Mia looked up from the book she was reading and sighed. She was sitting in the little private library in Liana's chambers. The book was a record of all the different regions of the kingdom and the noble houses that controlled them, filled with long descriptions of the produce of the regions and the family histories of their rulers. Liana had decided that Mia should learn more about the kingdom, and Mia agreed, but this was not an exciting book.
It was evening and the lamplight gave the room a warm glow. The princess sat nearby in an armchair reading a far more interesting book. They had been here for several hours. Mia sighed again, not a little dramatically, and Liana looked up from her own reading.
"Are you bored already?" She asked in a teasing tone.
Mia turned to look at her as she replied.
"How could I not be? These aren't exactly exciting stories like the one you're reading you know."
Liana replied in a stern voice, assuming an expression of mock outrage as she did so.
"That is very important history you're criticising. I learned it all when I was just a child and I didn't complain." She was looking over the top of her book and Mia thought she was having trouble keeping a straight face. She imagined there had been rather a lot of complaining. The princess continued.
"Anyway, you had better pay attention because there will be a test."
This was the first Mia had heard of a test, but she got the feeling Liana has something fun in mind. She replied with exaggerated surprise. "A test!"
"Yes. Tomorrow evening. I expect you to remember all the family names and when and how they earned their titles."
The princess had put down her book now and she was fixing Mia with a stern expression, just a little too stern to be taken seriously. Mia pouted and held her gaze for a moment before she replied.
"I'll never remember all that by then, there are so many of them." She could see a flirtatious look in Liana's eyes but the princess maintained her stern tone when she spoke.
"Then you had better study harder. There will be penalties for any wrong answers."
Mia was sure she knew exactly what kind of penalties Liana had in mind. She was looking forward to them.
-
The next evening Mia was once again in the little library with the book infront of her. An hourglass sat on the desk beside it, not many grains left in the top half. Once it ran out she was to go to Liana's study for her test. She had, infact, been studying. She thought she had managed to memorise most of the noble families and their domains, but she wasn't going to be doing well in the test. Doing well would be no fun at all.
When the last grains of sand fell Mia closed the book and, with more enthusiasm than any student on their way to an exam, she hopped out of her chair and headed into the corridor.
Liana's study was one door down from her bedroom. Although they had been lovers for several months now, Mia had not often been inside. She stood in front of the mahogany door and spent a moment straightening her hair and adjusting her skirt before knocking. There was a long pause, before Liana answered.
"You may enter."
The princess spoke slowly, with a commanding and serious tone. Mia could feel her heart beating faster in anticipation as she turned the door handle and entered the study.
The room was small. The back wall covered with bookshelves, broken only by a large window, now veiled by a silk curtain. Two covered lamps gave the space a warm glow.
In the middle of the room was a large mahogany desk with a dark green leather cover. Liana sat behind the desk, her deep red hair tied back and a stern expression on her face. On the desk were a pair of implements. Mia smiled a little as she saw them, but forced the expression away, playing her role as the nervous student.
The first implement was a small wooden paddle with a round end. The second was a cane. Mia knew the paddle, but the cane was new. It was long, straight and fairly thick. One end was wrapped around with leather to make a grip. She felt a little shudder of anticipation as she looked at it, wondering how it would feel against her skin. Liana spoke.
"I hope you have done well with your studies Mia. As I see you have noticed, I have some implements ready to make sure you pay the proper penalty if you have been lazy." A slight, flirtatious smile crossed the Princess's face as she spoke. "Have you been lazy Mia?"
Mia was appreciating Liana's swept back hair and the penetrating look in her eyes. The question took her a little off guard and she felt herself blushing as she stammered her reply.
"No Ma'am."
The princess smiled a knowing smile before she continued.
"We will see Mia. I will explain the test now. I will ask you about ten of the kingdom's regions. For each one you will tell me which family rules there, when they took control and how they earned the privilege." Mia thought she could probably do all that for most of the regions. She also thought she probably wouldn't. Liana continued her explanation.
"When we begin the test you will bend over the desk and I will give you the name of a region. If you tell me about it correctly I will give you the next region. If you answer incorrectly you will be spanked as a penalty. Do you understand so far?"
Mia was trying not to smile, a nervous student wouldn't be smiling. She knew Liana would not force this on her if she didn't want it, and they had a word that would alway stop any of these games, but the fantasy of not having control sent a giddy shiver through her. When she answered she tried to sound like the apprehensive student she was supposed to be.
