17 comments/ 50402 views/ 37 favorites For a Kingdom Ch. 01 By: evilliza As she sat waiting in one of the castle's libraries, Lanna knew, no matter what, she wouldn't live through the day. Neither would most of her brothers. Not that she minded too terribly much. They all knew this day had to come and most were so much older than she that no lasting affection had ever subsisted between them. As the youngest she was occasionally humored, but the decades between their births was a barrier towards forming any true relationship. By the time she was old enough to hold a conversation, they were knights, off protecting the kingdom and trying to prove themselves to their father. Her brothers only concern was the desperate fight to be the most worthy in the council's eyes. Indeed, to them she was a political inconvenience, unmarried as she was. Her brothers weren't stupid. They all knew enemies of the crown could grab power by killing them and marrying her. They viewed her as a potential weapon, nothing more. Really, the only one who would ever think of saving her was her brother Bennis. She looked at him sadly. He had a vacant smile on his face as he sat in the window seat. People said he was a simpleton, demonstrated by his inability to participate in all but the most basic conversations. Even his emotions were unfathomable to most people. They never seemed to fit the situation. He displayed confusion upon seeing new places, rather than curiosity; at parties he became angry at the noise and would throw things until it was quiet once more. She envied him today. He couldn't understand what was happening and so he smiled. She wanted to walk over and hold his hand, or have him comfort her in his arms as an older brother should, but he hated to be touched. So instead she sat on top of a reading table, her legs swinging back and forth as she tried to work off her growing nerves, waiting for the library door to open. Bennis turned his head to look at her. "What are we doing?" he asked in his childlike manner. "We're waiting, Bennis," Lanna answered. "For what?" he asked. "For someone to come see us," she replied, forcing a tight smile, "everything is fine, don't worry." After that they once again waited in silence, Lanna staring at the library door, Bennis out the window. Then she saw the knob begin to turn and she found herself holding her breath, waiting to see which brother was on the other side of the door. Who had the council chosen to be the next king? When Casius appeared she jumped off the table, a frown line creasing her forehead. Casius was the second oldest, both ambitious and conniving. "Prince Bennis, Princess Kyrlanna," Casius said with a mock bow to each, "you are my last goodbyes." Lanna nodded, her mouth set in a grim line. It was his way of telling her that the rest of her brothers were already dead. All six of them gone, each killed by Casius. It was how it had to be, according to the laws of their kingdom, how they prevented civil war and ensured a smooth succession. Only one potential ruler could exist, one strong enough to quell any threats to his throne. But traditions and laws didn't ease her mind when she pictured each handsome brother dead and bloody on the floor. Not only that, but Casius was her least favorite brother. It was horrible to know each one was gone while he remained. There was almost a 20 year difference in their ages, Casius being born to the King's first wife and Lanna to his third. He had never paid any attention to her as a child except to brush her out of the way. As she grew older she had garnered more of his attention, more of his looks, but there was no brotherly affection in his glances. He couldn't help but notice her long dark hair, pale skin, and even features. She knew people said she was beautiful as a princess should be, but it meant very little to her except as a reason for unwanted attention. Casius was her half brother, but his occasional touch had always been anything but brotherly. "Dear Kyrlanna," Cassius declared in his condescending way, "I will be truly sorry to see you go." He shook his head, his face conveying a pretend sadness. Lanna tried to swallow, her throat unable to work. It took her a moment before she could ask, "then you will not spare me, Casius?" "My poor sister, I would if I could," he replied, "but the risk to myself is too great. My throne would remain insecure so long as you lived." Lanna managed a stony-faced nod of acquiescence. She knew it was true, unmarried as she was. Any one of her other brothers would tell her the same thing, though they would probably look more ashamed. Not Casius however. He looked almost gleeful, while Lanna herself was numb. It was one thing to distantly know you were going to die, quite another to have the moment drawing nigh. How was she supposed to feel? Her options were either stoic or hysterical, and she had always been contemptuous of hysterics. "So young," he murmured as he walked a circle around her, "It saddens me to think of all the things you will never experience in life. To never fall in love, or have a husband, to never know the joys of the body..." A sense of danger suddenly washed over her, her adrenaline kicking in. His circling steps brought him ever closer, while Lanna held perfectly still. "It is a shame that no man will ever feel your sweet mouth around his cock, your round ass under his fingers..." he was behind her and the door in front, but like a scared rabbit, she couldn't move. "That no man will experience the thrill of thrusting into you while you cry out in release, your body tightening around him..." He stepped closer until he was directly behind her, bent over to whisper in her ear. It sent chills down her spine. Lanna was unfamiliar with much of the language he was using, but she was sure she knew to what he was referring. She gasped as he pulled her back against him. "What are you doing Casius?" she asked. There was a bulging hardness against her back. He gave a small chuckle. "Stupid girl," he scoffed, "you can't be that innocent. I should think it was obvious." He squeezed one of her breast through her dress to emphasize the statement. "This is all I've wanted to do to you for years. But really, whether you understand or not is irrelevant, there's no stopping this now. I'm to be King and will have what I want before you are dead." As he reached down from behind to grab her skirts, she inhaled sharply, intending to scream, but he quickly covered her mouth to forestall her. "Ah ah," he whispered in her ear, "No one is going to come help you. All your screaming will do is upset poor Bennis." She glanced over to