The Grand Ball room was the largest room inside The Club. Normally it held the various parties the membership held: Play parties, Collarings, demonstrations of rope or suspension bondage. Once in awhile, educational discussions on the lifestyle and the whatall within. But today it was something different.
Today, it was a gathering of mourning.
Silvia and Madam Webb walked down the back corridor that led to the back of the Grand Ballroom. When they emerged, Silvia saw something she never beheld in her life. Where normally, the Ballroom was filled with some people in people in sorted amount of dress, or in goodly number of cases undress, now it was filled with hundreds of people in their finest.
Immaculate suits on all genders, flowing gowns of equal sexes, Leather and metal of shining brightness. While normally, Silvia knew, such wear was to look impressive, today it was to show respect for a missing friend, Mentor, Teacher, and Colleague.
To Silvia though, he was Master.
Not all backs were toward her, She saw some faces of friends, occasional lovers, those that she had served at His wish, even an enemy or two. As she glanced around, those faces whispered to others and they in turn whispered to others around them. As if all in agreement, talking stopped and bodies moved. Like Moses before the red sea, the body of people parted to create a path for Madam Webb and Silva to the front of the Ballroom.
Webb turned her head and smiled a crying smile at Silvia and nodded her head toward the front of the room. Silvia smiled the same smile back, and with a curtsy, made her way up front. She greeted friends along the way. Touched some, kissed others. Still others, she bowed her head in respect. While she did not linger, she wanted this walk to last as long as possible. She didn't want the pain she knew awaited her at the foot of the stage.
As Silvia got closer, she could see the stage at the front of the Ballroom. It wasn't really all that big. Large enough for the various demonstrations held here. It could hold a St. Andrew's cross, spanking bench and a bondage and a padded kneeler at the same time, provided the bench wasn't all that big. When there were full discussion meets of the membership, the stage with filled with the chairs of the four Elders. Today was such a day.
But that wasn't Silvia's focus today. Today her eyes only held what was resting at the foot of the stage. Within Cherry wood and brass fitting, all gleaming under the lights rested her Master in red and black formals.
Silva parted with the last touch of a friend and approached His coffin. She ran her hands along the shining wood, afraid to touch His body. While still more tears threatened to flood from her eyes, she held them back for now, hoping she could last the next hour or so. To give her a semblance of privacy, the gathered people turned their collective backs and quietly resumed their conversations.
That is save one. As Silvia layed her forehead on the edge of the coffin, a thirty something man, in a rather conservative suit and white gloves stood at the foot of the coffin. He turned, clasped his hands before him and bowed his head. In time, Silvia raised her head and took in the man's presence. She even managed a small smile for him, as she knew he was part of the team from the funeral home. "Jerry," she thought, "His name is Jerry."
Silvia straightened up and walked over him with her hand out to shake his hand. But her hand was not received as she suspected. While Jerry also held out his hand, there was a small envelope in it.
"Mz. Silvia, It is my instructions to give this to you before the ceremony starts." With those few words, Jerry gave Silvia the envelope, turned and resumed his stance at the end of the coffin. She wanted to question him on who or where the message was from but decided that information might be in the envelope. Turning it over, Silvia saw just her name written on the outside.
Witten in her Master's hand.
Suddenly, Silvia felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around and saw Madam Webb standing there with her motherly look. "Are you ready to begin, child?" Silvia shifted her look from the envelope to Webb and back again.
"I....I need a few minutes," she stuttered.
Webb nodded while glancing at the message in Silvia's hand. "Of course, child. We will begin when you are ready."
Silvia ducked her head in thanks and turned her back on Webb. She walked back to the coffin and took in her Master's face. His hair never turned all grey, she thought. Nor did His beard. Even in death, His skin never showed wrinkles, well save for maybe the laughlines at the corner of His eyes. Oh how she loved waking to that face every morning. She was going to miss that so much.
But still, she was going to miss a great deal of things with him gone.
With a deep sigh, Silvia opened the envelope and read the message within.
It was only five lines long but said so much to her. So much pain and sorrow in so little space.
And Love.
Silvia carefully folded the page and placed it with great care back in the envelope. With dry eyes, she looked around for Madam Webb and found her with a small group at the foot of the stairs leading to stage. Webb, Bane, Marcus with a couple of servants all watched as Silvia approached. She curtsied again before them and said "I am ready and at your command."
Webb smiled and shook her head at the strength Silvia showed. Patting her head, Webb told Silvia "The three of us have talked and we wish you to join us and take your Master's chair on the stage for the service." Silvia raised her head and said "No."
She then confidently climbed the stairs and went to the chair her Master had used in the past. Slipping off her shoes, kissing them and placing them on the floor beside the chair, Silvia padded barefooted back down the stairs and to the group again.
"I will be where I am supposed to be." She told the group.
Returning to the coffin, Silvia knelt down.
Ass on heels
Back of the hands on thighs
Back straight up
Head bowed
"By my Master's side"