02

Chapter 1: An Unwanted Trip

Within the room, he kicked the door shut and quickly pulled the curtains. Lord Denis spun me around and began to undo the back of my dress. I could see that he knew the difficulty that the wearer had in doing this herself, and speed was of the essence! I was soon divested of everything. I fumbled for the dainty nighty, which lay across the bed.

"If you fight so much to put that on, I will tear it off you and strangle you with it!" said Lord Denis.

I shivered and slipped into the great bed. Lord Denis was now undressing. He kept his eyes on mine. That gaze gave such promise of unbridled lust, that I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. Worst of all, I welcomed it! Those piercing eyes had taken control over me, and I was helpless to stop it. My body was numb, my heart was beating to the cadence of a stampede of wild horses.

Somehow, my fingers found his crotch and its unfamiliar form. Warm, firm, moistness that felt strangely frightening yet yearned. Without bothering to turn back the blankets, Lord Denis mounted the bed. No words were spoken, nor did they need to be. For in that moment, I felt the warm hairiness of his unyielding male body against my own. Even now I was surrendering to instinct, the female instinct! And I was helpless to react!

His hands caressing every inch of my body, a tongue here, then there. My back arched, toes pointed, arms spread so wide that I began to fly.

"Yes!" I cried.

He played my body like a musical instrument and music was flowing up through it, cresendo after cresendo. And at the pinnacle, that place that was empty and yearning, began to fill. Oh the joy of it all. I was penetrated and knew in that instant that my body would respond. My organs had crested in ecstasy from his merciless impalement.

The next moment he disappeared. The opera was over, yet I lay there helpless to enjoy the music still playing in my head. My body still quivering from sheer excitement. My only recourse was to pull up the covers and feel the warmth still inside me as I fell asleep...

****** Six months earlier, engaged to be married.

"God damn it, can't you do anything right, Cassy!" Lady Karen said to the only servant able to put up with her attitude. "I told you to bring me my nightgown, do you want me to catch my death, with this Fall air blowing on me?"

"Yes, Lady Karen" Cassandra responded while scurrying to retrieve her nightgown.

She returned shortly thereafter, with a lacey black nightgown. With the room lit with candles, you could barely make out the silhouette of Lady Karen's 34-23-34 frame, but even her shadow revealed her beauty. Yes, she was the whole package, and she knew it. She had the body that an artist would yearn to sculpt. Her skin had not a blemish, and all the rose petal baths kept her soft as a newborn. Her legs flowed so long that virtually every man in the castle would stare at her when she entered a room. Her breasts were so perfect that even in rags, which she would never wear, she looked like a goddess. This is why Cassandra tolerated her, deep down there was envy for that which she knew was inherently evil. Cassandra could never attain the beauty that Karen possessed, she could only watch and wish. Once in her nightgown, Lady Karen decided to get her rest.

"Good night Cassy, your dismissed! And I don't want to be disturbed!"

It was somewhere around 2:00am and Lady Karen awoke abruptly.

"Cassy, I thought I told you, that I didn't want to be disturbed" Karen said.

Her word fell upon silence.

"Who is there! Cassy, if I find you there watching me again, you will receive twenty lashings. I am not kidding, this isn't funny!"

Once again, her words fell on silence. Maybe it was nothing Karen said to herself while turning over and trying to get back to sleep. Karen felt the cool night air flow through her hair. Cassandra must have left the drapes open again. I will deal with Cassandra in the morning she thought! In the next instant Karen found herself gasping for air in total darkness. With a thud, she lost all consciousness.

The next morning, she awoke with a throbbing headache. Fading in and out of consciousness, a fear came over her that she had never known. She couldn't see or speak, and was being taken somewhere in a carriage. Blindfolded, gagged, while her arms and legs bound with ropes, she was powerless to do anything. Control was lost, and for the first time in her life she knew the meaning of fear. Where was her father, she thought? He'd save her. The hours passed. Hours turned to days, and she was starting to feel that help might not be forthcoming. After what seemed like several days, the carriage reached its destination. With another thud, she lost consciousness again. This time when she awoke, it was to the sound of running water. She could hear water flowing outside her room. It was a river with a fast current. The smell of water was in the air. She was somewhere, but where exactly, she didn't know.