where her brother still sat in the window seat, vaguely aware, but unconcerned by their presence. She was trapped. Even though it was hopeless, she began to struggle against him. Casius was too strong for her to push off. "Your life is forfeit," he reminded her, "you can't deny me." He leaned in closer, letting her feel his hardness. Though she tried to be quiet, unwilling to upset Bennis in his last few hours of life, she couldn't help but struggle. As the youngest child she was used to getting her way and it wasn't in her nature to acquiesce or bend to the will of another. Casius seemed to be enjoying the challenge, however. He held her with one hand fairly easily. With the other he began unlacing the top of her dress. She was dressed casually today. She remembered telling her maid earlier that morning that she refused to suffer through the annoyances of stays and a corset on what may very well be her last day on earth. Who knew such a decision would come back to torture her. It made it easy for Casius to loosen the cords until he could pull out her breasts. They were high and firm, each one a sizable handful which he squeezed happily. She was breathing heavily, fear making her heart race. The neckline of her dress pushed her breasts up towards Casius and he took full advantage, pinching her nipples cruelly and watching her naive reaction as she winced in pain. "Let me go, Casius," she ordered as she kicked backwards, hoping to catch him in his privates. However he dodged her foot easily and didn't reply, just let out a long-suffering sigh. He was becoming slightly annoyed that she continued with this futile resistance, but simply shifted his grip so he could hold her arms behind her back with one hand. He moved around to in front of Lanna so continue his assault on her nipples, his mouth replacing his hand as he bit and nibbled, pinched and tugged, until he was satisfied with how the hard nubs stood to attention. Lanna's breath was coming in short pants, and she gasped every time her gave her breasts a particularly viscous nip. She couldn't decide if what she was feeling was entirely painful. It felt like small jolts of electricity were running through her body with every bite. The sensation was strange, and she wanted it to stop. Casius didn't bother undressing her further. He pushed her back onto the library table, so she lay along its length, her bottom hanging over the edge. Lanna shifted until she was gripping its edge. She tried to lever herself back up, but Casius was immovable, towering over her. He quickly flipped up her dress and pulled down her undergarments so that she was exposed to his gaze. She squeezed her legs tightly together, but knew that wouldn't deter him for long. "Spread your legs for me, Princess," he murmured quietly. She shook her head and he frowned at her. She turned her head, trying to see Bennis, but Casius flipped her over onto her stomach. He used one hand to hold her arms behind her back and with the other gave her pert ass a resounding smack. Lanna stifled a scream as his hand came down again, connecting with smooth skin. As he spanked her a third time she was unable to hold back her voice. She heard movement by the window. She knew Bennis didn't like the noise and the thought upset her further. Bennis couldn't save her, but she didn't have to bring this misery on him as well, and she willed herself be stay quiet as Casius turned her ass bright red with slap after slap. The stinging sensation began to grow unbearable and tears pricked her eyes. Though she could stop herself from screaming, small, angry, desperate noises escaped from her throat with every smack. She could not remember ever being spanked before. It was both painful and humiliating, and with her arms held behind her she was powerless to stop it. Then suddenly the blows stopped as quickly as they began. "Now, I'll say it again: spread your legs, or what I do next will be to Bennis, not to you." Casius knew how protective she was of their simple-minded brother and he was using it against her now. Lanna again turned her head, trying to see Bennis. She was both embarrassed by the thought that he was watching, and concerned as to how he would react. Casius, however, had been very careful so far to stop her from being able to see Bennis. This time, when he saw her head turn towards the window seat, a dagger was suddenly embedded in the table in front of her face. Lanna let out a surprised scream and reflexively tried to slide away. "What are you trying to look at princess?" asked Casius, his voice deceptively casual, "do you think Bennis is watching us? Are you afraid he will see your most intimate secret?" Suddenly his voice grew hard, "Keep fighting me Kyrlanna and I will use this knife to carve him into pieces." Coming from Casius, Lanna knew that this was more than an idle threat, it was a promise. His tone made it clear he considered himself the future king, and his every directive should be obeyed. Feeling ashamed at giving in, she opened slightly. Now that Casius had planted the idea in her mind, she imagined Bennis was watching them, and Lanna's face turned as red as her bottom thinking of what he must be seeing: Her face down on a library table, half naked and exposed to their half brother's greedy gaze. Her ass was pushed higher into the air as Casius propped one of her knees up on the table, spreading her legs wider and giving him better to access her virgin cunt. She didn't want to think that Bennis could see that as well. It was all happening too fast. Her face grew redder as felt fingers stroking up and down her slit. Her emotions were shooting back and forth between rage, indignation, fear, and embarrassment. Nothing in her life had prepared her for a moment like this. She tried to squirm away from Casius's casual exploration, but with her hands held behind her back, she was effectively pinned and unable to guard against the unwanted touch. She was getting desperate. She knew what was coming next. "You've always been such a tease haven't you princess?" Casius asked conversationally as he pushed a single finger inside her. She gasped at the intrusion and increased her struggle to get away. The finger began to slowly pump in and out of her. "God you're so tight," he moaned, "I am going to enjoy slamming my cock into a spoiled cunt like yours. Always laughing, always flirting with every man but me." "You're my brother," she replied through gritted teeth, pained by his continued onslaught, "besides, I don't flirt with bastards like you." She felt his finger withdraw from her channel and a sharp pain as he pinched her clit. She