War Time Humiliation Ch. 01

1942: A small island in the South Pacific.

Victoria Adams leaned on the ornate railing that circled the balcony of the Governors Mansion and let out a slight, satisfied sigh. Life was good for her here. She was married to a man she loved and respected, lived in this luxurious mansion, in the lap of opulent luxury, was the most admired woman on the island and had not worked a full days work in her life. She listened to the Ocean break against the nearby shore and watched as a couple of native women dragged heavy looking fishing nets along the yellow beach, smiled at their honest toil and took a sip from her long wine glass. Yes, life was good for her.

"Darling, come here a second would you?" called her husband from his study along the second floor corridor.

Victoria took another sip to finish the glass and turned to go but stopped a moment to admire her reflection of the folded back, polished, glass doors that had led onto the balcony. She pushed back a strand of her long, blonde hair up her forehead and tidied it neatly at the side of her head. No grey hairs showing yet, thank god. Her complexion was so perfect even in the imperfect reflection of the glass. She straightened her back and pushed out her breasts, putting her hands deftly under them (the layers of her frilly bra and light summer dress all that separated hand from breast) and slightly boosted her cleavage on her pert, slim, well kept frame. Her fluttering eyelashes were long and alluring to match her hazel coloured eyes, full of mystery. Yes, there was little doubt in her mind, despite having turned 32 earlier that year she was still the most attractive woman on this island. And the most important!

It was almost a full minute before she was able to move herself from her attractive reflection and proceed, unhurriedly and serenely toward the room where her husbands voice had emanated, like the English lady she knew she was. Colonel David Adams was more than used to his young wife's tardiness when it came to him but had grown to accept it as part of what made her so perfect for him. He sat behind his large antique writing desk and waited for his wife to eventually respond to his call. Life was like that out here in paradise, he imagined that were they still in dreary old, bomb blitzed London she would had scurried in at the hint of his call. When at last she entered their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds and certainly not for the first time they were struck of how strange love can be that these two, with so little in common to begin with could have fallen so completely in love.

In fact to begin with Victoria had been appalled by the idea, she was twelve years his younger and this army Captain (as he was at the time) held no attraction for her at one of her father's society 'do's' , but he had been persistent, her parents had recommended him to an annoying degree and when he finally managed to get her alone she had never been with anyone quite so charming or focussed his task (which was to win her heart and hand in marriage). Looking at him now, behind his desk it was difficult for her to imagine why she had not fallen for him. He was rich, well educated, well spoken and considerate to her to a fault and made no bones about placing her on a pedestal and worshipping her beauty. At heart, Victoria was a very vain woman and easily flattered or insulted, David had quickly realised this and played to her strengths. They were married within two years of meeting.

Colonel David Adams left the army with distinction a couple of years before the second World War broke out in Europe and swiftly found a position as Governor on this idyllic, Asian island that was part of the British Commonwealth. It was a veritable paradise that he had taken to life on easily, there had been little for him to do and where once he would have itched to return to Europe to join the war effort he knew that his time for fighting was gone and younger, braver men than him were in his place. His one worry about the post had been how his beautiful, young wife would handle it. In London she had attended society parties and events relentlessly, showing an ambition for social climbing that was at once ferocious and tenacious. Initially he was correct, she was adamant that she did not want to leave, that it would be a "godforsaken wilderness she could never exist in". But for the sake of his career and with the promise that it would just be for two years she went and now five years later she could never imagine herself in any other place.

"My dear, you look radiant as ever."

She blushed at his praise though drank it up. He was a handsome man himself, over six feet tall, smart light brown hair and a fulsome moustache, his body a testament to the efforts he made in the army.

"I called you because I have the feeling that one of the servants is stealing money again (it would never occur to him that his own wife was pilfering the money herself to buy some fineries for her house). I know you dealt so well with that unpleasantness with Lucy a few months ago, perhaps I can leave the matter to you again."

