Chapter Three: For Science!

Their fitting complete the Headmaster placed one hand in the small of Emily’s back, and a firmer one on Aurora’s shoulder, them down the hallway in silence. The building was large but seemed nearly deserted as the trio passed through the hall, across a small lobby, and down a flight of stairs. Deeper and deeper into the building, further from the party happening outside, towards the next stage of their admittance.

Apart from a custodian softly whistling as he swept, Emily didn’t see another soul. This part of Rattangrove Academy was much newer than the Great Hall; the ancient oak and marble were replaced by plain white walls and industrial tile. It felt institutional rather than grand and inspiring. The effect was once of sameness and Emily wasn’t sure if she could have navigated back to the room where she and Aurora had gotten their new cages; each hallway was so much like the last.

Eventually they arrived at a windowless door painted light blue, identical to every other that they had passed for some time apart from the small plaque that displayed the room number. The Headmaster opened the door and stood aside, waving them across the threshold.

Like the hallways the room was modern, well built, but very plain. White walls and a thin grey Berber carpet were functional, made for long-wear and easy maintenance rather than any real sense of aesthetic value. Light streamed from long narrow windows at the top of the room, illuminating ranks of long tables and ranks of chairs that faced a single dark wooden desk and a whiteboard.

The room was spartan: a pencil sharpener hung on one wall, electrical outlets were built into the floor under the rows of tables for students to plug their laptops into; a fire extinguisher hung next to the door. That was all as one expected, but this was Rattangrove. Next to the whiteboard on either side, where every student would be sure to see it if their eyes wandered from the lecture hung a pegboard that each held a variety of painful looking spanking implements.

The message was clear: Pay attention or pay the price.

Emily heard Aurora gasp as she entered the room. She had to know that this was coming, right? Emily had expected more privacy than this, but she had known that this part of her admittance was unavoidable. Why was Aurora so shocked by it? Was she easily frightened, or did she really not know what was going to happen next?

Sandra, the young woman whom Aurora had unintentionally tackled was waiting next to the desk with a clipboard in her hand. There was no warmth in her smile as she greeted the Headmaster though her tone was polite and deferential. Her eyes passed right over Emily, focusing directly on Aurora. With the Headmaster’s back turned only the two girls could see her smile widen, seeming genuine for the first time. Genuine and frightening.

The fluorescent lights buzzed quietly as the Headmaster walked to the desk and took up a position to one side of it with a slight nod to Sandra, who clicked her pen, ready to begin. She didn’t seem eager, at least not openly, but her eyes flicked to Aurora far too often to be simple coincidence or curiosity.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, addressing both Emily and Aurora, who fidgeted nervously in front of the desk. “Before I hand you off to the assembly, I need to administer our standard pain tolerance test. I rarely handle this myself anymore, but each of your parents wrote me to ask that I handle your test personally.” He paused to let that sink in. “Are there any questions before we begin?”

Emily winced but shook her head. She had known about “The Test”. It was in the Rattangrove guide and it was simply part of admission for every first year student. A half hour of deeply unpleasant “testing” to determine which of the Academy’s motley assortment of paddles, straps, canes and other tools of misery were the most effective at bringing a particular student to tears. The fact that every freshman Rattangrove student faced it really didn’t offer any comfort, but at least she wouldn’t have to face this ordeal every year.

Emily had known it was coming, but the Headmaster himself administering the test? Her stomach sank. However bad it might have been with another professor, it was almost guaranteed to be more thorough and much more painful with the Headmaster. Instinctively her hands sought out her bottom, her body already anticipating the pain. She had been so well behaved this last summer before school, hadn’t she?

She’d gotten the part time job her parents had wanted, she hadn’t earned a really bad punishment in ages... Okay she’d been excited for school, guilty of having her head in the clouds a little, and she had ended up having one of their special “chats” once or twice, but was that enough to earn a personal session with the Headmaster himself? Nervously she glanced over at Aurora, expecting her to scoff at her nervousness, but Aurora’s mind was clearly elsewhere.

How. Fucking. Dare he. Aurora was livid. She let out a deep breath and forced her hands to unclench; she hated her father, she hated smug-faced Sandra, she particularly hated those awful pegboards on the wall and everything they represented... Her lower lip quivered and she looked over to see Emily looking at her. She forced her mouth into a scowl. She wouldn’t let fucking Emily see her afraid.

But... she was definitely nervous. First the cage, then the infuriating old Headmaster and his holier-than-thou attitude, and now...

Well, she didn’t know. That was bad enough, but Emily seemed scared, and while she was clearly hopeless she seemed to know what was coming next. That she was visibly afraid of it was probably a bad sign. Pain tolerance test sounded bad in any event. The burning sensation in her rectum was beginning to subside but it still burned and she would be damned if she was going to give Sandra any sign that she’d been... figged. She did everything she could to seem composed and nonchalant, but it wasn’t easy under the circumstances.