yelped. "Princess, you aren't in a position to insult anyone at the moment. Now, I can make this increasingly unpleasant for you, or you can cooperate and maybe feel some pleasure in the process." He went back to finger fucking her, and quickly slipped a second finger inside. His thumb thrummed upon her clit, making her gasp at this new feeling. She felt like animal caught in a trap with all of these unwanted sensations being forced upon her. All she wanted was to turn around and strike back. She forgot about her poor brother, forgot what Casius could do when angered. She couldn't hurt him physically, but she still had her words. "If you knew how to give pleasure Casius, you wouldn't need to tie up unwilling women. You pathetic coward, you only know how to inflict pain." The rational part of her brain told her to shut up while she still could, but she kept going, "You will never be the real king. How many council members did you bribe to get the kingship? How many did you have to threaten? How many asses did you kiss? How many cocks did you have to suck? Any one of our brothers would have been more worthy than you." Casius grabbed her roughly by the hair, pulling her up until her back arched painfully. "Such a rude little mouth to find on a princess. How I won out over the others is unimportant. They are dead and now I am the only possible choice for king. Trust me, you will recognize me as the eminent ruler before we are done. And you were right about one thing my dear... I do know how to inflict pain." He let go of her hair and one-handed, removed his belt, using it to secure her hands tightly behind her. "I am going to make you cry and beg for mercy before we are through. I will not make this easy for you... or for him," he threatened with a nod towards Bennis in the window seat, "you will scream for me Princess. I can guarantee it." And without further ceremony, he finished undoing his pants, positioned himself at her entrance and drove his cock into her, tearing through the fragile barrier that had been her maidenhead. He grunted at the sensations caused by her deflowered channel even as Lanna screamed in pain from his sudden assault. Once he was fully buried inside of her, the future king of Glenador lifted her other knee onto the table and spread her wider, giving himself as much access as possible. For the moment Lanna was incapacitated by the sharp pain spreading in waves from her abdomen. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream, she couldn't beg him to stop, even though she knew it was useless. He gave her no more time to adjust to the feeling of his cock spearing her, and began to fuck her mercilessly. She was completely focused on the painful sensations caused by Casius drilling into her from behind. No longer remembering to control the volume of her voice, she was unable to keep from crying out. She felt like the pain was an unbearable red hot friction as he surged in and out of her violated pussy. "such a spoiled cunt," commented Casius with a grin, "That's right my princess, scream for me. This is what is feels like to have your pretty little pussy fucked." "It hurts, please no more!" Her arousal was nonexistent, but the blood from her torn innocence lubricated her pussy so he could slide in and out with ease. Lanna got louder the more desperate she became and so was caught unawares when there was a dull crunch behind her and Casius fell away mid-thrust. After a pause, she slowly sat up on her knees and looked around. Bennis was having a violent tantrum next to them. He was screaming himself, filled with rage at the amount of noise coming from Lanna. Anything he could grab was being knocked over or thrown across the room. Including the wooden chair she could see from the corner of her eye. Lanna turned around and looked behind her— Casius was on the floor, eyes open in a dead man's stare. She could see that his neck sat at a funny angle to his shoulders. A book rocketed over her head and she flattened herself back onto the table. Bennis didn't care who he hurt when he was in this state. She was in as much danger as Casius had been moments before and she needed to move. Under the table would be safest, and she started sliding herself backwards as best she could without the use of her arms. That's when the library door burst open. For a Kingdom Ch. 02 The royal council's chamber was designed to be both lavish and imposing, but as Lanna had grown up in the castle, it didn't have quite the same effect on her as it did on outsiders. The dark, ornately carved table, the commanding high-backed chairs, none of it intimidated her in the slightest. In fact, she was much more troubled by the council's expressions than by anything else in the room. In a rare occurrence, it seemed the entire council was present. All fifteen members were seated behind a long semicircular table, glowering at the two royal miscreants before them. Lanna and Bennis stood in the middle of the room, the squad of palace guards who had discovered them standing at their backs. They had just delivered the news that Prince Casius was dead and on every council member's face all Lanna could discern were looks of disgust and disapproval. They were expressions that did not bode well for either sibling's future. The head of the council, Lord Halliwell, stood up and braced his fists on the table in front of him as he glared at Lanna and Bennis. "Someone tell me what the hell happened. Right. Now," he ordered. The guard captain stepped forward and gestured at Lanna who was clutching her ripped bodice to her chest in an effort to maintain her modesty. "My boys found her lyin' face-down on top of the table m'lord. Her arms were tied behind her back with a belt and she..." His eyes darted towards the princess and quickly away as if embarrassed at what he had to reveal. "Well, I'll just say that she was bloodied with her skirts flipped up and Prince Casius was a-layin' there on the floor where he got knocked in the head with his pants around his ankles." The man shrugged, cleared his throat, and continued. "Prince Bennis was a-hollerin' and carryin' on and throwin' books about the room. The entire library is a mess m'lord. We just went in to clean up the bodies like we's supposed to. Never expected anything like this to happen m'lord, never." Lanna tried to ignore the captain's casual mention of cleaning up her body. Instead she thought of the funerals that would be held over the next seven days for her brothers and wondering if, in the end, they would be extended an extra two days for her and Bennis. Lord Halliwell looked around to the other council members as the