Revenge: Princess Downfall

The Last Drop was one of the larger taverns in the outer district, and it was currently packed. Every table was occupied, and serving girls dodged their way around handsy men to deliver drinks and receive tips.

Dread forged forward, dragging Aelodi behind him, and made his way to the bar. A large, apron-wearing man filled wooden mugs with ale from a cask.

The man's eyes widened as he took in Dread and his leashed toy. "Hello, m'lord," he said. "We don't often get upper-class folks down at the Drop."

"I'm Dread," he said.

The portly man bowed deeply. "Welcome, my king. I'm honored to have your grace in my humble establishment."

Dread deposited a purse of coin on the counter. A small fortune to a tavern owner but spare change to the mage king.

The tavern keeper opened the purse and peeked inside. His jaw dropped.

"What's your name?" Dread asked.

"Oglin, my lord," the man said. "You are most generous."

"I only ask a table for myself and my pet," he said, gesturing at Elaxia. The enchantress was looking around the lively common room with curiosity. Her probing eyes shifted from pink to orange. They never spent time in taverns, so this experience was new to her.

"A table only?" Oglin said, confused. "This is far too much coin for that, my lord."

"Yes," Dread confirmed. "The coin is for the nuisance of putting up with your new serving girl."

"My lord?" the tavern keeper asked.

Dread unclipped the lead from Aelodi's leash and pushed her forward. She gasped and gave him a shocked expression. "You want me to be a serving girl?" she asked, incredulous.

"She's spoiled and ineffective," Dread explained. "But she's going to serve drinks tonight. Please, have patience with her."

The tavernkeeper leaned forward and Dread mirrored him. It was hard to hear in the loud common room. "My lord, is that--?"

"Princess Aelodi?" Dread said. "Yes, it is."

"My lord," the tavern keeper said, swallowing. "I'm just a simple man. I can't risk the king's wrath."

Dread placed another, larger purse on the counter. The man opened the strings and nodded slowly. "Very well. I can take her on for the night."

Reaching into his pocket, Dread withdrew a cheap tin tiara. He placed the poor-quality piece atop Aelodi's head of silky white blonde hair. Aelodi grabbed one of Dread's hands in hers. Her honey brown eyes were pleading with him.

"Don't make me do this," she said.

"Why not?" he said. He pulled her close, hand clutching her tight ass, and spoke for her ears alone. "You're supposed to be a trade officer, no? Serving drinks for a night should be no problem for you. Girls your age are managing just fine, right now, in this very tavern."

Dread picked out a young girl dancing between pinching fingers and groping hands. He called out to her. The girl came running, cheeks flushed, wearing a charming smile.

"Yes, my lord?" she asked.

"How old are you, sweetheart?"

"Nineteen," the girl said.

"You enjoy the work?"

"Yes, my lord," she said breathlessly. "It's hard work, but the tips are good."

"How many mistakes do you make a night?" Dread asked.

"Mistakes?" the girl asked.

"Yes, like forgetting orders, spilling, or dropping things," Dread explained.

"None," the girl said, eyebrows rising. "Master Oglin would let me go if I made mistakes."

"Thank you for your time," he said warmly. He pressed a single gold coin into the serving girl's small hand. The girl beamed at him and dropped a quick curtsy before dashing off. He turned to the princess.

"You heard the girl. No mistakes. For every mistake, you will be punished," he said. "We'll be keeping a tally of how much coin you cost master Oglin, and we'll need to make him whole by the end of the night."

Aelodi's resolve grew and she nodded. "You're a fool if you think I can't do this. What are your 'punishments'?" she asked, derisively.

"For every mistake, you will have a drink," Dread said. "If you hit five mistakes, I'll take your dress." Aelodi's hand nervously smoothed the hem of her dress. "Each mistake after five will be much worse."

"This is nothing, it will be easy. That common girl does just fine," the princess said. "The work of a peasant should be no problem for me."

"So sure of yourself. Okay, get to work," he said. He slapped her rear end. She glowered at Dread but went to Oglin.

"Where do I start?" the princess asked, determination bold on her gorgeous face.

The tavern keeper gave the princess a dubious once-over before pointing at a far wall. "You can have the tables along that wall. Just talk to the guests, ask what they want, bring their orders to me, and then deliver their orders."

Princess Aelodi nodded briskly and set out for her first table.

"My lord," the tavern keeper said. "The princess is going to have a hard time."

