Aphrodite Sophia accompanied her sister Julie to the temple of Aphrodite. Julie wanted to make a sacrifice to the goddess and visit with a priestess. Julie was asking the goddess to intervene to help get her pregnant. Julie had been married for over a year without results. Children were the family's primary source of security against illness and death. Aphrodite was the goddess of sex, marriage and family. As such, she was one of the principal deities for women. The previous rulers of Tiramasu had tried to suppress the Aphrodite cult because its emphasis of female power and sexuality was inconsistent with their warrior culture. When the rulers were defeated by Kalimari, the province suffered a steep economic decline. Now, under the new Duke, the province was showing a remarkable recovery. With it, the worship of Aphrodite rebounded as well. Sophia admired the statue which represented the goddess. The goddess was depicted wearing a transparent gown, displaying her beauty. She had large round breasts, a small waist, and wide hips. Large sensuous lips and big eyes gave evidence of her sexuality. The statue was presented an archetype of feminine beauty, which mortal woman might emulate. Sophia wondered how she might look in a similar gown. She read of the goddess' exploits while waiting for her sister. Eventually Julie returned, accompanied by the priestess. Julie radiated a glow of happiness from her encounter. She smelled of incense and rich perfume. Julie told her sister, "The priestess read incantations, gave sweet libations, and touched me in the most wonderful way. If Arturo touched me in the same way, I would definitely get pregnant." Sophia asked, "How are you going to get him to touch you that way?" "I am going to try to get him to visit here with me. The priestess will guide us in the proper procedures. With her help, I am sure I will have a beautiful baby." All the while, the priestess was eying Sophia appreciatively. The priestess was wearing the same transparent gown as depicted on the goddess. She was almost as beautiful but more sexually alluring, because she was a living person. "Who is this lovely lady?" she asked. Julie replied, "Sister, this the my true younger sister, Sophia." Sophia curtsied. The priestess said to Sophia, "I am sister Portia. You are truly beautiful. Are you married also?" "No, sister." "I am sure men are all over themselves seeking you." "Some are, sister, but I cannot supply a large dowry. No man would marry me without one. Besides, I have not found a man I would marry, dowry or not. I want a man who is interested in me, not my body." Julie added, "Sister, my sister is young and naive about the world. Someday she will learn that men are not interested in women except for their bodies. I hope she realizes that before it is too late." Portia told Sophia, "If you want to talk about men or marriage, please see me. That is what I am here for." Sophia was the youngest of four daughters of a master cabinet maker. She was the only one not married and living at home when her father died. As the husband of the oldest daughter, the business passed to Johan. He was a very good craftsman and a better business man than her father, but he was not nice to Sophia or her sisters. In particular, he did not want to contribute to her dowry. As the youngest daughter, Sophia was to receive the least any way. Johan resented Sophia living in the house and not contributing any thing. He might have felt better about her if she had received him in her bed, but her refusal added to his resentment. Johan wanted Sophia to find a husband, but he believed that she was pretty enough to find one without a dowry. Sophia had a basic education in literacy and computation, but she lacked the training to run a rich man's house. She believed that some men might offer her enough for a dowry at the price of her virginity, but then what man would marry a woman who was not a virgin? Sophia was perplexed. Growing up, she played with dolls with her sisters. She expected to get married and have a family. That was what Julie was trying to do, and what her other sisters and most women in her social circle did. It did not occur to her that she had a choice. But she did not expect her father to die and her brother in law to be so greedy. In her social class, marriage was primarily an economic proposition. Sexual attraction and love were perceived to be nice, but too fragile to be a basis of a permanent marriage. Of the men she knew, she thought they were fair in demanding that she contribute to the family through a dowry. They believed that her physical attractiveness was insufficient to overcome the lack of funds. She did not like