guard captain finished his short recitation, gauging their reactions. Here was a serious predicament and council head wasn't sure there was anything in Glenador's laws that covered a situation exactly like this one. Where was the section that relayed what to do when the crowned prince rapes the princess and is subsequently killed by his half-witted brother? Really, just what the hell was he supposed to do with that? He needed to buy time until they could sort through the political ramifications of any action they took and he was sure he wouldn't have much of it. "Take them to the dungeon until we can verify their story," Lord Halliwell ordered. As the guards organized themselves, Halliwell motioned Lord Aerick over. The younger lord had been sitting at the end of the table listening to the guard captain's story, but unlike the rest of the council, his eyes had remained on Lanna, watching as a pink blush stole across her features at the mention of her skirts. It wasn't the first time he had noticed the princess, but before today he had given her little thought. Lord Halliwell waved him over again, more vigorously this time. Aerick slowly approached and bent down so Halliwell could murmur in his ear, "find out the truth. I don't care how you do it, just get to the bottom of this fiasco and see if we can fix it before it's too late." Aerick cocked his head to the side as he listened and then gave a nod of acquiescence, a small smile on his face. "Yes sir," he replied. Whenever there was any dirty work to be done, Aerick had always been the man of choice. While his status on the council was relatively recent, his reputation for cleaning up messes was long established. He watched absently as Lanna was escorted away, already wondering how he could use this newest situation to his advantage. Lanna was grabbed roughly as she and Bennis were led out of the room, guards flanking them on either side. She was marched all the way down to the dungeons with a guard gripping her tightly by each arm. The steps downward seemed never-ending as they moved from daylight into the dimness provided by flickering torches. Bennis followed her like an obedient puppy, two guards behind him, keeping their distance but ready to correct him if he changed directions. They reached a narrow corridor and passed door after door until they came to an abrupt stop. The door in front of them was unlocked with the twist of a key and Lanna was unceremoniously dumped into a cell, landing hard on her hands and knees. She heard the door slam and lock behind her. The door was made of thick planks with a small face grate placed high up in the wood so the guards could peer in on their daily rounds. Lanna could hear Bennis' distressed, wordless, screaming echoing through the hallway and she rushed to the grate to peer out. Standing on tiptoe and peeking through the bottom of the latticed metal window, she could see all four guards carrying him bodily away from her cell and further down into dungeon, Bennis fighting them with all his strength. "Bennis!" Lanna cried, "Don't hurt him! Don't you bastards dare hurt him!" She knew being carried like that would provoke an extreme outburst in Bennis and she was afraid that the guards would use force to subdue him, prince or no. She stayed by the door until she could no longer hear his voice, straining to hear anything that might tell her what was happening, but there was only silence. Eventually she turned around and peered into her dim surroundings. The room she was in was absolutely bare. Stone walls, a stone floor, and an assortment of manacles hanging down from the walls and ceiling were all she could see. From the size of the room and the lack of bedding she deduced that she must be in some type of temporary holding cell. At least it was dry and, well, relatively clean. She imagined there were rooms down here that were much, much worse. For a while she examined the walls and doors, her fingers skating over cracks in the stone, checking to see if there was any way out, but there was no miraculous extra key or hidden seam in the wall. Eventually Lanna leaned back against a wall opposite the cell door and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor, giving it up as hopeless. She was stuck here until someone decided to let her out. The only thing she could do now was wait. And think. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three floors up, and with a marvelous view of the gardens out his window, Lord Aerick was waiting impatiently in his private rooms. Finally there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he called out, and the door swung open to reveal Chancellor Gallemon wearing an incredibly concerned look on his face. He quickly crossed the room and sank to one knee in front of Aerick. "My Lord," he started, and then wasting no time on further formalities, "what are we going to do? The entire plan is in ruins. Casius was—" "Oh, pull yourself together man," snapped Aerick, "we aren't ruined quite yet." "How are we not utterly and completely ruined?" asked Gallemon in a shrill voice, rising to his feet. He extended three fingers and began ticking his points off one by one. "First of all, by the end of the week every single one of King Harmon's children will be dead. Then, we will have no rightful heir to put on the throne. And after that, the country will once again be on the brink of civil war and completely useless for anything. So yes my Lord, I believe we are ruined." The chancellor looked utterly frazzled and like he was about to start pulling out his hair. "It's true the boy may be doomed to die," agreed Aerick, "he killed the heir apparent and the council may choose to make an example of him in order to prevent future generations from disregarding the council's choice. But that does not necessarily mean we are ruined. Not if I can save the girl." "Save the girl?" the Chancellor looked surprised, "how are you going to save the girl? She was involved as well. And more importantly, how would that even help us? She may be of the blood, but an unmarried woman can't rule." "No, but a widowed one can," Lord Aerick reminded him. Gallemon shook his head, "she's stubborn. We would never be able to lead her like we could Casius." "Nonsense," scoffed Aerick, "we just need to make her a little more malleable is all. After all, she's just an overindulged princess. It shouldn't be too complicated." Aerick stood up and crossed to where a dainty silver tray was laid out with an assortment of bottles and decanters. He slowly poured himself a glass, clearly appreciating the liquid's rich amber color as it swirled towards