She was in a castle. Her quarters were acceptable, not what she was accustomed to, but it would do. The door was locked and she was being held captive. She was furious, angry, irate, but most of all scared. Screaming through the door brought no response, so she sat on her bed weeping. Why is this happening to me she thought. There were a million reasons, none of which she was willing to accept. She was a princess, things like this don't happen to princesses! Hours passed and she must have dosed off. She awoke to the opening of her door.

"Hello?" Cassandra said very softly.

She was carrying a plate of food and a burlap sack with its contents unknown. She set the tray on the bed near Karen. Starving, Karen began to eat with a fury of a hyena after its pack had made a kill.

Cassandra hesitantly said, as Karen ate, "They mean business, Lady Karen! If we don't do as they say, God only knows what they will do to us. I've been told that as long as we cooperate, no harm will come to us."

Cassandra then continued "I don't know everything yet, but I do know that your father is responsible for your current predicament. I think you really pissed him off this time. He gave the orders for us to be brought here against your will. Now, from what I've been able to gather we are in Wilkshire, Lord Denis's kingdom. We are no longer in our territory."

Karen stopped eating, no longer hungry. Her worst fears being realized. She had pushed her father too far this time. A rage filled her mind, but she knew that she was helpless to do anything now. What would become of her now?

"Your father's people say that he is a good man, and if we do as we are told, you can have a life of luxury, but if you resist! I don't even want to repeat what fate we will realize."

She then proceeded to open the burlap sack and empty its contents. She lay a robe and miscellaneous items on the bed.

"These clothes are just samples of what you will receive, provided you accept the Lord Denis's bid!"

The clothes were exquisite, made from only the best materials and almost seemed to be made for her personally. Did they think that they could buy her that easily? Once again, pride gave way to reason; her situation didn't leave her many options. For now, Karen resigned to the fact that she no longer had control. She would bide her time until another option presented itself. So for now, she would accept her situation.

"Okay, since I have no options, I will play along with this game."

"Good," Cassandra said. "We don't have much time! We've got to get you dressed immediately. You have to present yourself before the council in less than an hour."

Cassandra began to clean then dress Karen. Beginning with her undergarments, then her dress, and finally her accessories. Everything was in place as it should be. Karen was feeling like a princess again. Cassandra then put Karen's hair up in a bun. The time had come to meet with the council, and she was ready. Stunning as usual!

Chapter 2: The Council of Wilkshire

"I thought you said we were to go to the Council an hour ago, Cassy" Karen said. "You know I can't stand to wait around!"

Cassandra sheepishly replied, "I'm sorry princess, but that is what I was told, we just have to wait until they come and get us. Please, your majesty, hold your tongue when we go, we don't need to make our situation any worse than it already is!"

"They are trying my patience! This is no way to treat royalty!" Karen said.

Cassandra pretended to fix Karen's attire in attempts to make the time go by faster, but to no avail.

Finally after about 20 minutes, but what seemed like an eternity, they could hear the door being unlocked.

"Follow me." a guard courtly said

"It is about time!" Karen said.

Quietly, Cassandra tried to quiet Karen. "Your highness, this isn't going to help us."

"Oh all right, but he's only a guard, what can he do?" Karen replied, loud enough for the guard to hear her and to give her a true glare.

The guard was flanked by another guard, and they escorted them down a long dark corridor. At the end of the corridor, they entered an enormous courtyard, which was encompassed by the castle walls. Karen could now see that this castle was even larger than her family's and was thinking that this might not be such a God-awful place. She might even come to like it over time, but that was short lived. She couldn't let go of her anger that easily! They entered the castle at the other side of the courtyard, and once again found themselves walking through a maze of hallways. Eventually they started to hear the chatter of people talking, and they figured that they must be getting close. There was a massive double door at the end of this corridor, and they could hear laughter and shouting inside. When they reached the doors, what appeared to be two maids, scantily clad came running out. Giggling and trying to fix their clothing. They briefly looked at Karen and Cassandra. Under their breath, they laughed and quickly disappeared down a side hallway. The guard told them to remain there and quickly entered the room. They could hear a brief silence and then the guard mumbling something, and then other voices responded. Karen knew the protocol, and waited impatiently, not being used to being the one on the outside looking in. The noise grew loud again within the room, and about thirty seconds later, the guard emerged to say that the council would see them now.