any of them enough to try to overcome that opinion. Even the daughters of peasants and laborers had an advantage because they could work to earn a dowry. But who would hire the daughter of a master craftsman as a house maid? Sophia resented that she was being forced to get married but not given the means. Sophia also resented the economic aspects of marriage which denied her individuality. Sometimes, she felt like an animal being auctioned off instead of a woman. Many of the men she knew were not even nice, to her or anyone else. She envied men, who could obtain physical pleasure without having to marry. Beyond begging Arturo and Julie to offer her a dowry, Sophia did not know what to do about it. Arturo and Julie were perplexed about something else. How would Aphrodite help them have a baby? Arturo was fond of his wife, and did not want to see her suffer. He also believed that children were the most important aspect of marriage. Therefore he accompanied Julie to the temple. Arturo asked the priestess, "Sister, what are we supposed to do?" Portia replied, "Come to the temple and make love after praying to Aphrodite. Julie, wait until you are half way between your monthly flows. And, both of you, abstain from intimacy for a week before you come here. I will help you." Arturo was just looking at the sexy, scantily clad priestess. When they were ready, Arturo and Julie appeared at the temple. They were told to bathe and then given brief robes, similar to the priestess's gown. The priestess accompanied them to offer a sacrifice to Aphrodite, and then lead them to a special room. She offered them special perfumes and lit incense. She then had them drink a sweet potion. Within a few minutes, both Julie and Arturo were feeling the effects. Arturo felt vibrations as his penis hardened. Julie's vagina became increasingly sensitive and moist. Portia said, "It is important that you thoroughly enjoy the process of making the baby. A child emerges from love. However, if you want me to, I can help either of you in the process." Julie felt the rush of being with her husband for the first time in months. "Sister, I think we will be fine," she said softly. Arturo just smiled at his wife, who was looking more sexy and attractive than ever. "Well, I will be outside if you need me. Take your time. Enjoy each other. May Aphrodite bless your union." When Portia left, Arturo kissed his wife softly. She answered with surprising passion. "I want you, Arturo. I want you so much." He leaned her back on to the bed. He undid her robe, and then his. He kissed her breasts. She put her hands on his head, pulling him to her chest. She moaned softly as he kissed her. He touched her pussy lightly. "Touch me more there. It feels so good." He fondled her labia, making her lose her breath. At that point he could have done anything to her. He sat up, and placed her hand on his prick. It was harder than he could remember. "Let me do you," he said, with increasing urgency. "Yes, do me. Give me a sweet baby." He climbed on top and pushed his prick into her eager slit. She exhaled hard when she felt him penetrate her. He was harder than she could remember, too. "You are so big. You feel so good." she whispered. He started rocking within her. She pushed up, trying to match his rhythm. "You are so big, you are coming out of my mouth, " she uttered with surprise. She got increasingly excited as he moved in her. Her moans gave way to squeaks, which gave way to squeals as her body convulsed with a strong orgasm. He felt her cum, which inspired him to work harder. "Are you ready for me?" he asked. "Yes, I am here for you." "Then here it is. And here. And here." He grunted as he poured his semen into her eager womb. He relaxed and lay next to her when he was finished. They held each other. "That was the best time I ever had with you, thanks to Aphrodite" he whispered. "Yes, me too. Let us pray to Aphrodite that we produced a baby." They did not produce a baby that month, but two months later, they conceived a girl. Julie told her sister about the success she had with Aphrodite. Sophia went to the temple see for herself. Sophia said to Portia, "You did a wonderful thing with Julie." "Aphrodite is dedicated to helping couples and people with sexual and family concerns." "I would like to learn more about Aphrodite." "As you know, she is the goddess of sex and family. Some people are under the impression that we are prostitutes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Men do not respect prostitutes, but they have to respect Aphrodite and her priestesses. " "But you do have sex with men, don't you?" "Yes, and with women, but to us, sex is a spiritual