the top. "Brandy?" he offered. "No thank you, my Lord." All manner of complications were popping into his head and Gallemon wasn't convinced it would be as simple as Lord Aerick seemed to think, but he knew further argument was pointless. "Yes," mused Aerick, "in fact, Casius may have done us a favor in that regard." Gallemon looked askance, his mind thinking back to the princess's bruises and ripped gown. "A favor," he repeated, "that was a favor? Really, I'm afraid I do not understand you my lord." "Do not overly concern yourself Chancellor," Aerick waved dismissively, "you should know by now that I always have a plan. And this one... this one should be rather enjoyable." He was staring absently at the far wall, lost in thought with that small smile on his face. "Trust me, it might take a bit longer than what we had originally planned, but it will work. Don't worry about the details right now, just go fetch me my personal guard. It seems a trip to the dungeons is in order." "As you wish, my Lord," responded Gallemon with a courtly bow. He quickly exited the room and went to locate the appropriate sergeant at arms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lanna was resting with her head tilted back and her eyes closed when she heard a key turn in the lock to her cell. She was still wearing the dress Casius had somewhat indecently ripped at the bodice so she tried to hold the fabric together as she struggled to her feet. Lord Aerick entered, followed by four guardsmen. "Princess Kyrlanna," he acknowledged with a flourished bow. "My Lord." Lanna curtsied in response, one hand still awkwardly clutching the fabric to her chest. "What is the news? Has the council reached its decision?" Once again she felt her life hanging in the balance, and was powerless to influence their choice. "Oh gods no," replied Aerick, "there is much to be done before we even think of making our final decision. You're unique situation, for example, must be taken into careful consideration. If your story is true then we cannot very well hold you accountable for your brother's crimes or punish you as severely. " "Then you cannot save Bennis?" she asked worriedly. Without Bennis, not only would her entire family be gone, but there would also be no one left to be king. She was extremely concerned on both a personal and a political level. Never had Glenador's traditional system of passing the crown backfired so stupendously before today. Lanna felt like this was somehow her fault. Her rational mind whispered that she was responsible for no one's actions but her own, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the entire kingdom was crashing down around her ears because she hadn't been able to stop Casius. That she could have stopped this from happening if only things were a little bit different. If only she were stronger, if only she had been more forceful. If only she had worn a damn corset, she thought. At least then she wouldn't be standing in front of one of the lords of the King's council with her arms clutched to her chest like some poor shattered female. Before, she and Bennis were just supposed to be killed, but now she was afraid they would be tortured first as punishment. She couldn't appear weak, not now when she was the only person left to save her family from extinction. "Princess Kyrlanna?" Lord Aerick's voice was calling her back from her private reverie, "may I introduce Mr. Dalius, the apothecary? He is here to examine you, to see whether you sustained any injuries that require attention." A small man standing next to Aerick bowed in her direction. He was dressed smartly, all in black, but without any of the traditional frills or extra adornment found at court. Clearly this was a man with very little tolerance for nonsense. "Also, we need your dress as evidence of your experience, to help verify that your story is true," Aerick added. "My dress?" Lanna echoed. She automatically looked down at her patterned blue gown, taking in the slightly shredded bodice and her stained skirts, bloodied from where Casius took her innocence. "Yes, your dress," repeated Aerick, "please remove it." "What, now?" Lanna was sure she was hearing him incorrectly. Surely he did not mean for her to strip with six men in the room. "Yes, now." Aerick was beginning to enjoy himself, seeing her obvious discomfort at the idea of undressing. She took a deep breath. "Fine my Lord," Lanna replied, "please ask the men to leave and bring me a change of clothes. Then I will be happy to give you this dress." Aerick gave her a pitying smile. "You don't seem to understand princess, this man needs to examine what happened to you. To all of you," he emphasized. "You cannot very well wear clothes that will cover up what he needs to see." Lanna did not like the turn their conversation had taken. She clutched her dress tighter to her breasts and shook her head no, instinctively denying the outrageous demands of Lord Aerick. "If you require help my dear, I'm sure my men would be more than happy to oblige." She glanced behind him to the four men spread out in a ragged line along the wall. While she knew that they were there, she had been surrounded by castle guards her whole life and was accustomed to letting them fade into the background. Now she actually looked at them and blanched. All four appeared strong, well muscled, and very capable. They were completely stoic, but Lanna thought she detected a hint of predatory eagerness in their otherwise neutral gazes. Despite, or maybe because of, their intimidating presence, she just couldn't do it. There was simply no way she could make herself undress in front of so many men. "I can't my Lord, please, make them wait outside," Lanna pleaded with as much dignity as she could muster. She was disgusted with herself for having to make the request, but as a prisoner all her power and authority were gone, if she had ever had any at all. Princesses did not rank very highly in the royal hierarchy. She was female, destined either to be married outside the country or killed when the crown was passed. Everything was done in order to preserve the succession. Given her lack of training in how to capture a husband, and her parent's benign neglect, she always knew which she was destined for. In fact, the only people who ever respected her authority were the servants. And she always suspected they might just be humoring her. Now a nobleman was ordering her to strip and she had no way to refuse. Aerick shook his head, denying her request for privacy. "I'm sorry my dear, but I brought them along in case you decided to be non-compliant, which is what seems to