Delilah - Past

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- You know what to do, Delilah… - says the male voice from behind the curtain. He can catch a bit of a glimpse of what is happening on the other side as the lanterns light up the room and the fabric is not thick.

Two young maids use soft sponges to clean Delilah’s standing naked body. With her eyes closed, she feels the water drops cool and roll down her skin. Before, they have removed all her body hair leaving her skin soft to a man’s touch. This first luke warm water is to clean her and rouse her body to the senses, which is already working: she feels goosebumps all over. After drying Delilah with gentle touches with a tender dry cloth, the maids wash her again but now with rose petal water for a luxurious and unforgettable smell that will last all night.

She breathes slowly, concentrating on the plan: there is a man to be conquered; she must deceive him in such a way that he confides her the secret of the chosen ones. She has to use his weakness for beautiful women in her favour and she knows that she is one… many men tried to woo her and most even proposed to marry her but she was forbidden to accept any love affections. She was raised for one purpose only and tonight she will play the role for which she was brought up. Throughout all her puberty and young adulthood, she was instructed that the only thing she had to offer was her tender and lustful body, and the prize she had to offer a man was her maidenhood. The pain she would feel would be a sacrifice for a supposed greater goal: to control the kingdom and therefore they needed to know the secret of the immortals.

She was dressed with a soft ivory tunic, almost the colour of her skin with a thin golden belt. The maids braided her hair with ribbons making it look longer. Her eyes were painted with kohl for a more dramatic look and her wrists and neck were covered with some jewellery.

All this preparation started after her afternoon nap. She has to look beautiful, well-rested and irresistible to the man she has to conquer, her future husband, Samson.

- Drink this fine liquor, young lady, it will bring you confidence and everything will be easier. - Delilah takes the delicate crystal glass and follows the words of the older woman. She had never tasted such a sweet beverage which slowly burnt down her throat. Her lips were coloured with the juice of red fruits which mixed with the flavour of spices in her mouth and it pleased her. Lightheaded, she is lead to the man waiting for her on the other side. He licks his lips while looking lasciviously at her body wishing it was his to take. Maybe she would be given to him after she served the high purpose. He grabbed her arm and conducted her through the long corridor. It would be so easy to lead her somewhere to one of those empty rooms and deflower her. He would love to tame her under him and taste her body that no man touched before. He knows what his masters are capable of and being hanged was not the way he wanted to end his life. Feeling her soft flesh of the arm beneath his hand makes him want to pay some extra golden coins for a younger girl, later at brothel.

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On the sill, Delilah lights a large candle and watches the flame flicker and her reflection on the window. Her left hand runs down her face. She was old but there were no signs of aging. After remembering all the people she loved and passed away, she blows the candle out and has a shower. Slowly she removes her damp towel to the ground and steps into the bed. She loves the feeling of fresh washed sheets on her skin.