The Headmaster didn’t waste any time. “The test is fairly simple in its execution, if regrettably uncomfortable for you both. It consists of four parts: hand, paddles, straps, and the cane. You will be given a few strokes with each in order to give us an idea of your pain tolerance. Once completed, the results will be placed in your permanent file so that your professors will be able to refer to them as needed. Effective discipline requires that the punishment fit both the crime and the offender.”

The Headmaster picked up a vicious little riding crop and tested it gently against the palm of his hand. “For those of you with a low pain tolerance, you will be treated more gently, regardless of the severity of your offence. For those of you with a higher tolerance, our professors will know that they need to take a sterner approach. Every one of you is a unique young woman in so many different ways; your ability to process pain is one that we must pay special attention to here at Rattangrove.

Emily groaned inwardly. The fact that she was painfully familiar with nearly everything hanging on the pegboard meant that she was likely to score high on this particular test. There were both wooden and leather paddles, a pair of hairbrushes, a traditional rattan cane, a long, thin metal yardstick, the riding crop that the Headmaster held, and finally to her dismay a pair of thick leather straps and an old-fashioned Scottish tawse.

The Headmaster followed her eyes and smiled, though Emily didn’t find his expression comforting. "We will not need all of these today. For our standard test it’s just the leather paddle, the wooden paddle, the brush, the junior and senior straps, the tawse, and the cane. We’ll be done in no time.”

For Aurora the list was terrifying. She had never gotten anything harsher than a hand-spanking from her parents, and she had kicked and fussed so much at even the lightest punishment that she hadn’t been spanked by them in years. She’d still been spanked, of course, but they had handed the duty off to the butler: Mr. Weathers. He’d used a heavy paddle, but he’d worked for her parents since before Aurora had been born. She had grown up in front of his very eyes and he hadn’t had it in his heart to swing the paddle full-force.

She had gotten the cane at school of course, but that was never more than a half dozen strokes over her panties. That was unpleasant, but compared to what was hanging on the wall behind Sandra and the Headmaster it seemed very mild. Was every classroom here so… equipped?

“Ms. Black, Ms. Idris, please remove your uniforms and bend over the desk.” The Headmaster was firm and clear, he raised a single eyebrow when both girls hesitated.

“But… Sir… We only just got dressed…” Aurora began to protest, but the Headmaster smiled and waved off her question casually.

“Of course, pardon me. Normally the test would be done next door to where you were fitted with your chastity devices, but that room simply isn’t equipped to handle more than one student at a time. However, I’m afraid I must insist. These tests are always done nude, and today will be no exception. Would you rather I had marched you through the hallways without giving you a chance to get dressed first?”

Neither girl was going to argue that. With a sigh the two young women stripped down; placing their new uniforms on the closest table: Emily’s neatly folded, Aurora’s in a jumbled pile, before bending at the waist over the solid wooden desk. The Headmaster walked around and examined their pale white bottoms with matching white chastity cages dangling vulnerably below.

“Remind you of your first day?” the Headmaster asked Sandra, who was standing slightly behind and to the left of the girls.

Sandra sucked in her breath with a hiss and took a small step backwards. She was clearly both surprised and insulted by the question, but she held her composure. “Seems like only yesterday, Headmaster.” The young woman’s voice was cool, but a touch strained. Emily supposed that it wasn’t unusual that Sandra had attended Rattangrove herself, but why would she be so touchy about it? The test promised to be unpleasant, but it was universal, a rite of passage, certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

“I’m ready to begin when you are.” Sandra prompted the Headmaster, clearly not inclined to encourage further conversation on the topic.

The Headmaster nodded, taking off his tie and folding it around his hand before tucking it into a pocket of his jacket. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and rolled up the right sleeve. It was going to be a far more strenuous experience for his two students, but it required no small effort on his part as well. Emily noted that despite his grey hair his forearm was still well-muscled and lean. Any small, fragile hopes she might have harboured that the Headmaster wasn’t up to the task were immediately dashed.

His voice was clear and firm. The warmth he had showed them to this point had cooled. There was no welcoming joviality or paternal familiarity now. Whether they had done anything to earn it or not, he clearly knew how to deal with a bared, vulnerable bottom in an efficient manner. “Try to relax, you two, and stay in position. This will be over soon enough if you cooperate.” The Headmaster gave Aurora’s trembling bottom a gentle pat; “Let’s get that plug out of you before we begin, shall we?”