be happening." With that he gestured the guards forward, a command which three of them immediately obeyed. One of the soldiers reached for the remains of her bodice and she slapped his hand away. "Princess, if you continue to be uncooperative I will be forced to have you restrained," Aerick warned her. As the soldiers encircled her, Aerick's words barely penetrated her consciousness. With the threat of three large bodies surrounding her small form, all she could think of was escape. Given the fact that she was still trapped in a dungeon, fleeing was impossible, but logic had very little influence over her actions right now. When two hands grabbed her arms, she let out a shriek and tried to wrench out of their grip, "Let go, you cretin! You can't do this!" The hands, belonging to the soldier behind her, held her in place while the other two men got to work untying the remaining laces on her bodice and popping the tiny buttons that held the expensive fabric wrapped around her figure. A job made harder by Lanna's continued struggles. As the dress fell away from her body, Aerick's eyebrows rose, as if he were both surprised and impressed. Casius had outdone himself. When the gown lay in a pool at her feet he gestured for the guards to restrain her. They dragged her over to where a pair of manacles dangled from the ceiling and quickly clasped them around each wrist. When they stepped backwards Aerick had an excellent view of Lanna stretched taut, forced onto her tiptoes, her arms trapped high above her head. Gods, her body was beautiful. He could feel himself growing hard as he looked at her, his eyes caressing every inch of her previously violated body. "Let me down, I haven't done anything. Aerick, this is highly improper!" Lanna yelled at him as she pulled against the cuffs. Aerick ignored her, gesturing to the apothecary to begin his work. The medicine man was eyeing her with extreme interest and gave a little nod of satisfaction when he was motioned forward. "Now then," the man stepped close to the struggling form strung up before him. He left her dangling while he circled around her once, then twice, making a quick overall assessment of her injuries. He then got to work, pulling his medicine bag closer. The man was very methodical in his approach, starting at the crown of her head and working his way down. He smoothed her dark hair back from her forehead and discovered a small cut near her hairline where Casius had slammed her head into the table. Lanna flinched away from his touch, turning her head. He pulled a small clean cloth and a brown glass bottle from his bag to clean the wound, soaking the cloth in a dark yellow liquid and applying it gently. He then began working his way downward, softly stroking her body with the cloth when he found an injury worth treating. Though still extremely uncomfortable and scared at what was happening, as he continued Lanna found herself calming slightly under his touch. It was both light and impersonal and if she closed her eyes, she could almost distance herself from what was happening. The apothecary reached her breasts and found them mottled with an assortment of bite marks and new bruises just beginning to show. Her chest was prominently displayed with her arms captured above her head, and the men in the room were able to see the tapestry of injuries in detail. The apothecary wet his cloth again and applied himself wholly to the task of treating them. The scrap of fabric slowly followed the contour of her breasts, starting at the top and moving around and down to the sensitive undersides. Lanna's nipples tightened as the cool wet cloth slid over them, her breath momentarily catching at the sensations being evoked. This gentle treatment was so unlike what had happened to her earlier that Lanna felt herself relaxing slightly into the man's hands. Aerick, observing the process from a distance so as not to be in the apothecary's way, studied her reactions carefully. The medicine man lingered at her breasts, teasing her by dragging the damp fabric over her chest and then blowing cold air, causing her to whimper. Her nipples became incredibly tight, pointing forward as if begging for more attention and the man was happy to oblige. He fondled her breasts with one hand as the cloth he held in other skimmed further down her body. For a Kingdom Ch. 02 He moved deliberately, gliding past her hipbones and around to ass. Her upright and bound position caused her bottom to stick out, pert and round, and the marks from Casius' spanking were easy to spot. Here the apothecary's strokes with the cloth became firmer, penetrating the muscles and massaging away some of the pain. Lanna couldn't deny that it felt good as the man methodically worked his way up her back and then reversed down to her ass. Aerick nodded to himself as he watched her head fall backwards. Her breathing became shallower as the apothecary continued to stroke the scrap of cloth over her ass and Aerick was interested to see how she would react to what was coming next. Eventually the apothecary moved back around and knelt in front of her, looking up at Lanna's panting form. He attempted to prod Lanna's legs further apart, but she resisted. "Open your legs," he told her. "No," Lanna replied, shaking her head. She was feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. Nothing good would come from spreading her legs for this man, the same as happened before. Unlike Casius however, the apothecary didn't argue with her. He simply gestured to the guards standing around her. One man came up on either side, lifted her legs and pulled her open, a hand supporting her behind each knee. As they held her, the strain on her wrists was reduced, but she was now incredibly exposed. They spread her thighs wide, allowing the apothecary an unobstructed view of her recently violated pussy. A pale pink blush stole across Lanna's cheeks as the apothecary gazed at her most intimate place. She whimpered as he traced two fingers along her slit and held them up for Aerick to see. They were glistening wet with her arousal. "Well, well," Aerick commented with a smirk, "It seems you don't hate Mr. Dalius' examination after all." "Yes, I do," Lanna shot back. Held immobile by chains and the soldiers surrounding her, her words had little strength behind them. But it was feelings of helplessness, not capitulation that weakened her words. Having a stranger kneel before her, closely examining her for tears and other damage that may have been inflicted, simply increased the feeling. She wiggled, trying to escape the apothecary's inspecting fingers, but the men gripping her legs