Ximene Trencavel – 29th September 1355
An hour later, John spent some time getting the tub to exactly the right temperature and they spent nearly half an hour wallowing in the warm water. Later, Ximene made sure that the dungeon was lit by many candles. Dressed in a lightweight skirt and peasant blouse she once again sat down by the table and pulled out the leather bag. This time she tipped all the contents on the table. John could see that it contained the mirror. four bottles and a round box.
‘There is still some paint left’ she announced in a voice, which was tinged with a note of triumph. She kneeled in front of the table.
First she selected the fourth bottle which contained gold paint, which she applied to her eyelids. She extended the painted area beyond the line of her eyebrows in a lace like effect which extended above her eyebrow and onto her temples. She examined her the finished effect in the mirror and pronounced herself satisfied. John recognized the style from the illustrations in the book.
She glanced over her shoulder so that John could see the total effect.
‘I think it is entirely appropriate that Diana would have a scar above her eyebrow’
She then applied her make up and painted her nails. Again using the gold paint she spent a long time decorating her wrists with a simulation of decorative archery arm guards. She then painted a similar pattern on her lower legs. By the time she had finished it seemed that she was wearing lightweight roman sandals.
John felt just as exited as the first time he had seen her make up. The fact that it was so different meant that she must have carefully planned this
‘Now it gets more interesting’ she said.
She stood up and removed her blouse and skirt.
Using a combination of the turquoise and flesh coloured paint she painted a simulation of a strip of fabric, which took the form of a sash. It flowed from her left shoulder, over her left breast, across her stomach and down her right thigh almost to he knee. She posed one leg in front of the other her arms held high in the air a pose John was by now quite familiar with. ‘Voila, Diana’
She exuded exitement and mischief.
‘I am now going to share with you something, which really should have been saved until I have formally accepted your suit. However time passes and the life we lead has prevented that happening. The concept is that you will wrap me in chains to symbolize that I have yielded to you. I am allowing you to do this secure in my knowledge that if the opportunity had presented itself I would, by now have accepted your suit. These chains were given to me by my grandmother for my fourteenth birthday, I have never worn them but I know how to put them on ’
She beckoned to him.
‘This only has any meaning if you apply the chains.’
She then opened the box and tipped the contents onto the top of the low table. John could see delicate gold chains and five small cylinders, two silver, three gold. Ximene laid out the chains. It took her some time to work out how they assembled John watched, intrigued with the concept; in great admiration for the craftmanship embodied in the fabrication.
Ximene talked as she worked out what to do. ‘They were made specifically for me. The goldsmith measured me very accurately to make sure they are a good fit’
‘The clue lies in the rings at the end of the chains, see they all have all have rings attached to their ends, but only these five chains have silver rings and only at one end.’
She gathered the five silver rings together and pushed a silver cylinder through the assembly and secured them by twisting the cylinder. Two of the chains were much longer than the other three. Each of these longer chains had a two gold rings only inches apart about a quarter of the way along. All five of the chains ended in a golden ring.
John watched in fascination as Ximene carefully grasped one short and one long chain in each of her hands and lifted the assembly over her head so that the central ring was positioned behind her neck and one of the shorter chains hung down her back. She arranged the longer chains to pass outside of her breasts. She pulled both ends to a position centrally. She held the lower of the two gold rings in the middle of the longer chains together and pushed the first gold cylinder through. Again she twisted the top of the cylinder, which locked it in. As she did this, her breasts were compressed and lifted by the upper of the rings upper of the rings in the middle of the chain.
She smiled ‘You see the fit is perfect, but now you must do it from now on’
Following Ximene’s instructions John carefully pulled the first of the shorter chains hanging from her shoulders across to the opposite side. The shorter chain was exactly the correct length to enable the ring at the end of it to come together with the ring now sitting to the side of her breast. He locked it into position with the second gold cylinder. This shorter chain now passed immediately above her nipple. John could now see that the shorter chains were fitted with a much smaller ring, which was just big enough to pass over her nipple.He then repeated this procedure with the second shorter chain so that the other nipple was similarly encased.
The free ends of the longer chains chains now hung down almost to her waist. John found Ximene’s twisting and turning to adjust the chains exiting but clearly she had not yet finished. Still following Ximene’s instuctions , John pulled the sixth chain around Ximene’s waist. There were rings at both ends and a two more rings splitting the chain into three. The chain hanging down her back was exactly the correct length to meet up with the rings on both ends and John picked up another cylinder intending to lock it into position.
‘Not yet John, where do you think the final chain goes?’ she giggled delightedly. John could see that this final chain was quite different. There was a ring in the middle and rings at both ends but every third link there were small golden balls forming part of the chain.
‘ Fasten the middle into the other three in the middle of my back’ Ximene told him still giggling. John obeyed. The ends of the final chain now hung down to the back of her thighs .
‘Now, gently, one at a time, pull the two ends of that chain through my legs and fasten them and one of the chains hanging below my breasts into one of the two rings at the sides of the waist chain.’
The first ring did not quite reach its intended target.
More giggles
‘ Oh of course the training! My body will be slightly larger. Never mind, pull it tighter’. As John did so, Ximene writhed provocatively. ‘Ooh! Gently John, gently.’
‘Now the second one. ’ As the final join was made John could see the whole assembly tighten around her body. No wonder carefully measurements had to be made!
Ximene was still giggling ‘Just one last adjustment’ she said pushing her hand between her legs and bending forward slightly as she did so. She straightened up and held both hands in the air thrusting out one leg in front of her.
Suddenly as the chains moulded into position around her body it created a wonderful illusion. The effect was that she was wearing an elaborate golden dress which was nearly transparent. It was difficult to believe she was totally naked. She smiled at John and posed briefly.
‘There could not be many dresses as attractive as this which would fit in this box bag’ she said, holding the box aloft.
She then combed out her hair. Her hair fell in looping loose curls, which were obviously totally natural. If anything continual washing in mountain streams had made it even more beautiful than when John had first seen her. As she combed her hair she wriggled continually letting out little squeaks of pleasure.
‘The chains have a very special function. Once they are wound about my body they give gentle sexual pleasure at every movement.’ She rose and strode towards him. It was the same long stride, the same swing of the hips, the same careful placement of the feet, which John had first seen at Muret.
‘Even when I walk across the room the feel of the chains gives me excitement.’
She stood in front of him. ‘If you were to pull gently on any part of any chain the feeling would be intensified, all the more so because you were doing it! It means that you could be caressing my upper back but by putting pressure on the chain with the back of your hand you could also be caressing every other part of my body!
‘Come let’s go to bed and I will show you!
It was a wonderful night. John knew that she had not spent so much time in preparation to spend to greater a proportion of it in sleep!