Dread chuckled. "Oh, I'm well aware."

"That girl you spoke to has been working here two years and she's a quick learner. Most girls are slow and clumsy to start." He looked a question at Dread.

"When the princess fails, she'll learn an important lesson," Dread said.

"Very well, my lord." He came around the counter. "Follow me. I'll get you a table."

"I want to be in her section," Dread said.

The heavyset man nodded, and Dread followed him to a table at the front end of Aelodi's assigned wall. "Clear out, men," the tavern keeper said.

"What's this now?" a drunken man muttered.

"This is King Dreadhex," Oglin said. "Or do you think you deserve a seat more than him?"

The men scrabbled to their feet and bent in deep bows. "Apologies, my lord," the drunken man managed.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Dread said. He flicked a gold coin at each. "Be sure to stick around. Tonight will be very interesting."

Dread sat at his table with Elaxia. Viyana remained out of sight, but he knew she lurked close by. He turned his attention to the princess as she set out trying to serve patrons.

Normally, the serving girls had to navigate a sea of pinching fingers and groping hands, but the low-born men of the tavern weren't sure how to treat Aelodi. Even as she slowly, timidly made her way through the packed masses, none of the men harassed her. That wouldn't do.

Dread raised a finger at Aelodi, demanding her attention. The princess's lips drew into a line, but she made her way obediently towards him.

"Yes?" she said stiffly.

"I want wine," he said.

He reached out and groped her rear end, lifting up the dress and exposing her fine ass. Conversation grew quiet around them. Aelodi's entire face flushed as she knew she was being exposed to everyone behind her. She nudged aside Dread's hand and pulled down the hem of her dress.

"Is that all?" Aelodi asked.

"Elaxia?" he asked.

"I'm hungry," the enchantress said. "I want soup."

"Soup?" Aelodi said, making a face.

"Is soup one of the many words absent from your vocabulary?" Dread asked.

"No," Aelodi said, angry. "Of course not."

Dread struck her bubble-shaped bottom hard enough to create a loud smacking sound as she turned away. That should help. If others saw her being groped, they might understand she was fair game.

Hands reached out to feel her rear end as the princess made a beeline for the bar. She released an indignant yelp as the first man groped her, and she pulled away. They grew bolder. Rough fingers stroked her pale thighs while others cupped her breasts, and her dress was disheveled as she reached Oglin. Aelodi spared a few moments to pull up the neckline and tug down the hem.

A few men stumbled up to Dread's table, flush with drink, and their faces were excited. "Is it true we can grab a feel of that pretty lass?" one asked.

"She's like an angel!" the other exclaimed. "I've never seen hair so fair."

"Treat her like you would any serving girl," Dread said.

The men cackled and retreated into the packed masses.

Aelodi moved very slowly on her way back to Dread. She was balancing a bowl of piping hot soup on a serving tray while trying to simultaneously carry a bottle of wine. As she tried to dance away from invading fingers and hands, some of Elaxia's soup slopped over the rim of the bowl and landed in the tray.

The princess inched towards Dread's table, taking tiny steps, all of her concentration fixed on balancing the piping hot soup atop the tray. Her commitment to avoiding a spill was laudable, but it also led to her first mistake of the evening. She didn't notice when a red-faced man snuck up behind her and pinched her bottom. Going by the exclamation and the way she jumped in shock, the man had pinched her very hard.

The soup didn't stand a chance. The wooden bowl and spoon clattered down and vegetable barley splatted against the floor. A great 'oooo' ran through the tavern, followed by laughter.

Aelodi glared at Dread, incredulous. "That's not fair! Someone pinched me!"

Dread reached out as a serving girl passed and tried to pinch her bottom, but the girl sidestepped his hand with a grin.

The princess pouted. "I wasn't expecting it. That wasn't my fault."

"A drink, princess," he said. "Your first punishment of the evening." He popped the cork on the wine, tilted the bottle, and filled a goblet to the rim. He thrust the drink into the princess's hands.

"Bottom's up," he said cheerfully.

"Unfair," she muttered. The princess reluctantly swallowed the contents of the drink. A few dark red drops stained the edge of her mouth, so Dread did her a favor. He reached out and wiped her mouth before plunging his finger between her lips.

Aelodi jumped back and almost stumbled on her high heels, unused to the awkward gait. She turned away angrily and set off grumbling, moving towards the next table.

"Oh princess," Dread called. She froze and shuffled around to glare at him.