held fast. Satisfied with his external examination, the apothecary pushed a single finger inside her snug channel, causing her to wince. The intrusion was somewhat painful, but her body was slick and it was nothing compared to the earlier agony she had experienced. His finger slid out half an inch and then he pushed back in, drawing another pained look from Lanna. His hand still in place, the apothecary turned to Aerick and nodded, "She will be sore for quite some time, I believe, but there is no permanent damage. I have something that should help with the pain." After applying some cream, his examination finished, the apothecary rose to his feet and went to exchange a few murmured comments with Lord Aerick, After a moment the man shook Aerick's hand, collected his fee, and quickly bowed, taking his leave. Now that the apothecary was gone, Lanna expected to be let down, but while the guards released her legs, they made no move to unshackle her wrists. With no one blocking the view, Aerick now took the opportunity to look his fill. It was true she was bruised and bitten, her pale skin marred by newly purpling bruises, but he thought she looked gorgeously fuckable this way. She was breathing heavily from both arousal and fear, but still managed a glare in his direction. He admired that she had yet to lose control of her emotions, given the circumstances. In fact, she gave nothing away in terms of what she was thinking. Whatever inner turmoil she felt, all she expressed was righteous indignation. Aerick decided it was time to push her a little further. "Do you know what Mr. Dalius said to me just now princess?" he asked conversationally. Lanna shook her head, unwilling to respond and refusing to encourage the man who was treating her thus. Aerick continued, "he told me that based on your injuries, it is very probable that you received no pleasure from your encounter with Prince Casius, that in all likelihood he forced you, using your body without your consent." He paused, watching her gaze lower from his face to the floor in shame. "Tell me, Casius used you for his own amusement and you could not stop him, correct? He threatened you, and beat you, and then he stole your virginity, didn't he?" When Lanna didn't respond, he pressed harder, "he held you down on a table, spanked your ass and fucked you, leaving you bruised and in pain while he pleasured himself inside you." "Stop," she cried. She resumed pulling on her chains, trying to escape, trying to deny his words. He was making what happened to her sound so awful. "Stop what? Describing what happened?" asked Aerick innocently, "Or is that not an accurate account? Do we need to go over the events again?" "No!" She cried. Lanna took a breath, trying to calm herself down before she burst into tears. "No, my lord. What you said is true," she answered. Tears continued to threaten her as she became overwhelmed by her hopeless situation. "Please let me down, haven't I suffered enough?" "Yes Princess, you have suffered," Aerick answered as he approached, his footsteps echoing around the cell. He stopped mere inches from her taut form, reached out and slowly ran his thumb down her cheek. "Because you have yet to learn that touch can be pleasurable. I can show you." His fingers brushed her hair back, and he gripped her face as he bent down to her ear. "Just relax princess," he whispered to her, "relax and enjoy." He placed his hand at the base of her throat, pressing lightly. "Not all touches are painful, you will see." She gasped as she felt the unspoken threat of having her oxygen supply cut off. At the same time, the light squeeze and whispered words caused a dark desire to shoot through her. She couldn't understand the juxtaposition and was unprepared when he released her, moving away as his guards closed in once again. Lanna panicked as multiple hands reached for her at once. One of the men grabbed her by the hips to steady her, and she fiercely kicked out, managing to catch him where it counted. "Don't you dare touch me!" she cried. The injured guard quickly released her, clutching his abused jewels as he collapsed, groaning. She allowed herself a moment of smugness, but her victory was short-lived. One man was down, temporarily at least, but the other three quickly closed in. They caught up her legs again to prevent her from using them to hurt anyone else. She struggled, pulling against the restraining hands, but the metal cuffs were beginning to bite into her wrists painfully, and the two men holding her were immovable bulwarks. She soon gave up, panting from the exertion. Aerick, leaning against the rough stone with his arms crossed, viewed the injured guard unconcernedly. In fact, he was mildly impressed. When no longer displaying a dignified façade, it seemed the girl had some fight in her after all. This could be more entertaining than he originally planned and he watched the scene before him with interest. "Begin," he ordered simply. The men holding her legs, one on each side, exchanged glances, grinning widely as they held her. Almost in unison, each bent a head to her breast and began to gently suck and lick at the sensitive flesh. On one side a tongue was delicately teasing her nipple, while on the other, the guard drew her nipple into his mouth with a light suction. Tongues swirled and licked, dancing over soft skin and Lanna tried pulling away from their mouths with a whimper, but she had nowhere to go. They continued their attentions to her breasts, torturing her with their tongues and starting a hot, needy feeling in Lanna's core that she was becoming powerless to resist. She felt her hair lifted out of the way and another mouth began kissing and licking a wet trail down her spine, sending shivers through her. A phantom hand dove between her thighs, gliding down, exploring her flesh until it reached the nub at the apex. Fingers slowly circled around her clit, intent on increasing her arousal without doing anything to relieve it. The pressure inside her slowly built, and though she continued struggling, the nature of her movements changed slightly. No longer trying to escape the guards' ministrations, her body accepted their caresses, small sounds escaping from her throat as her rational mind continued trying to deny the sensations. Two fingers slid back down, probing her entrance while the man's palm pushed against her clit. Lanna threw her head back, groaning at the sensation. It felt good as they played with her body, forcing the pleasure from her that Lord Aerick had promised. She could hear wet sounds as a finger pushed inside her and thought back to the glistening fingers the