Aurora nodded mutely, grateful to have the awful thing out of her, even if Sandra was in the room to see it. It wasn’t really burning anymore but it still left her feeling uncomfortably full, a reminder that even after her test, she was still owed extra punishment.

The plug slid free with a small whimper from Aurora. The Headmaster pulled a plain white cotton handkerchief from his pocket, wrapped the plug carefully in the cloth, and then set the small bundle on a corner of the desk.

“We will begin with 15 swats per side with my hand, and then 15 more, much harder. Ms. Black, I believe we will begin with you.” The Headmaster said, taking off his dark brown jacket and hanging it on the back of the chair that was tucked into the desk.

With no further delay, Emily’s test began: The Headmaster drew back his arm and sent his hand snapping down into Emily’s bare, vulnerable bottom. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as the first handful of painful spanks rained down: SLAP! SNAP! SLAP! The Headmaster spanked at a brisk pace, alternating cheeks, taking no time to lecture or inspect his work.

It wasn’t so bad, Emily reasoned as she gritted her teeth. Both her parents spanked her a lot harder than this, but then the test was only beginning. The Headmaster was clearly holding himself back, and Emily couldn’t imagine this being terribly painful to anyone who had grown up in a strict household like she had. She could take this, but being tested with three different straps? That was the part she was really worried about.

Aurora couldn’t believe Emily’s control and stoicism as she took her first set from the Headmaster. She winced and squirmed a little but she didn’t cry, she didn’t fuss, she didn’t even whimper. Suddenly her smarmy wisecracks about Emily getting spanked at home felt hollow; the skinny little brunette was going to have a much easier time of this than she was. Aurora’s upbringing hadn’t prepared her for this. Not for any of this at all...

When her turn came Aurora did indeed have a much harder time of it. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut as the first set landed home on her soft, spoiled cheeks. She had a rounder, fuller bottom than Emily did and she could feel it bounce back each time as the Headmaster’s hand came down over and over again. She wasn’t going to give Emily, the Headmaster, or that cocky bitch Sandra the pleasure of seeing her cry from the first set, but she knew she wasn’t taking it nearly as well as Emily had.

“Hmm… most informative. Most informative indeed.” She Headmaster said as he took the clipboard from Sandra adding his own notes. “Ms. Black your pain tolerance is impressive. I fear that light punishments are simply not going to have much effect at all.” Emily could hear the scratch of Sandra’s pen on paper as he spoke.

“As for you Ms. Idris.” The Headmaster’s tone changed, now with a slight hint of mirth. “Under the circumstances, I do hate to ask, but is this your first experience with corporal punishment?”

Aurora began to push herself off the table, tears of humiliation and anger stinging the corners of her eyes. As she rose she saw the look of delight on Sandra’s face and stopped herself. She wasn’t going to accomplish anything apart from making her own punishment worse like this. With a defeated sigh she begrudgingly lowered herself back into place, simmering with anger.

“Going somewhere, Ms. Idris?” there was no mistaking the amusement in the Headmaster’s voice this time. Aurora bit her tongue, swallowed the answer already forming on her lips and sulked for a short moment before answering.

“No, Headmaster.” She replied, trying to keep any hint of sass out of her voice. Aurora sank back down to her elbows, resting her lower arms on the desk, and losing her taste for either fight or flight. “To both questions.” She added, bitterly.

She gritted her teeth with aggravation as her answer drew a small laugh from Sandra, removing all doubt as to her motivations in Aurora’s mind. The Headmaster was perfectly capable of taking his own notes; she just wanted to see Aurora suffer. Well fuck her. She would endure this test just as bravely as Emily, if not more so. Sandra seemed so smug, how had she felt when she was the one bent over the desk?

The Headmaster patted her warm and pink bottom with a mixture of consolation and condescension; “There’s a good girl. I think you’ll do quite well here once we get that attitude under control. I believe we will start the next set with you.”

Despite the next set being much harder Aurora found herself able to keep her composure much more easily. The tears still stung the corners of her eyes, but she would be damned if either Emily or Sandra was going to see her cause a fuss. She hated every second of it, but she got through it without making a scene. This was about as hard as she had ever gotten it at home though; she had thought her punishments had been monstrously unfair and horribly painful. It appeared that she had a lot to learn in that department, unfortunately...

“A great improvement, Ms. Idris!” The Headmaster praised her warmly after finishing the set. Aurora let out a long, slightly shaky breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Now for you, Ms. Black…” the Headmaster said with a smile, walking around to Emily’s side of the desk to deliver the next set.

Round and round it went, through the wooden paddle, the leather paddle, and finally the hairbrush. Each girl would take a painful set of around ten to fifteen strokes per side, Sandra would record the results, and then it would be the other girl’s turn. The strokes weren’t delivered at full force, but the purpose was not to correct their behaviour, but to gauge their reactions to different implements.