experience. You cannot be angry or resentful after a glowing encounter. As you experience sexual pleasure, you honor Aphrodite and increase the peace of the world." "I would not know. I never had a sexual experience. What do you do with men who do not respect women?" "They have no place with us. We want men to have their first sexual experiences with us rather than with a slave or prostitute. That way, they will eventually honor their wives rather than just use them for their pleasure." "I will try to find a husband who had his experience here." "Are you still having difficulty?" "Yes. I told you I do not have a dowry, and every one expects me to have one." "Have you considered becoming a priestess in the temple? You are certainly pretty enough. And you do not need a dowry for us." "What does a priestess do?" "We honor the Aphrodite by providing sexual pleasure. We also help couples such as your sister conceive families and we help older men who are having physical problems with sex." "I did not know men have physical problems. But aren't you at a risk of getting pregnant?" "We have ways of avoiding that situation. If you stay in the temple, we will provide for your security in the way that children might." "What is required to become a priestess?" "You have to have never married or been pregnant. If you get married or pregnant while serving in the temple, you will have to leave forever. We like our initiates to be virgins, but that is not required." "If we are virgins, how can we know how to provide sexual pleasure?" "We will teach you. That is why the initiation process takes several months." "If I decide to become a priestess, what do I have to do?" "Just live in the temple for a month. You don't have to anything you don't want to do. You will observe what we do. At the end of the month you can present yourself to be initiated as a priestess." "That sounds interesting. I might do it. I will have to talk it over with my family first." Both her brother in law Johan and her sister Julie encouraged Sophia to try it. Johan just wanted her out of the house, and Julie was grateful for what Aphrodite had done for her. The temple needed a few new priestesses. It was expending rapidly with the increased demand for its services, and there were not many women of good families available who did not want to or could not marry. A few days later, Sophia arrived at the temple. She was told to remove all her clothes and put on the transparent gown that Portia and the other priestesses were wearing. When Sophia looked at herself in the glass, she found she resembled the statue of the goddess. "You look fantastic!" Portia exclaimed. "I hope you will continue to be initiated." "What happens in the initiation?" "I cannot tell you yet. Just watch." For the rest of the month, Sophia helped the priestesses with their duties. She knew that some priestesses were engaging in sex, but she was not allowed to observe any of the encounters. However, she noticed that many priestesses were physically affectionate with each other, often kissing and touching. She especially noticed how Portia eyed her with increasing lust. Sophia enjoyed the companionship of the priestesses. It reminded her of her sisters in their best moments. Sophia decided to present herself for initiation. To her, Aphrodite offered all the advantages of marriage without the disadvantages. Portia gushed, "I am so proud of you. I will be your sponsor and tell you what to do. Just obey everything I say and all will be fine." On the day of the initiation, Sophia arrived with Portia in the temple. Sophia was told to remove her gown. Portia gave Sophia a sweet potion. Portia took some warm water and washed Sophia thoroughly. The other priestesses stood around her. Portia said, "Sophia, do you present yourself to Aphrodite, for her pleasure and yours?" Sophia inhaled, and then said, "Yes." "Will you obey all the commandments of Aphrodite and her priestesses?" "Yes." "Lie down on this bed." When Sophia lay down, Portia washed some soap over her pussy. She then carefully shaved the hair surrounding it. After she washed off the soap, Portia leaned down and kissed her pussy. Sophia was surprised by the strange sensations emanating from that area. "Sophia, I have looked forward to this moment from the day I met you. I want to give you the sexual pleasure that you deserve." Portia transferred her kisses to Sophia's breasts. "These are the most luscious tits I have ever seen. They are like Aphrodite's herself." The potion had its effect, heightening every sensation. As Portia kissed one breast, another priestess kissed the other, while a third kissed her mouth. Soon Portia yielded the breast to a