment she felt the corks start to fill her body.

"From this glorious morning until the Gods take this beautiful Forever Virgin from us, she shall only wear white - her virgin body visible beneath these thin robes - so that all may be reminded of her blessed purity."

The attendants dressed her in a long white dress. The low bodice struggled to cover her large breasts and the rosey crowns around her nipples were exposed. Lower, her slender, naked body was displayed for all to see. The corks were thick and uncomfortable and Lucia hobbled back to the pew where Mother waited with open arms. She cried into Mother's breast for the remainder of the service.

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Lucia returned home from church and immediately set about removing her corks. She couldn't stand their incessant rubbing within her body. She gathered her skirt around her waist and, working to pull it free from her bunny den, was surprised at the pleasant sensation. She used her fingers to pry open the little folds to reveal a hard pink bump that reminded her of a flower blossom.

Curious, she secretly kept playing with it over the next few days and soon learned that if she rubbed the blossom enough, a wondrous pressure built until it could no longer be contained. And when the pressure was finally released, it felt like an explosion of pleasure that caused her entire body to vibrate.

Her chest grew warm and her breasts throbbed. Her back arched and her legs slammed closed around her digging fingers. Her toes curled and she found she couldn't catch her breath; high-pitched hiccups escaped her mouth. She noticed her bunny den grew rosey and oozed a slippery liquid, which allowed her to more fervently rub the blossom.

When it was over, she found herself bathed in a shimmering sweat and her nipples were hard, like the blossom from where this joy was derived. For some time following this release, she realized she had almost no strength and her body would behave like a withered leaf. A pleasant aura seemed to surround her.

Surprised at her reaction - and a little worried she may be harming herself - she'd finally shown Mother one afternoon a few weeks later and received a warm hug. "What you have discovered must remain a secret from all men," Mother said. "Women are not permitted such pleasure without a man bringing it to us."

Lucia agreed and it was their secret. With Father gone, they now shared the only bed (Lucia had previously only had a bundle of straw to lay upon) and sometimes, late at night, they rubbed their blossoms at the same time.

Lucia realized that her moment was different than her mother's. When Mother's release came, her noises were husky and sultry, punctuated by long, low moans. Her body moved like slowly flowing water around creek stones and Lucia found it very pleasurable to watch. Mother enjoyed touching her breasts with one hand while rubbing her rosebud with the other. She often took a nipple between her fingers and pinched or twisted. When Lucia copied Mother, she discovered her nipples became almost painfully sensitive as her release took place. "All women experience their moment differently, Lucia. You should rejoice in this, for it is one thing that makes us uniquely beautiful."

"Yes, Mother."

Mother taught her to turn her face into the pillow when her happiness came so as not to make too much noise. One night, Mother opened her legs and pushed a finger into her bunny den. "Try this, Lucia," she said as she slowly pushed her finger in and out. "You'll like it." Lucia copied what she saw and quickly discovered her mother was correct. Her fingers were smaller than the corkwood and she quickly realized she could apply more pressure in different places. When she did this, along with touching her flower bud, tingly pleasure followed and she loved it.

Not long after, Mother told Lucia that she was of the age that one day soon a man would want to spread her legs so that he could push his peg inside her. "He will want to fill your bunny den with his peg-milk." And then she made a stern face and said, "But Lucia, it's not right that this should happen and the corks will prevent it. For any man to find your corks will know it is forbidden."

"Yes Mother." She'd known that she would live her days without such an act ever taking place and this made her sad. She had spied Father doing such a thing to Mother and their happiness in taking part in it was obvious.

But while she would never enjoy a man's touch, no such law existed against Forevers pleasuring each other. A month following Lucia's ceremony, Mother uncorked her, waxed her and took her to a saloon to learn how to work. It was the first time she'd been uncorked outside her home and she felt liberated.

Although she knew what to expect at the saloon thanks to Mother, she was still nervous. When she walked in, she marveled at its size. The ground floor was open all the way to the roof of the two-story building. A large number of tables and chairs were set around the space for the patrons to commune around. A stage was located on one side of the room and a long bar across the opposite wall. Stairs led to an elevated walkway that ringed the lower floor and Mother pointed to the door where she spent her evenings working.

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As Mother wasn't a virgin, when Father died she went through a different convocation. The church demanded she perform the act to earn a keep for the household. For a few gold pieces, she had to spread legs so men could mount her. Women were also permitted to enjoy Mohter's flesh, if their husbands granted permission.

Although the church referred to women in this situation as Communal Concubines, they were known as "Peggers" to the saloon patrons. But before Mother could begin working, the church had to approve her standing.

As she was now the sole provider for their household, Mother's ceremony predated Lucia's, and was just a day following Father's funeral. It didn't take place in the cathedral. Rather, she reported to the monastery. Lucia was required to attend and upon their arrival, they were taken to a small, stone-lined room that was dimly lit by a fireplace. In the middle was an oddly shaped wooden table with an end that was notched and two iron manacles at the opposite corners. The monk told Lucia to remove her clothes and she did this without protest. She grew uncomfortable when he looked at her like a small animal he wanted to eat.