Emily gritted her teeth through the wooden and leather paddles. They hurt, but the sensation was familiar. Her high school had preferred paddles over canes, so the pain was an old familiar friend. By the sound of things Aurora was having a much harder time of it, but Emily struggled to find any real empathy for her. She was a brat and a bully, and Emily had other things to worry about, especially the awful hairbrush. That one had her squirming and kicking no matter how many times she had felt its equal at home.

Aurora was more than just squirming and kicking. It wasn’t just the physical pain, although she had loathed that awful wooden paddle with the holes drilled into it. Far more painful was the smirk on that tall, smug bitch’s face every time she walked in front of the desk. The Headmaster with his peerless manners and propriety didn’t seem to take any pleasure from this; his earlier mirth was a distant memory as each stroke was delivered in near-silence.

On the other hand Sandra was nothing short of gloating. Her eyes glimmered with delight at every sound Aurora made, and she could feel Sandra’s eyes on her every time she squirmed, kicked, or even winced. She was certainly watching and recording Emily’s results as well, but it was clear that her attention was purely on Aurora.

By the end of the paddle test both girls were red-bottomed and gasping. They had endured, though neither were confident about facing the straps or the cane. Aurora was crying openly and Emily was well into sniffling and hopping after each stroke. The Headmaster clearly had not applied any of the implements at full force but their bottoms were heating up just the same. Emily and Aurora shared a miserable look as they bent over the desk. They might not like one another, but shared suffering made for strange bedfellows.

“Well done girls, that concludes the paddle portion.” The Headmaster had taken the clipboard back from Sandra and was adding his own comments. “You may take a five minute break; I realize that bending over the desk can be uncomfortable after a while.” Both Emily and Aurora stared daggers at the Headmaster, not seeing the tiniest scrap of humour. He merely smiled at his little joke and made small talk with Sandra as both girls took a break.

Despite the Headmaster’s incredibly poor taste in humour their backs really did need a rest and after rubbing the sting out of their bottoms both girls took a moment to rub the knots out of their lower backs as well. Aurora felt a little proud of herself as she watched Emily rub her sore backside. Emily had definitely taken it better than she had, but clearly she wasn’t immune to the paddle, whatever her pain tolerance. It gave Aurora hope. Maybe she really could get through this ordeal without giving Sandra too much of a show.

Emily was focused on the more immediate future. The strap. She hated the strap. Whether it had been the tawse, her father’s belt, or any other variation on the theme of awful, stingy, impossible to get used to pain that a well-handled piece of leather could bring.

She would take almost any other punishment instead; a punishment plug, months of extra denial, she would happily accept any of these over the bite of leather. There were three different straps to come. A vicious narrow strap, a wider, heavier-looking one, and finally a twin-tailed Scottish tawse. To Emily’s eyes they all looked positively awful.

It felt like far less than five minutes had passed when the Headmaster called the pair back to the table. Both girls took their positions without complaint. Their time with the paddles hadn’t really been a punishment, but a sore bottom made for a compliant girl regardless. Aurora sighed with resigned and fearful anticipation. She hated this, but she would get through. Emily was trembling before she even bent over the desk.

Emily winced at the sound of the Headmaster taking the first strap down from its hook on the wall and chewed her lower lip nervously as she waited. She heard the Headmaster tap the leather against his palm and she felt her hole pucker and tighten at the sound as her shoulder blades drew together in fear.

“Worried about the next set of implements Miss Black?” the Headmaster’s voice was warm, courteous, and caring as gently placed his hand on her warm bottom, feeling the heat that the paddles had left behind. Unlike Aurora, who found this gesture condescending, Emily was at least slightly comforted by it. It made him seem more human, more compassionate.

“Err… Yes, Sir.” Emily swallowed. It was a lot easier talking about how he got spanked at home in front of Aurora after she had just watched her get the paddle herself. “I get my dad’s belt at home sometimes… when I really mess up. It just hurts so much...” Emily trailed off as she saw Aurora was not just listening, but watching her as well.

The Headmaster nodded, and turned to Aurora who was bent over the desk next to Emily. “What about you, Ms. Idris? Any particular feelings on what’s coming next?”

“N-No sir…” Aurora kept her eyes on the few inches of wooden desktop in front of her nose, but she could feel Sandra’s gaze and it made her skin crawl. She seemed so self-satisfied. Aurora would have taken the pain test all over again just to see her bent over the desk beside her.

She’d be damned if she would give her the satisfaction of seeing her cry again, and she grasped at straws at anything that would level the playing field.