fourth priestess, while she resumed her contact with Sophia's clitoris. Sophia wondered how her body could absorb so much pleasure. But as Portia kissed and licked her pussy, the pleasure just increased. "This is too much, " Sophia complained. "Go with it, honey. Let it out." the first priestess uttered. Sophia screamed as she released an orgasm from deep inside her pelvis. She shook as Portia and the other priestesses continued to kiss her. They brought her to one climax and then another. Each time Sophia thought she was going to die, and each time she reached a higher plane. Finally, it was clear that Sophia was exhausted. She was breathing heavily, almost gasping. Portia and the other priestesses stood up, surrounding Sophia. Portia said, "Sophia, you have done well. You showed you have the physical capacity to be a priestess of Aphrodite. We will help you return to your room to rest. " The next day, Portia visited Sophia in her room. "How do you feel?" Portia asked. "Good, but a bit sore. I had no idea my body could absorb so much pleasure. Aphrodite must be a very powerful goddess." "She is. Tomorrow, I will come by to explain your new duties. Today, just rest." The next day, Portia returned. "Sophia, as an initiate, your primary duty is to help the priestesses, including me. You will observe what we do with men, women, and couples who wish to celebrate with Aphrodite, but you may not touch the celebrants themselves. Also you will be trained on how to give and receive pleasure from priestesses. " "How do I give pleasure?" "I will show you." Portia sat on the bed and pulled up her gown to above the waist. She opened her legs, exposing her pussy. "That is my vagina, these lips are my labia, and this bulge is the clitoris. Touch my clitoris." When Sophia did so, Portia said, "This is what I touched on you the other day to give you such pleasure. Now it your turn to return the favor. Rub me there." Portia closed her eyes and lay back on the bed. "Now kiss me there." After a few tentative kisses, Portia instructed, "Don't hold back. Kiss me and lick me with your tongue. Use your fingers on my labia. Do anything to make me feel good." Sophia leaned between Portia's legs. She started kissing and licking as instructed. As Portia started moaning, Sophia realized she was having the desired effect. "Do it harder. Don't hold back." Portia began playing with her breasts while Sophia continued ministering to her vagina. Sophia alternated between her lips, tongue and hands on Portia. "Yes, that is good," Portia said, moaning. Sophia continued, until Portia started screaming, "Yes. Yes. Oh Aphrodite! Yes" When Portia stopped screaming, Sophia lifted her head. Portia sat up and kissed her on the lips. "That is what I mean by giving pleasure. You have a natural talent. You should be able to do that with any priestess who requests it, but nobody else." Sophia began working as a initiate in the temple. She administered the sacrifices, and walked celebrants to the priestess who would help them. She worked with all the priestesses, but especially with Portia, who was her mentor. An example of this was the day a man came to the temple to see a priestess. Sophia met him to find out what he wanted. The man said, "My name Pedro. I am getting married next week. My fiancee wants me to be blessed by Aphrodite so can love her better." Sophia took the Pedro to Portia and told her what he wanted. Portia said, "You came to the right place. Have you ever had sex with her?" Pedro replied, "No. She is a virgin." "Are you a virgin?" "No." "With whom have you had sex?" "All over. The brothel. My father's maid." "The difference here is that you have to respect Aphrodite. Then you can respect your wife. This is my initiate Sophia. She will be with us as you commune with Aphrodite, but she will not touch you, because she has not been trained." "How much training is needed for sex?" "You will see. A lot. Follow us." When they arrived at an anti-chamber, Portia said, "Give Sophia your outer clothes and meet me in the bath house." He partially undressed and followed Sophia into a steam room. Portia was standing in a shallow pool. She instructed, "Give the rest of your clothes to Sophia and join me in the pool. I will wash you. Aphrodite likes us to be clean." Pedro stripped and entered the pool. Portia used a soft rag to rinse his body, giving special treatment to his prick. She then pulled off her gown. "Now you wash me, Pedro." He tried to wash her, but he got very excited. His tool began to stiffen as he admired her body. Portia instructed, "You have to relax, Pedro. Sophia, hand us the towels." Portia lead him into the bedroom. Sophia followed but