Mother said, "My daughter is to be anointed a Forever Virgin. She is not to be touched. The church forbids it." There was a protective edge in her tone that Lucia had never heard before.

He glared at Mother. "Do not be so bold as to tell me what the church forbids and what it permits. If I wish to tear your daughter open with my peg, my fingers or anything else I feel is suitable, it will be done." Without warning, he slapped Mother. Lucia shrank into the corner and placed her hands over her bunny den.

Mother wiped the hair away from her face to reveal a pink streak across her cheek. There were tears in her eyes but she didn't turn away from him. In a softer voice, she said, "Why waste your time with an inexperienced girl? Come, sir, and focus your desire on the pleasures only a woman can offer." She slid out of the black robes she'd been required to wear since Father's death, revealing her tall, slender, body and shapely curves. Drawing a hand over the ample swale of her breast, she beckoned to the monk.

The monk sneered at Lucia and hissed, "Your mother is a whore," then turned away and demanded Mother lay face-up upon the table. He instructed she rest her bottom on the narrow end and this left her legs to dangle from its sides. He clamped her wrists into the cuffs at the corners above her head and Mother's breath caught when he grabbed hold of her breasts and squeezed them tightly. He was not gentle and Lucia saw his peg rising beneath the brown robes he wore. Next, he began to slap Mother's bounty; his open palm landing flatly on her buoyant flesh. The smooth, creamy skin glowed pink and the rosey points grew red and pricked. Smacking noises echoing around the tiny room, punctuated by Mother's occasional yelps.

Lucia begged him to stop and his smile was cruel. "She will willingly accept much worse in the saloon," he said as he twisted Mother's nipples. Lucia started to cry and the monk said, "Silence, girl, or your lovely teats will be next." He licked his lips and Lucia nearly gagged.

Mother told Lucia to calm down; that this was all under the guidance and approval of the church. Lucia was forced to watch as the monk lifted his robes and pushed his hardened peg into Mother's mouth.

Mother was diligent and Lucia could tell the man had expelled his essence when he groaned loudly. Pulling himself away, he wiped his wet peg across Mother's face before lowering his robes. Moving to the end of the table, he ran his fingers through the hair between Mother's opened thighs. Mother whimpered when he pushed his fingers inside her bunny den. Thrusting his hand, he chuckled and said, "Your sheath is very wet. I believe the gods killed your husband so that you could fulfill your true calling as a Communcal Concubine. You will be very popular in the saloon." Mother finally started to cry.

He called out as he continued digging between Mother's thighs. Three more monks came into the room and, one by one, Mother was forced to accept their pegs in her mouth. Lucia sat in the corner and said nothing. Her bunny den was damp and she didn't know why this could be.

When they finished, the monks lifted the table, carrying it to a hole in the wall. They guided Mother's legs and the notched end of the table into the void. They prayed over them both and then Lucia was ushered from the room. A monk had hold of her arm and she whimpered as she was taken away. She was led down a short hall and the monk pushed open a door.

The modest chapel was lit by candles and she heard a soft murmur of chanting from the congregation. Once Lucia's eyes adjusted, she saw the pews were filled with other monks. Their eyes were on her nakedness and then she was turned away to face the wall. She was surprised to see Mother's long legs, along with the soft triangle of dark hair that covered her bunny den.

"Place her ankles in the cuffs, girl," said the monk. Lucia didn't immediately see what he was talking about. She was looking at the table and the wall and her Mother's bunny den. "They are up there," he said, pulling her hair and forcing her to look up. Two iron cuffs were affixed to the wall above the hole where Mother's legs emerged. They were widely spaced. Lucia said no and was immediately slapped so hard she fell to the ground. The monk said, "Do you recall what I did to your mother's teats, girl? That can be arranged for your insolence." He looked at the men in the pews. "I'll let them all take a turn."

Through the wall, she heard Mother's muffled voice. "Do as they say, Beansprout. It will be okay."

Crying, Lucia dutifully bound her mother's ankles into the manacles. Her legs were straight against the wall and spread so far apart that the pretty pink lips of her bunny den and the tight puckered star of her fox hovel were shown to the congregation. It was humiliating and Lucia cried some more as the monk led her back to Mother's room. Pushing her through the door, he told Lucia to give Mother water whenever she requested. Lucia agreed and was happy when the man left and locked the door.

Mother asked, "How many?"

Lucia trembled. She hadn't had time to count. Would Mother be angry?

But Mother looked calm. "It's okay, Beansprout. We're there more than ten?"

"Yes. The chapel was full."

"How many rows of pews did you see?"

"I'm not sure. Five, maybe. Or six."

"Think now, Beansprout. How many monks were in the first row?"

Lucia closed her eyes and thought. As she was pushed into the chapel she noticed the men were wearing brown head coverings, which looked odd. Replaying it all in her head, she finally said, "Six. There were six monks in the first row."