“What about you…” Aurora swallowed her pride and tried to sound polite and respectful; “…Miss?” She tried to put on an innocent face as she looked up at a startled Sandra who held the clipboard between herself and Aurora almost protectively. “Did you hate getting the strap when you were a student here?” Aurora felt a warming sensation fill her breast as Sandra’s confident look fell away completely and her eyes darted to the Headmaster. It was a tiny, petty victory, but it was something.

Emily was startled to see the effect that Aurora’s seemingly innocent question had on Sandra. As her mask of confidence fell away Emily could see that Sandra was younger than she had guessed earlier. The severe hairstyle, makeup, and clothes made her look older. She couldn’t have graduated more than a year or two ago. Emily could appreciate trying to look more mature when you weren’t much older than the students, but it seemed like Sandra was rattled with Aurora’s familiar tone.

Sandra’s mouth hung open for a second, and she looked down at her notes to compose herself before her brow furrowed. “I’m sure I don’t remember.” Some of her haughtiness was back, but it seemed fragile. “I was… an excellent student, and it’s been ages since I’ve felt any such thing, thank you.” She sniffed and tried to look busy on her clipboard, refusing to make eye contact with either girl.

The Headmaster cleared his throat softly but meaningfully, and Aurora saw Sandra’s eyes widen with fear. Neither Emily nor Aurora could see the Headmaster as he was standing behind them, but they could see Sandra fidget nervously for a moment before her resolve collapsed. When she spoke, her voice was higher, younger, and whiny.

“S-Sir… No… Please!” She began as her lower lip began to tremble.

“Dishonesty, Sandra? I’m surprised.” The Headmaster’s voice was clear and calm but the warmth was gone instantly. He hadn’t even spoken to Aurora like this after her failed escape attempt. “So soon after your… discussion about truthfulness with Professor Klein?” Emily had no idea how he managed to make such softly spoken words sound so threatening, but she suddenly realized that as kindly and professional as he was, The Headmaster was someone never to be crossed.

“Headmaster, I…” Sandra’s eyes were wide and she backed away from the desk until her back bumped against the wall. Like Aurora she had nowhere to run.

“The truth.” The Headmaster’s tone was firm and his pronunciation became clipped as a touch of annoyance crept into his voice. Emily wondered if Sandra would be joining them over the desk momentarily.

She saw Sandra hesitate. “But Sir… I…” She wasn’t looking at the Headmaster now. She was looking at Emily and Aurora.

The Headmaster’s voice was pointed now. Emily knew that tone, it was her father’s obey immediately, or face the consequences voice. “You could have said nothing. There was no need to lie. You lied anyway. You will tell them the truth, or you will join them over this desk.”

Sandra set the clipboard down with a sigh, and lifted her skirt just enough to reveal the unmistakable outline of a chastity cage under her panties. “I got the paddle last week for mis-filing some tuition forms. Some of the junior staff and faculty are locked too… and we get punished for mistakes just like the students.”

Her eyes flicked up to the Headmaster, hoping that this answer was enough. The Headmaster clearly didn’t think it was, because blushing absolutely scarlet Sandra continued her explanation, now lifting her skirt up the rest of the way, and pushing her panties to the side to reveal a standard Rattangrove cage, but this one was a deep purple colour. Emily was certain that a purple cage hadn’t been in the school handbook, and this cage came with a guard over the little hole in the tip. Touching any skin at all would be completely impossible in such a cruelly effective device.

“I… I don’t just work for the school. Rattangrove owns my key…” Sandra paused to draw a shaky breath. “W-when you’re school property…” she swallowed hard and stared down at her shoes for a long moment. After gathering her strength she gave a watery sniff and continued; “When you’re school property the cage doesn’t come off at all.” She looked up at the Headmaster, eyes pleading for mercy once again, but this time it seemed to have been enough.

“Thank you for your honesty, Sandra. You may adjust your clothes and continue with your notes.” The Headmaster instructed her as she tugged her skirt back into place. “I will add that her service here is through no fault of her own. Her parents offered to donate her key to the school upon completion of her studies as payment for tuition for her three younger siblings. She showed incredible strength generosity in agreeing to this arrangement and has proven a great asset both to me and to Rattangrove these past two years.”

Sandra managed a weak smile at the praise. “Thank you, Sir.”

The Headmaster cleared his throat meaningfully, drawing Emily and Aurora’s attention back to the matter at hand. Both Emily and Aurora winced at the sound as the Headmaster swished the first strap through the air. “Hmm… this is an older piece. Odd to see it in one of the newer wings.” He said thoughtfully.

“I fetched it from the main building myself, Sir. This room was missing its standard narrow-gauge strap.” Sandra answered him. Her voice had changed from its former haughty tone to one more like the way Emily and Aurora spoke to the Headmaster. “You asked me to see that the room was ready for the test.”