tried to stay in the background. Portia made Pedro sit on the bed. She pulled off her towel, and stood in front of him. "Suck my tits, Pedro. Make me feel good." Pedro grabbed her and mashed his face into her chest. "Slow down, Pedro. Gently kiss my tits to make them feel loved." Pedro relaxed and kissed her gently. However, he rapidly increased his pressure. He also but a finger in Portia's pussy. She shifted her stance slightly to make it easier for him. "Lie down, Pedro. Play with me. Get me excited for you." She pulled off his towel and pushed him down on the bed. She lay next to him, pulling him on top of her. He kissed her tits again, and then tried to finger her pussy. As she started breathing a bit heavier, Pedro climbed on top of her and tried to enter her. She let him have a few thrusts, and then pushed him off. "You are rushing things. Your new wife wants you to pleasure her. Lie back again and suck my tits." She got on his chest and presented her breasts to his eager mouth. He sucked and fondled them for several minutes. The she moved until she was over his penis. "This prick is too large for me to ignore," she said. She lowered herself on his rod. She slowly rocked on him, lifting all the way up and slamming down hard. He grunted with every motion. "Let's try to make this last so we both enjoy it, Pedro," Portia said, breathing hard. Portia liked to control the action for men she thought were too fast. She used her hips to lift herself on him. He grabbed her breasts as she moved. "Yes. Squeeze my tits. Make them feel special." She continued to rock on him. She could tell he was getting tense, so she slowed down. "Try not to cum yet." She instructed. However, Pedro has having difficulty controlling himself. Therefore, Portia picked up the pace. She wanted to cum too. Portia lost herself in the pleasurable sensations she was causing from deep inside her vagina. Pedro started to push up into her, moving rapidly. "Yes! Do it Pedro! Do it! Cum inside me!" Portia exclaimed. That was all he had to hear. He grunted as he jammed deep into her, letting his cum spurt out. Portia exhaled with a load moan as her orgasm flowed through her. As soon as she was finished, Portia climbed off him and lay next to him. They relaxed for a few minutes. Then Portia sat up. She said, "After you get married, I want you to come back with your wife. You need to slow down to make her happy. You have to work together on that. With Aphrodite's help, I can help you to let the love flow. Sophia will get you your clothes." After he left Portia asked Sophia for her thoughts. "You needed to work with him to get you to feel good." "Yes. I hope his works with his wife. If she is a virgin, she may not know what to do. I hope they come back. Aphrodite wants them to enjoy their marriage, not be frustrated." Sophia asked, "When will I get to be with men?" "After you have seen everything and are comfortable with it. Not all initiates are consecrated. Some find it hard to offer their bodies to Aphrodite. When you are ready, we will know." Over the next several months Sophia observed all the activities of the priestesses. She learned how to deal with men who did respect the temple or the priestesses. In addition to the simple situations like Pedro or her sister Julie, there were more difficult issues faced by the senior priestesses, such women who were afraid of sex or men with performance issues. Because of Aphrodite's emphasis on female fulfillment, the priestesses concentrated on conventional vaginal sex. Oral sex was usually confined to foreplay, except with other priestesses. They tried to avoid anal sex or any activities which involved pain. Most priestesses, including Portia, only wanted sex face to face, although they did not care which gender was on top. A few senior priestesses would engage in front to back positions, if they were in the mood. Julie and her friends would occasionally come to visit Sophia. They supported her decision to become an initiate, and hoped she would go on to become as priestess. Julie was especially proud of her new son, which she credited to Aphrodite. The only negative she saw was the Sophia was giving up motherhood. Sophia studied the lore and rituals of Aphrodite. She learned the proper way of conducting the sacrifices. Sophia definitely felt she was missing something from watching and not participating in the activities of the priestesses. Sometimes she would masturbate or ask a priestess to pleasure her because she was excited by what she saw. Portia wondered whether it was time for Sophia to be consecrated as a priestess. Portia asked, "Sophia, you have been here for many months. We consecrate a our priestesses