"What?"

"My companion's soup," he said. "She'll need another."

"There are other patrons," she snapped. "Your stupid pet will have to wait her turn."

Dread shrugged and let her go.

As the princess made for another table, two men managed to trap her between them. One of them breathed right into her face, and the princess recoiled, expressing disgust at the man's foul breath. She squeezed between them and reached her next table. The men roamed her glorious body with their hands, and she danced uncomfortably away from their curious fingers while trying to stay close enough to hear the order.

"This is fun," Elaxia said, taking Dread's hand in hers. "Is this a date?"

"Sure, pet," he said.

Aelodi rushed to Oglin to fulfill the orders.

"Should I do anything to our princess?" Elaxia asked. She slid into Dread's lap and threw her arms happily around his neck.

"Perhaps later." Dread prodded the bottle of wine. "For now, the drink will be more than enough to trip up Aelodi."

Elaxia cackled. "You're so delightfully devious, master."

The princess hustled back to her customers, five mugs of ale balanced on a teetering tray. A man grabbed her around the waist, bear-hugging her, and stuck his face between the buns of her heavenly rear end. Aelodi lurched, and the mugs tumbled from the tray, landing on the floor. Foamy beer spilled everywhere.

The princess pulled away from the man with his face buried in her behind, turned, and slapped him. A circle of men around her oohed and aahed.

"Come here, slut," Dread said loudly.

Princess Aelodi trudged reluctantly towards him and stopped beside his table.

"Two orders, two mistakes," Dread tisked. "You're in over your pretty head."

He thrust a nearly overflowing goblet of wine into her hands. Aelodi frowned down at him. "This whole thing is a farce," she said. "I could do this easily if you weren't here."

"Doubtful," he said. "Drink. Your tables are getting impatient." Aelodi shot an anxious glance down the wall and found that Dread spoke true. The tables she'd yet visited were hollering for her.

She quickly downed the wine and wiped her lips on her forearm. Most unladylike. Then she dashed off to her next table. As she passed the men whose ale she dropped, they shouted and cursed at her. She paused awkwardly, apologizing, face red. One of them attempted to part her legs with a hand, and she slapped him before moving on.

"Think she's ever had to work this hard before?" Dread asked.

"Unlikely," Elaxia laughed. "The best part is how sure of herself she was."

Dread leaned back as Elaxia nibbled on his earlobe. He played with the enchantress's full tits but watched the princess closely. Her steps had become more fluid, likely from the drink, and she dodged the hands of gropers better than before. She was learning quickly. He tallied the price of goods she'd dropped and calculated how much she'd cost Oglin. Five ales at a silver each and an additional silver for the soup.

She spent too long at her next table, and her proud voice rose above the general ruckus as she yelled at her customers. Dread lifted Elaxia easily and set her aside. Standing, he approached the table where men were yelling back at the princess.

"What's the problem?" Dread asked as he approached.

"This wench won't drink," one man grumbled.

"I don't need to," Aelodi snapped. "My job is serving drinks, not drinking." Her face was flushed, and the globes of her tits rose and fell with her shallow breaths.

"I said I'd give you a good tip," the man grumbled again.

"Aelodi," Dread said sternly. "Your job is to make these men happy." The men nodded in agreement, perking up. The princess crinkled her nose and pouted.

"What did you want her to drink?" Dread asked.

"Just a shot of schnapps," the man said. He gestured at a small glass of clear liquid.

Dread picked up the shot, grabbed Aelodi by her dainty neck, and forced her head back. He poured the drink down her throat. The princess hadn't been expecting the drink, so she coughed, and some of the liquor burst from her nostrils.

"You forget yourself," Dread said. "A serving girl does what her customers want. Or do you think you deserve special treatment?"

Aelodi cursed and strode away.

"Miss, you forgot our order!" the man called.

"Aelodi," Dread said harshly. "Do your job."

She trudged back to the table and listened to the men's orders, but her eyes were growing unfocused. She was a slim girl, and she no doubt felt the wine.

Dread returned to his table and watched Aelodi pause. The girl steeled herself, taking in a deep breath, before she braved the sea of groping men. They lifted the hem of her dress, pinched her ass, and one man grabbed at her tits. She seemed to have grown numb to the attention at this point, or at least that's what Dread thought at first. Then he noticed her open mouth, panting, and her heaving chest. She was getting excited.