Emily squeezed her eyes shut at the sound as he swung the strap through the air. There must have been a reason for him to drag this out; testing that the well-worn leather would hold up perhaps, or simply re-acquainting himself with it. It felt like torture though. She had closed her eyes and balled her fists in preparation for what she knew would be a terrible few minutes. She whimpered when she felt the Headmaster tap her bottom with the strap for the first time. Her whole body was rigid as she waited, trembling.

Swish-SNAP!

The first stroke landed on Emily’s sit-spots, just above her thighs. She had taken the paddling with fairly stoic silence but now she squealed and lifted her foot, twisting her hips away from the source of the pain. The squeal faded into a miserable whimper as she fought to get back into position. She had known this would be the worst part, but she was still unprepared for just how much this hurt.

The second stroke landed barely an inch above the first, and Emily pounded her fists against the hard wooden desk in agony. Her breath was coming in gasps and her vision was already blurred with tears. She had felt so grown up and mature this morning; proud of her first day at Rattangrove, out on her own, making her way in the world as a young woman. Earning her freedom.

Now all she wanted was to go home. She would accept whatever life her parents chose, sign any service contract no matter how humiliating, if it meant never having to feel this awful strap again.

The next two were even worse, and Emily was crying openly after the third. That was the cruelty of the strap in Emily’s mind: A paddle made your bottom numb after, meaning she got used to the pain after a while. Hairbrushes were much the same, although when we—wielded and cruelly applied they were terribly effective nonetheless. With anything apart from a strap the pain eventually plateaued, much as it might hurt. After a certain point it didn’t get any worse.

For Emily the strap never hit a plateau. The pain just went from scalding to intolerable to beyond the point where words failed her. Her father had learned quickly just how much Emily hated the strap, and he had found that leaving the heavy punishment strap hanging next to her bedroom closet to be an effective totem against bad behaviour. No matter how sassy Emily had been, no matter how unjustified she felt her punishment was, if she saw her father’s eyes look towards the strap it was enough to instantly still her tongue.

SNAP! The fifth stroke was a diagonal one, cutting across the marks left by the previous four. Emily knew that she couldn’t take much more; she could feel the hot tears running down her face. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the stroke to come, trying to breathe. It was only a test... it wasn’t even full force... it shouldn’t have been this bad...

Emily gasped when she felt Aurora’s hand close over her own. Shocked, Emily opened her eyes and looked over at the sassy, mean-spirited brat who hadn’t spoken a single kind word to her all day. The scorn and hardness were gone, and concern was written all over her face. Emily relaxed her hand enough to take Aurora’s and she held on tightly. Aurora gave her a small smile of encouragement, which faded almost instantly. She could see what Emily couldn’t: The final stroke as it swung down in its terrible arc towards Emily’s skin.

Helping hand or no, that that stroke broke her resolve at last and Emily went straight into sobs, her chest heaving as the tears ran freely down her cheeks. She clutched Aurora’s hand like it was a life raft, and she no longer cared about seeming brave in front of her, the Headmaster, or anyone else.

The Headmaster’s voice was very gentle. “I see that the strap is most effective. Good. You have a remarkably high pain tolerance, Miss Black. The natural result of a firm and upright home environment, no doubt.” He paused but Emily was in no condition to answer. “Do think back to exactly how that strap feels whenever your mind strays to thoughts of misbehaviour. Your results today will be available to every professor on campus. Should you stray too far out of line; the strap will be ready for you.”

Emily whimpered what she hoped was an acceptable answer. The Headmaster was calm and composed as always. “You make take a break for now, Ms. Black. It will be your turn in a moment Ms. Idris.”

Emily looked over at Aurora, who looked scared. Distantly, Emily could hear the nib of the Sandra’s pen scratching against the paper as she filled out her report. She gave Aurora’s hand a gentle squeeze to tell her that it was okay to let go, but Aurora surprised her by squeezing back tighter than before. Emily gave her a big grateful smile despite the tears still running freely down her face, and Aurora managed a small smile in return. It appeared that they were in this together.

Aurora had never experienced anything quite like the strap. Seeing Emily’s reactions she had expected it to be excruciating, but while it was painful in a new and awful way for her it wasn’t as bad as the paddles had been. It certainly hurt, and she wailed and squirmed her way through her half dozen, the strap digging deep into her already well-tenderized skin but she hadn’t reacted the way Emily had.

Her face was wet with tears, and she was clinging to Emily’s hand with all she had, but by the end she hadn’t lost her composure. There were no heaving sobs, no hopping foot to foot, and no begging for mercy. She felt oddly proud of herself for taking it so well, at least in comparison to Emily. For the first time at Rattangrove she felt the tiniest bit optimistic.