"Yes my dear, just leave it to me."

"I knew I could rely on you my dear, let me know if you need any assistance."

Victoria smiled and headed downstairs. As idyllic and perfect as this couples life seemed there was one blight to them about this island paradise. The natives! Victoria in particular thought them no better than savages, not to be trusted and a good few steps below the lower classes she had had in her household employee back in England. They were slow, did not show her the proper respect, were discourteous to her guests and untrustworthy in her eyes and she treated them accordingly. But she had to employ them, there was no-one else.

But what Victoria couldn't have guessed was that she was, in fact, the most hated person, woman or man, on the island. Even the other society people here did not care for her attitude. She was stuck up, thought that her husband's word was law and anyone that disagreed a criminal and had the unfortunate knack of making everyone she came in contact with feel inferior to her. Her friends on the island were friends merely for show and position and secretly they despised her for her arrogance and conceit (and a few for her beauty). Worse than all that was her treatment of the native servants she employed, she spoke harshly and dismissively to them all, without exception and thought nothing of firing one of them when things went wrong or missing, rarely even worrying if she got the right person. The "Lucy" affair some months earlier that David had referred to was fresh in her mind as she descended toward the front door and sounded the gong to summon all the house staff.

Lucy had been a pretty, young native maid who Victoria worried that David may take a shine to due to her good looks and she had been at pains to keep them apart. At the first opportunity, Victoria saw to that Lucy was framed for stealing a trinket and had her dismissed immediately from the house. She went kicking and screaming and really calling her former Mistress all manner of vulgar names. It had been quite the scene.

She had all the staff gathered in a semi-circle and stood some two steps up the stairway to address them when the big front doors caved in and in rushed five Japanese soldiers, all armed and shouting and pointing and general panic and chaos ensued.

In the hour that followed Victoria Adams experienced many of the worst times of her young life up to that part. She did not understand a word the soldiers barked at her and one even came forward to grab her roughly by the hem of her dress and haul her onto her knees and pulled her hands onto her head in a similar position to that which the native staff had immediately dropped to from the first orders from the invaders. She knelt there shaking and quivering and aware of being watched extra closely by the soldiers. Soon more came into her house and surged upstairs and easily took David prisoner, with her especially distressed as he was hauled unceremoniously from the house. That was bad and she had barely recovered before an officer entered, searched through the kneeling prisoners and spied her, marched over and led her out of the house at gunpoint. She was marched to the town's prison building which usually only held drunks and trouble makers and was pushed in along with the other foreign women of the island. They were as disorientated and scared as Victoria was and they spent a terrible first night, shivering in captivity.

They were kept like that, in cramped, crude conditions for three whole days and during that time had to get by with little knowledge of what had happened to their men folk or the island in general. They were hungry and had to make do with a few loaves of bread and a jug of water each day and the mood was one of depression and foreboding, the war had come to the island and they were not prepared for all that it would bring. Really, as Governor's wife Victoria needed to stand up and draw the women together, to keep their spirits high but she didn't, all she thought about was her husband, herself and their house and what would happen to them.

On the forth day of their captivity a deputation of soldiers marched into the cell and separated to allow a short, evil looking officer to appear between them and address the scared ladies.

"Which one is Governor's wife, Mrs Adams?" he barked out staccato style in his clipped language.

Victoria was terrified and considered not owning up to it but she found that the others were already backing away from her and she was already sticking out. All right, she thought, chin up, chest out, I'm an English Lady and will not show fear before these terrible devils. Showing bravery that she scarcely felt inside she stepped up and announced proudly.

"I am and I want to complain to your senior officer, is this how you treat Ladies?"

The little man smiled a crocodile smile and eyed the woman.

"I am the Senior officer on the island, Captain Fujita and we will treat you foreign invaders anyway we see fit. Private! Chain the woman and bring her with us. The rest of you will be dealt with presently."