The princess gave Oglin her order and hurried back to the table of men, tray overloaded with mugs of drink. He thought she might drop them at one point when a drunk tried to kiss her, but she twirled and evaded him well.

Dread picked up Aelodi's goblet and filled it with dark wine. Another mistake was coming. He could feel it.

The princess arrived at the table unscathed and managed to deliver the drinks without dropping any.

"What about me?" one of the men crooned. "I wanted gin. Where's my gin?" His voice grew louder and Aelodi snapped back at him.

"You didn't order any!" she shouted.

Dread went to the table and placed his hands on the princess's curvy hips.

"What's this?" he asked.

"The wench forgot my drink," the indignant man said, scowling.

"That's another mistake," he told her. He grabbed her arm and yanked her away, dragging her back to his table. He thrust the goblet of wine into her hands. "Drink."

Aelodi wavered in place, unsteady, almost like a sailor at sea. She sighed and took a deep breath before drinking the goblet of wine in one go. The bottle was almost empty, so he decided to order something stronger.

"I want a bottle of vodka," he told her. "And we're still waiting for the soup."

"There's other tables," Aelodi said, exasperated.

"Now, slut," he said. He reached out and slapped her breasts. Aelodi hissed between clenched teeth before going up to Oglin to place Dread's order.

As she leaned against the bar, her astonishingly round ass pointed out at a crowd of men who'd taken to following her around and eyeing her. One of them reached out and pulled up her dress while another yanked up on her stringed panties. Aelodi cried out in shock and twirled around. She was breathing heavily and she seemed overwhelmed at the large group of men laughing at her.

"Nice ass, blondie," one of them called. "How much to fill it?" The spectating men sniggered and leered at her.

In a huff, she turned around, picked up Dread's bottle of vodka as well as some glasses, and Elaxia's soup. She made her way swiftly towards him.

The princess arrived and slammed the bottle of vodka down on the table. "Making me drink," she said. She shook her lovely head defiantly. "It's cheating. This whole contest isn't fair. Not fair at all!"

"Look at this, pet," Dread said to Elaxia. "Not even an hour into her first night as a serving girl and the moron princess is making excuses."

Aelodi rolled her eyes and twirled on her heel to walk away, forgetting about her new shoes. She almost fell but caught her balance. Men's laughter followed her all the way to her next table. Drunks ranging in age from barely men to old greybeards scampered after her, whistling and name-calling.

The princess skirted around men that tried to grab her and reached the next table along the wall. The men at the table shouted their orders to her, and Aelodi leaned over the table to hear them. The back of her dress slid up, revealing an inviting thigh gap. The bottom clefts of her pert bum cheeks were visible. Her long, neatly tied ponytail of white blonde hair bobbed as she nodded her head.

Dread watched with amusement as a drunk man twisted his entire body to wind up for a slap. The man rotated his torso as he swung and his hand struck her ass so hard the clap was audible even over the noise of the tavern. Aelodi turned around, rubbing her sore behind, her face expressing pain. The men howled mocking laughter at her. She pushed past them, shoving the slapper aside with her arm, and made her way to the bar.

As the stunning princess waited for Oglin to pour her next order of drinks, a few men stumbled up to her and stood too close for comfort. Dread overhead their loud, loutish voices.

"This wench got herself a wench tiara," A young man said.

His older friend burst into a gale of giggles.

"Thinks she's a princess or something," the young man said to his friend, who doubled over.

A blush reddened Aelodi's fair features but she said nothing in response. Oglin placed drinks on her serving tray, and the princess went back to work. She moved swiftly, dodging and weaving through the sea of men, and she pathed near Dread's table.

She bounced past him, her long ponytail flowing behind her, and Dread resisted an impulse to reach out and grab her hair. He wanted her to fail on her own terms.

The princess fulfilled an order of drinks without making any mistakes. She moved on to her next table with an unmistakable air of pride. Her self-satisfaction didn't last very long.

Her next table proved exceptionally bold. A small man, old enough to be her father, wrapped his arms around one of her legs from his sitting position and held her alluring thigh in a tight hug. The princess berated him, demanding he let go, when a startled yelp silenced her voice. A second man now held her other leg in a tight-gripped embrace.

A third man used rough, strong hands to push on her back and bend her over the table. He yanked up her dress and revealed the entirety of her ass to the delight of his mates.

"Let me go," Aelodi demanded. More men reached out to grab her wrists, trapping her firmly in place.