After the first strap test the Headmaster gave the two girls a short break. Tentatively, both girls reached back and felt their bottoms. Emily could feel the beginnings of welts under her skin. Even with the Headmaster holding back the strap was ruthlessly efficient. She watched as Aurora did the same, surprised and oddly touched that she had tried to comfort her.

Aurora was lost in thoughts of her own as she tried to rub the sting from her cheeks. She wasn’t entirely sure what had driven her to reach out, but she was beginning to see what the Headmaster had said before. She had noticed that the locked girls back home had always stuck together. She had assumed it was because she and her friends had cut them out of their clique, but she was beginning to see it was more than that.

Emily might be a hopeless Daddy’s girl, but she was locked in the same cage she was, subject to the same rules, restrictions, and punishments. That made her an ally of a sort. Not the ally Aurora would ever have chosen, but she realized that they did indeed share more in common than she had expected. Whatever happened, they shared a sort of sisterhood that free girls wouldn’t understand.

That sisterhood naturally did not extend to Sandra, locked or otherwise. She could go fuck her hat.

After a short reprieve the Headmaster picked up the broad leather strap to continue the test. He motioned to Emily and Aurora to retake their positions.

Emily looked over at Aurora fearfully as they bent once more over the desk, her eyes wide. This strap was even larger and heavier than the one before it. She extended her hand hopefully and Aurora took it, holding on tight. Emily tried to control her breathing, trying to prepare herself for the heavy strap.

It was, in short, awful. But oddly enough, Emily found the heavy strap easier to take than the thin strap she had been whipped with earlier. While the first stroke brought a fresh wave of tears immediately and the second burned like fire the extra weight made it more akin to a paddle, allowing Emily the tiny mercy of numbness. It still hurt a great deal, but the pain was different somehow, easier to take than the vicious narrow strap. Nonetheless her cheeks were soaked with tears after the Headmaster was finished, and her bottom a mess of angry-looking welts.

“How fascinating… Tell me Ms. Black: Was the heavy strap actually less effective than the lighter one?” the Headmaster couldn’t keep his eager curiosity out of his voice.

“Yes… sniffle… Yes sir. It wasn’t as bad, you can... almost get used to it after a while. It still really hurts though.”

The Headmaster opened a drawer of the desk and withdrew a box of tissues. Pulling one out he passed it to Emily, who took it in her free hand gratefully. She dabbed at her eyes as the Headmaster inspected the leather with care. “I’m not entirely surprised by your reaction.” He said after a moment. “These newer straps just don’t seem to have the same bite as the old ones.”

When it was Aurora’s turn she did not take it well. Aurora was quite convinced that whatever the Headmaster’s stupid theory about modern straps, this one worked just fine. The heavy strap was almost overwhelmingly painful, combining the sharp snap that sizzled against her skin with the deep thuddy weight pressing the pain deep under her skin and into the muscle beneath.

The first stroke was staggeringly powerful; she wanted to cry out but the shock and intense pain had forced the air from her lungs and she could only gasp and squeeze Emily’s hand as her bottom went from sore to excruciating almost immediately.

The second stroke managed to be even worse; the broad strap covered a large portion of Aurora’s chubby bottom so that each stroke landed nearly on top of the one before. Aurora shot up off the desk, her hair whipping back, and her free hand clutching at her bottom. Emily tried to hold her in place, but it was no use.

Aurora had expected the Headmaster to be furious, and she couldn’t look at him once she had recovered herself. She looked down at the floor fearfully, waiting to be scolded.

“I think we can safely mark the heavy strap as 9.5 out of 10 on effectiveness and move on to the next implement, Sandra.” Aurora was surprised at the Headmaster’s kindness. “Do understand that I am being extremely lenient not just because of your low pain tolerance Ms. Idris, but because you still have a punishment yet to come.”

He walked over and gently helped her back into position. “It would be unfair to you for me to delay your punishment, however tempting it might sound right now. The next few days should be fun and exciting for you as you make new friends, explore the school, and settle into your classes. I won’t ruin that for you by having a punishment hanging over your head the whole time.”

The Headmaster sat on the corner of the desk near her tear-streaked face and offered her a tissue. “That’s why we don’t need to finish this set for the test.” The Headmaster smoothed her hair with his hand, doing his best to comfort her while still remaining somewhat aloof; “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this test really is for your own good.”

Aurora wasn’t sure she agreed, but she nodded, and the Headmaster continued.

“For the next four years your file is going to tell every professor here that you have a remarkably low pain tolerance. That they need to be much gentler with you than they do with Ms. Black here. It will also tell them that the heavy strap needs to be reserved for only the most serious of offences. I know that these tests are painful, but they really are necessary.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and stood up. “As is your punishment after the test.”