apothecary had shown Lord Aerick earlier. The thought made her blush, and she managed to momentarily pull out of the sensation-filled haze the guards were building around her. The guard at her back caressing her with his mouth reached the base of her spine and kept going, drawing a trail down the crack of her ass. A wetness began circling her asshole and she stiffened, "no, not there," she cried, arching her hips away from the probing tongue. However, all she managed to do was push herself more firmly onto the hand playing at her pussy, increasing the pressure. The tongue at her ass simply followed, continuing its lazy circles around the puckered hole. While his mouth was occupied, the guard's rough hands delicately squeezed her ass, mindful of her bruises. Unable to escape, she slowly she relaxed into the sensations being wrought on her body and a fine tremor overtook her as the guards used their tongues and hands to skillfully build the pressure inside her higher and higher. Her eyes had closed at some point, but they popped back open when the guards eventually released her and stepped back, leaving her panting and trembling on the brink of... something. Lord Aerick once again approached. His hand cupped her, testing her wetness. Between the earlier teasing from the apothecary and the current torture, she was dripping. She arched against the questing fingers, seeking some sort of friction, but they withdrew and she whined in frustration, making Aerick smile. "Is something the matter, princess?" he asked politely. Lanna looked down, refusing to answer, but even she knew he could see she was panting and shaking. "Come now," Aerick wheedled, "I can tell you have something you want to say." Lanna's head came up and she looked him straight in the eyes. A sharp frisson crossed between them and Aerick could almost feel the physical desperation radiating from her in waves. Her expression, so closed in the beginning, was now raw emotion. He could see the anger and fear in her eyes, but they were dominated by a look of pure need. She held onto her silence for a moment longer, fighting with herself over whether to speak. He waited, and could see the moment her need won out over pride. "Please, my lord," she begged, holding his gaze, "please, I need..." she trailed off shaking her head, unable to express in words what was missing. "Need what? Do you need to cum, pet?" he asked, stroking her hair. Lanna nodded, blushing furiously, her eyes once again staring at the floor as if it were the most fascinating view in the world. "Look at me princess," he ordered. He needed to see her face. "Kyrlanna," he said again, grabbing her chin and raising her face up, "If you want to cum, ask me correctly." "My lord?" Lanna asked confusedly. "It's a simple concept princess," said Lord Aerick, "If you want your release, look me in the eyes and beg me for it. Otherwise we can keep going." He pressed his body into hers as his hand moved back to the folds of her pussy and he spent a moment teasing her clit mercilessly while she squirmed deliciously against him. "Beg me," he said, continuing his torture. She knew he was pushing her, testing to see how far she would go. No! Her mind screamed. No more! But as abhorrent as she found it, she was certain this was the only way she would get relief. As strong as her will was, she suspected Aerick's was stronger. His skilled fingers ensured that the pressure inside her was kept at a constant painful crescendo, driving her to seek relief however she could get it. And so the Princess, the only daughter of King Harmon and one of the last heirs of the royal bloodline capitulated. Taking a breath and steeling herself against any feelings of humiliation, she held Lord Aerick's eyes and she begged. "Please my lord," she pleaded, her dark eyes locked on his, "please let me cum. Please release me, I can't take much more." Aerick smiled his approval and whispered in her ear, "cum for me, pet." His fingers sped up with his words and she was once again squirming on top of his hand. He applied just the right amount of pressure to her clit, and suddenly her world shattered. Her body arched and a sharp cry escaped from her lips as she came, her naked body spasming as she leaned against him. The tremors felt like they went on forever with Aerick's fingers never slowing. A second wave soon hit her, and then a third as he drove her on to orgasm after orgasm. Eventually he slowed and the waves subsided, leaving her limp and dazed. Her legs no longer supported her weight and Aerick held her up while one of his men released her from the cuffs. He gently lowered her to the floor, and she lay there panting and unconcerned while people moved around her. When she was finally able to sit up, she saw a small sleeping pallet had been made up for her, a pile of clothes stacked on top. She turned to the door to find Aerick lounging against the open frame. He gave her a small smile and nod. "Sleep well, princess," he said and left without further ado, the door slamming shut and locking behind him. Lanna shakily got to her feet and went to explore the clothes that had been left for her. The simple gown was one of hers, fetched from upstairs, and she was happy to see a small basin of water sitting next to them. She wasted no time in cleaning the sweat from her body and the slickness from between her legs, trying to erase all traces of her most recent experience. Feeling slightly better, she slipped into the clean fabric and clumsily did up the ties. That finished, she looked for something else to do, anything that might keep her mind occupied, but there was nothing else in the cell except the little pallet. She sank down onto the bedding and stared at the opposite wall. "Don't think about it... don't think about it... don't think about it... don't think about it," she repeated it to herself over and over, rocking back and forth slightly, trying to keep her thoughts at bay. However, it was no use. All of those hands touching her, the looks, the humiliation, it all swirled around her like a whirlpool, threatening to drag her under. An image of her trapped in Lord Aerick's gaze, begging him for release, refused to leave her mind. She, the princess, had given in. Lanna had demeaned herself. The tears she had been holding in ever since they had thrown her in this cell spilled down her cheeks. She started to sniffle. Eventually she couldn't hold back any longer and let go. Throwing herself down on the blankets, she sobbed, uncaring as to whether anyone on the other side of the door could hear her. Lord Aerick, listening quietly in the dungeon's dim corridor, could.