They entered the doors and once inside, they found themselves in a large banquet hall. There were flags on both sides hanging with different crests of the nobility of Wilkshire. There were several tables with food scattered everywhere. Enough to feed at least fifty people. You could see the gaudy wealth that was to be had here. Paintings with gold frames, knights armor, swords, everywhere. Servants were running about making sure that there was enough food for everyone. At the far end of the banquet hall was the head table. The table was a least thirty feet long and all of the nobility was seated at this table. Everyone was eating, there was constant chatter and no one seemed to be paying any attention to them approaching. The table had at least ten men sitting at it and all totally preoccupied by their feast. At one end, Karen seemed to notice that Lord Denis was sitting, eating, and to her amazement was flanked by two female servants obviously tending to his personal needs. Now she was truly starting to get mad. How dare he insult me this way she thought, if we are to be wed, which she really didn't want anyway, why would he insult me like this. Cassandra could see the Karen's face was turning red and quietly beckoned her to remain calm. As they reached the table, one man sitting in the center spoke.

"Ah yes, I see that you found your way to the house of Wilkshire. I am his majesty's second knight and chairman of the council, Lord Donel. Welcome to our humble abode! Once our proceeding are finished, you may join us in our feast. I understand that you, my lady, are to wed Lord Denis. There is, however, a small matter of whether you are fit to serve in this capacity."

Karen, now truly red, from anger, said. "I have never been so insulted in my whole life. How dare you question my ability to be queen, and furthermore why does Lord Denis insult me like this by not addressing me himself instead of fooling with these pathetic whores at the end of the table?"

The room broke into such a large laughter that no one could hear Karen screaming at the top of her lungs. Lord Denis was laughing too, and continued on with the two maidens, who paid her absolutely no mind. Obviously this wasn't the first time this had happened, and everyone seem to find the whole situation extremely amusing. This only served to make Karen even more furious. Cassandra was trying to calm her, but to no avail. Karen had already started to make her way down to the end of the table where Lord Denis was sitting. Once there, she grabbed the nearest goblet full of red wine and threw it at him. To this action, it only served to make everyone laugh even harder. The Lord Denis who Karen remembered meeting once before seemed so different now that he was here in his own realm. No longer the polite, friendly, and slightly bashful man she had met before. He was laughing to no end, while getting his clothes dried from being showered with red wine. Lord Donel, who also was laughing, tried to calm himself and beckoned the guards to bring Karen back to the center of the table so he could once again address her. Once there, while being held by the two guards, he began to speak again, although he was still laughing too.

"My my, he said, we truly have a live one this time! My lady, I bid thee to refrain from any unnecessary actions, the council is willing to let this indiscretion go unpunished, but should you find yourself unable to control your actions, we might be forced to take some hard consequences. This is no way for a future queen to act. Also, let it be known from here forth, you will address me and no one else at this table unless addressed by them personally first. Is that clear?" said Lord Donel.

Karen still seething, in a whisper said "Yes, my Lord."

Donel continued "It is clear that you aren't in the mood to feast with us now, so we will instead have your food brought to your quarters. Now as for our business, you are currently a guest in the house of Wilkshire and we would like to extend traditional privileges to you as our guest. You are free to move about the castle as you wish, but a guard will accompany you whereever you go. The stable room in the north wing, however, is totally off limits to you, unless you are beckoned. All of your personal needs will be taken care of, all you need to do is have your servant Cassandra relay to a guard what you need, and it will be provided. Please be reasonable, for even our staff has its limits. Once again, we welcome you, and hope that from here forth your stay will be more enjoyable. Guards please escort them back to their quarters, and have whatever food they require brought to them. You will over time truly learn to enjoy yourself, and hopefully this will be a wonderful experience for you, my lady."

With that said, he sat down and continued to feast and laugh at the mess, which she had created.

Karen and Cassandra were escorted back to their quarters, and spent the rest of the night pondering what had just happened. Karen didn't sleep well that night still fuming from the experience she had just undergone.

-To be continued