Victoria could hardly prevent the soldier slapping chains and manacled on her wrists and locking them in place in front of her and she followed Captain Fujita from the prison and into the first sunshine she had seen since entering that hell hole. They marched Victoria out of the town and into a valley to the North which had previously been a green and lush area that people loved to run and play in. Now it was covered in small bamboo cages, locked and each containing a prisoner. Victoria recognised many of the men, all the non-native men on the island seemed to be there as well as the natives that had been in the police or their home guard style army. All looked pathetic and miserable, Victoria strained her eyes to try and see David but it wasn't until she had passed before all the cages and came to the last that she saw him and had the relief of knowing he still lived. She made to rush to his cramped cage and try to speak with him but a soldier dragged her back, instinctively she spat at him and without blinking he slapped her hard across the cheek. There was no rebuke from the Japanese Captain.

The cage was too small for David and he already looked distressed. Captain Fujita led Victoria away and out of earshot of her husband and spoke to her confidently.

"Mrs. Adams, we know that you were the Lady of the Island. The perfect English Rose (his face looked especially sour as he spoke her nationality), in fact. Your husband was the Governor and as such the symbol of power to the locals, of English power indeed. The glorious Imperial Japanese army has taken over this island in the name of the Emperor and as such I need to establish to the native public that we have taken full control."

Victoria tried to concentrate on his words while her eyes moved back to the sight of her trapped husband.

"As such Mrs Adams there is two ways I can establish this. Firstly, I can publicly execute your husband, he is in the army I believe and as such perhaps he will be foolish enough to try and escape, or made to look like he tried and then he would be shot for trying to escape."

He grinned right at Victoria and she saw his meaning clearly.

"You devil you, you're sick, you can't kill him. No! Not my David!"

Again she was slapped across the cheek, this time by the Captain.

"Do not interrupt Mrs. Adams. As I said, that is only one way I can get the control over the island that I want, it is symbolic. There is another way, one which would allow you to save your husband's life."

"Yes, anything. Please, I'll do it, whatever it is."

Again the crocodile smile.

"Very good, then you would need to publicly enter into my service as my slave. The entire island would have to see you willingly agree to complete obedience to me and to see you do whatever I demand of you. I warn you now, to demonstrate my power on the island, and the power of Japan's glorious army, I will endeavour to humiliate you, to degrade and debase you and it will be seen by the native population. In that way only will I not have to sacrifice your husbands life."

She barely recognised the enormity of what she was agreeing to, just that it was a way for her to save her beloved husband.

"Yes, all right, whatever, I'll do it. I'll do what you a ask, please free my husband."

"No. That is not the 'deal' Mrs Adams. I will allow the Colonel Adams to continue to live if you do as I ask but he must stay in his prison for the moment. You must come with me now, I have a ceremony to demonstrate your subjugation arranged, I was sure you would want to save your husband."

In a daze at all that had occurred since her release from the cramped jail cell, Victoria allowed herself to be led by the soldiers through the valley and back into the town. Here she was marched back to her former residence, the Governor's Mansion and was appalled to find it surrounded by relaxing soldiers and natives looking to barter with them or girls entertaining them. The islanders now looked with undisguised disdain and dislike at the Governor's pretty wife, the need to keep in her favour now long gone. Seeing the looks cast at her, Victoria dropped her eyes to the floor and tried not to look at them as she was led into her house. As she stepped inside the big front doors and heard them close behind her she allowed herself to look up and was astonished to find her former servant Lucy, she of the amorous glances at her husband descending the stairs looking and acting for all the world like she owned and was Mistress of the Mansion.

Many of the islanders had not been sad to see the Japanese army invade, were they any worse than the 'fat cat' British, who lived off their toil, treated them with distain and looked down their noses at them? Lucy had been one of those with that opinion and had not wasted time making those views clear to Fujita and making him more than aware of the antics of the British Governor and his detested wife. Within two days of his arrival Fujita had invited Lucy to his bed and she had gladly accepted. Once he had tasted her talents in the bedroom he was more than happy to aid her gain public revenge on her former employer.