Aurora laid her head on the desk and cried. Not the frantic tears she had cried as the paddles and straps had hammered down; this was a purely emotional release. She cried for her wilfulness and arrogance that had landed her here. For the strictness and unfamiliarity of a place whose rules she had been totally unprepared for. She cried because of Sandra’s cruelty and for the Headmaster’s patient strictness.

Mostly, she cried because it had been so very, very long since the last time. Once she got started there was suddenly so much that she needed to get out.

It was awful to watch, and Emily looked back over her shoulder to see a sight she wouldn’t have believed possible: The Headmaster actually looked heartbroken at seeing Aurora cry this way. He seemed to have no idea what to do, so Emily decided to try to help instead. Still squeezing Aurora’s left hand tightly in her right, she stood and gently stroked her auburn hair. It was what her mother did when Emily was crying after a tough spanking. It had always made her feel better, and she thought... she hoped that it would do the same for Aurora.

At first it made no difference, but after a few moments Aurora’s sobs turned to hiccoughs and finally to slow, deep breaths. She didn’t open her eyes or say anything, but it was encouraging to see her begin to calm down. Emily let her cry it out. It took a few minutes, but eventually Aurora’s breathing stilled and Emily looked back to the Headmaster, hoping that this might have meant some slight reprieve.

It hadn’t. The Headmaster’s face was grave but determined and Emily swallowed a groan for Aurora’s sake when she saw what was in his hands. Emily hated the tawse more than all of the other implements combined. She shivered as the Headmaster tapped the heavy, well-oiled leather strips against his palm as he approached. She knew that the slits between the tongues of the tawse would give it the bite of the thinner strap combined with the weight of the larger. The tawse somehow managed to combine the worst qualities of both light and heavy straps into one vicious tool.

Emily took her place beside Aurora, determined to just get it over with. The Headmaster didn’t make her wait.

The leather bit deep into Emily’s already-tender flesh and she felt like screaming from the very first stroke as she gripped Aurora’s hand as tightly as she could. The tawse was a source of scalding, searing pain that blotted out all conscious thought.

The pain tore the very air from her lungs. She clung on to Aurora’s hand so tightly that it had to hurt. But that pain was nothing compared to what Emily felt. The tawse burned the already-inflamed skin of her bottom. It sent tendrils of pain deep into the muscles of her bottom, and it set every welt, every mark from the paddles and earlier straps aflame with a new intensity.

She couldn’t think, couldn’t protest, it was an effort even to cry. She managed to get through the first two strokes but the third had brought her past the point where she could bear any more.

Without really even hearing herself say the words she had let go of Aurora’s hand and reached back with both her palms; “Mercy, Sir. Please…” she begged between sobs. She wasn’t capable of anything more cogent or lucid than begging, and so she begged. “Please no more....”

The Headmaster clucked his tongue and crossed his arms, the tip of the tawse hanging next to his hip. “An impressive pain tolerance, Ms. Black. I was worried that you might be a real problem for our professors, but it appears that the tawse is most effective at getting through to you. As I said to Miss Idris earlier, bear in mind that all of your professors will know the effect it has on you should you find yourself tempted by misbehaviour.”

He looked over to Sandra, and nodded. “I believe we can safely mark that particular tool down as a full ten on the efficacy scale and move on, Sandra. There is nothing more we can learn from additional strokes.”

It was just at that moment that the intercom above the door chimed. “Headmaster? Can you join us for the assembly? We are nearly ready to begin introductions.”

The Headmaster checked his watch. “Hmmmm. Of course. Pardon my lateness Professor Willoughby. I will be there presently.” The intercom clicked off as the Headmaster re-buttoned the top collar of his shirt and fished his tie out of his jacket pocket. Brusquely he knotted his tie around his throat and slipped on his jacket.

“My apologies, girls. It appears that time has made a fool of me this afternoon and I am required elsewhere. Sandra, you will complete the test, deal with Ms. Idris’ correction, and see to it that they are on time for the orientation part of the assembly.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Of course, Headmaster.” Aurora’s hair stood on end at the sound of the tall young woman’s voice. Her awful smug confidence had returned. “It’s no trouble at all…”

...and that's the end of the free Chapters of Lessons Learned. I hope you enjoyed it. There are 17 more chapters to go, more characters to meet, and lots more cute artwork to accompany the story. So where do you go from here?

Well, you could Download Lessons Learned and keep reading right away. Or Order a Physical Copy and have a lovely book for your bedside table. Or, if you're here for more free smut, good news: I'm still working on Book 2, and a lot of chapters/stories that may or may not make the final book can be read HERE. They're all non-canon, and some may not even be in the same setting, but it's all part of the process.

In either case, thanks for reading!

Artwork by VoidNosferatu