on the equinox. The spring equinox is coming up soon. I think you are ready to be consecrated as a priestess. If you want to wait, you can be consecrated at the fall equinox. However, if you do not want to be consecrated by the fall, you will have to leave the temple. " Sophia replied, "I think I am ready now. I want to assume the responsibilities as a priestess. I am ready to dedicate my body to Aphrodite." Sophia was the only initiate at the spring equinox. All the priestesses surrounded her warmly. She was stripped and bathed in fragrant water. A small bone was inserted into her uterus to prevent pregnancy. When she was dry, Portia and another priestess rubbed oil over her body. She knelt before the statue of Aphrodite. Portia said, "Sophia, you have completed all the preparations necessary to be a priestess for this powerful goddess. Do you promise to fully obey all the principles and rituals of Aphrodite?" "Yes, I do." "Do you promise to uphold her ideals of peace, harmony and beauty?" "Yes, I do." "Do dedicate your body to Aphrodite?" "Yes, I do" "Before the goddess, and before these priestesses, I hereby confer upon you, Sophia, the office of junior priestess, with all the duties, responsibilities and privileges thereof. To help you realize these duties, I hereby call on the priest of Adonis." Adonis was the male counterpart to Aphrodite. Just as the Aphrodite cult was dedicated to ideals of feminine beauty and sexuality, the Adonis cult was dedicated to ideals of male beauty and sexuality. For various reasons, the Aphrodite cult was more successful. The priest was a handsome man, with broad shoulders, somewhat older than Portia. He was also covered with oil. He was entirely naked, except for a small loin cloth. Sophia stood and embraced him. He embraced her, and lead her to a narrow bed below the statue of Aphrodite. Sophia said, "I want to feel you." She pulled off his loin cloth, enabling her to grab his penis. It was already growing stiff, in anticipation of what was to follow. He pushed her down on the bed, and leaned down to kiss her. He then moved down her to neck, each breast, her navel, and her pussy. He gave special attention to her melon like breasts. Sophia wanted to absorb all of it. She looked up at him. "Take me. Don't be gentle. Consecrate me to Aphrodite." He knew exactly what to do. He inserted his penis into her vagina. He pushed in slowly but firmly. Sophia felt a slight sting as he passed her hymen, but was lost in the pleasure of having a handsome man. She lifted her legs onto his back, as she had seen other priestesses do. She whispered, "Do me. Fill me with pleasure." Although she was surrounded by the priestesses, she ignored them. She just concentrated on what his man was doing to her. Fire began to burn in her legs. She was breathing harder, as she strove to keep up with him. He knew to limit his pace until she was with him again. "This is so good. You are so hard. Keep it up," she said, breathlessly. He kept it up. He banged away at a steady pace. Sophia knew she was almost there. "I am almost there. Harder! Harder! Make me cum!" she exclaimed. He was almost there too. He waited until she began to wail as the orgasm convulsed through her body. He then released a torrent of sex juice, hitting her just as she reached her peak. She pulled him close to her body, and held him tight. When he began to relax, she said, "Don't leave me yet. That was so good, I want more of you." He remained deep inside her pussy, although he had lost some of his hardness. She wiggled her ass, causing him to wiggle inside her. Gradually, his penis resumed its former tension. She pulled on him again. Because he had just had a release, he took longer the second time. This left Sophia immersed in one orgasm after another. She screamed so loud, the walls echoed. Now he made the effort to keep up. The pressure in his organ became unbearable. It suddenly burst with another gush of juice, shorted than the first, but more intense. This time when he finished, he withdrew his prick. He lay next to her, holding her tight. They were both breathing and perspiring heavily. Their bodies tingled. They lay together for several minutes. Finally Portia stepped forward. "Sophia, brother Stephen, that was a fantastic performance. I am proud of both of you." Sophia said, "Today is the best day of my entire life. Thank Aphrodite for everything." She and the priest left the bed and walked slowly away. Latter that day, the temple held a feast in honor of Sophia. Her sister and brothers-in-law shared in her happiness. Sophia served many years as a junior priestess, eventually succeeding Portia as senior priestess of the temple.