As Victoria stared, open mouthed at Lucy she smiled almost the same as her lovers earlier reptile like movements of the lips. Fujita allowed the two women to size each other up, to gauge their new positions in life and to the cruel twists of fate before speaking to Victoria again.

"Miss Lucy has your dress laid out upstairs. I want you to wear this for the ceremony. I believe it will show you at your best as the Governor's wife. Now go with Miss Lucy and dress, I want you down here in an hour looking your very best!"

None of it made sense to Victoria and she allowed herself to be led up the stairs by Lucy with two soldiers behind her in case she tried anything. She wasn't about to. Rather she meekly followed the slim Asian girl upstairs and entered her own bedroom at Lucy's instruction. The soldier entered and undid the chains to allow Victoria's wrists sweet freedom and then he left the two women alone. Lucy wasted no time in telling her former employer to strip off her grimy clothing and get into a bath she had set up minutes before Victoria had arrived.

They proceeded in absolute silence, Victoria not knowing how to take Lucy's presence here or what her role was. Was she willing or unwilling? She suspected the latter but could hardly accuse her. Despite the situation she somewhat enjoyed the sensation of warm water flowing over her and washing away all the dirt and depression of the past few days, perhaps this was all a really bad dream. No such luck though, Lucy was there waiting for her when she exited the cooling water and helped dress Victoria in one of her favourite ball gowns, it was maroon and ruffled and showed a decent amount of cleavage. She had worn it proudly at the state fair last year and Lucy had chosen it especially as most of the islanders would remember her in that dress and associate it with her and her husbands position of power on the island.

Lucy helped her with her hair and jewellery (she was amazed the invaders had not stolen it) and escorted her silently down the stairs to the expectant Captain Fujita. He shared a knowing smile as he took Victoria's arm and led her out of the Mansion and to the Court House. There a platform was set up and a crowd of pretty much all the islanders were gathered (closely chaperoned by a regiment of Japanese soldiers eager to see what the Captain was up to). Victoria looked nervously out over the arranged masses, there must be nearly 200 people congregated in the town square, she could hardly think when she had seen so many people gathered together on the island. All of a sudden the Captain's words began to take on a significance to Victoria and she squirmed at the thought of what he had in store for her.

Captain Fujita addressed the masses and belying his small stature his voice boomed out over the square, it's natural shape adding to the echoing quality of his voice.

"Citizens. I am Captain Fujita of the Imperial Japanese Army, I am here to free you from the tyranny of the hated British. They have ruled here unlawfully for too long and we will liberate this Isle and once the war is won we shall leave you to run affairs yourselves."

There was a murmur then a subdued cheer from the crowd, unsure what reaction was required by the gun toting invaders.

"I will demonstrate our superiority to the British infidels and how they will bow before us and accept us as their Masters. You will recognise this woman as Mrs Victoria Adams as the wife of the previous British Governor, Colonel David Adams. This proud and arrogant woman has ruled over you people and enjoyed the spoils of your labour too long, today you see how she and her kind react to the superiority of the Japanese army!"

Victoria was liking the sound of this less and less, what on earth did the sadistic man intend? She was quickly to discover. He ordered he to step forward and haltingly Victoria obeyed. Then he had he drop to her knees and to kiss his scuffed army issue boots. It was humiliating for Victoria, Lady of the Island and a former darling of London society to have to do this, but her husbands life depended upon it and she did as bidden without comment. She heard some comment from the crowd, however.

"That's it, show the stuck up bitch what it is like to grovel!"

By now Lucy was standing at the front of the crowd and enjoying her former employers embarrassment, particularly as she knew what would come next.

"Strip naked, Mrs Adams, you and the people you represent do not deserve to wear such expensive clothing as that extravagant gown! Strip! All of it! Off!"