Warning: This is a very dark story containing many disturbing themes such as noncon, humiliation, degradation, corruption, sexual slavery, misogyny, sadomasochism and more. Do not read this story unless you are okay with extreme content relating to the listed themes.
I do not condone or endorse any of the activities described in this story. Sexual fantasies can be a fun and safe way to explore fetishes but always treat real people with respect. Fantasize responsibly. ^^
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The clanking of sabaton boots against marble floors signaled the approach of patrolling guards, so Dread pulled Elaxia into an empty room. They wore the faces of guards themselves but decided to try and avoid contact with others unless caught. The royal palace had plenty of empty rooms to hide in, especially on the fifth floor.
"This is strange," Elaxia whispered in a man's voice. "Knowing there's a deviously handsome man behind that potato face."
Chuckling, Dread shook his head. "The same for me, pet. Odd knowing there's a sexy rainbow hiding inside the man you wear like a cloak."
Elaxia grinned, and her true face flickered into view. She winked at him with a teal eye before her disguise returned.
Dread pressed his ear to the door. The footsteps were gone, and the hall was silent. Easing the door open, the two of them continued their slow, quiet journey through Anthony's palace. Despite appearing to wear a guard's armor, the loud plate armor was only an illusion, so they made no noise as they crept. In truth, they wore soft-soled shoes and hooded cloaks.
At a corner of the fifth floor, Dread consulted the map he had Viyana draw. A few merchant princes provided information to sketch an accurate rendition of the palace. They were close. The room they wanted should be the second on the right in the next hallway. He stuffed the map into a bag on his belt and crept forward, his pet enchantress on his heels.
Dread paused at their destination. Ajar a crack, warm orange firelight glowed out into the hall in a thin line. Dread pushed open the door and stepped inside. Elaxia closed off the entrance with a click.
Queen Beth sat on a comfortable chair facing a roaring, crackling fireplace, nursing a glass of some pale wine.
"Go away," she snapped, voice slightly slurred. The queen didn't bother turning around.
The arrogance of the golden royals continued to astonish Dread. Their total ignorance of danger spoke to their historical safety, but times had changed. Fear never influenced their behavior. They thought themselves immune to misfortune. Queen Beth didn't bother identifying the people sneaking into her room at night. She assumed they were servants or guards and that their intentions were benign. The faith she placed in the assumption of her safety baffled him.
Elaxia ended the illusions, and Dread stepped forward onto rich carpets.
"Queen Beth," he said in a cold voice. "Greetings from the Dark Lands."
The queen started, spilling wine, and she turned to appraise him with shock. "You!" she snarled. "The beast who is torturing my sweet Aelodi."
A lovely woman in her later years, Queen Beth's rich brown hair was tied up in an elaborate bun, though grey flecked the brown. Her large breasts were pushed up and supported by the bust of her expensive dress. She was a tall woman, only a hand shorter than Dread, and despite her advanced age, she possessed a wonderful body. The origin of Aelodi's fuckable physical form.
The queen's elegant hands clenched, and she tossed the drink into the fire. The glass shattered and wine fizzled.
"Be calm. I mean you no harm. I have a proposition I think you'll find most amenable," Dread said.
The queen drew in a great breath to holler for help so Dread rushed her and blocked her lips with the flat of his palm. He held her in a strong grip, and she struggled. Sharp nails dug into his forearm, but he ignored the pain. The woman's noble eyes bulged.
"I offer you a way to get Aelodi back while addressing a mutual problem," Dread said. "Will you listen if I let you go? I have no plans to harm you this night but if you scream I will be forced to silence to you. Nod if you understand."
The queen studied him with narrowed eyes but gave a curt nod. He released his grip on her.
"Go on," the queen said.
"I hate your husband," Dread said. "You probably know that. I think you hate him too."
"My discontent in my marriage pales next to my disgust for you, foul man," Beth said, heated. "The way you've treated Aelodi goes beyond the pale."
"I know Myla isn't yours," Dread continued.
The queen bristled at his words, confirming the rumors. Just a mention of the youngest princess's name triggered visible upset.
"So, I propose an exchange," Dread said. "Lure Myla into my grasp, and I will return Aelodi. You'll get your daughter back, and you'll be rid of that ever-present reminder of Anthony's wandering eye."
Dread had considered simply snatching Myla from her rooms, but she spent her nights on the top floor, which was heavily guarded, much more so than the fifth. Further, he lived to cause Anthony distress, and manipulating his wife into handing over Myla served that purpose greater than simply snatching his youngest daughter in the night. Their marriage would never recover if the queen gave him Myla.
Beth's long, painted nails clinked against a glass side table as she thought. Her fingers tapped in a wave, from thumb to pinky.
"I'll forever blame Anthony for giving you our daughter," Beth said. She scoffed in disgust. "He spoke of the lesser of two evils. As if there were any justification for surrendering our sweet daughter to an enemy." Her lips formed a grim line. "Why would you give up Aelodi?" the queen asked. "You traded much to acquire her for the month."
"I'm tired of Aelodi; she's such a willful creature," Dread said. "I want Myla. I think a half-fairy girl will make for a much more interesting toy."
"My daughters are not toys!" Beth snapped.
"Ah," Dread said, "but Myla is not your daughter, is she?"
The queen considered further and then glared at Dread. "How can I trust a word you say? You are all but a devil yourself, Dreadhex of the Dark Lands. Tales of your misdeeds spread far and wide. I don't know your word carries any weight."
"We would form an arcane pact," Dread said. "Bound in blood. I will give you Aelodi, and you will give me Myla. Deceit will be impossible because the pact will bind us both."
The queen considered. "That could work." Though the woman clearly loathed Dread, he detected a small measure of satisfaction in her tone. "Myla for Aelodi?"
"A true daughter for a false one," Dread said, grinning. "You can be rid of the pink-haired eyesore and welcome Aelodi back home."
"Anthony will be livid," Beth said. "He loves that little fairy bastard."
"All the more reason to agree," Dread said.
The queen's consideration slowly became acceptance, and she nodded. "I'm shocked to be saying this, but you have a deal, Dreadhex of the Dark Lands."
"I will enact a pact between us, the terms sealed by blood," Dread said.
Viyana's well-trained touch with a knife pricked each of them. Dread and Queen Beth smeared bloody thumbprints on a piece of paper.
A quill rose of its own accord, powered by Dread's words, and scrawled the terms of the contract above their red thumbprints.
"The terms of this pact are as follows," Dread said. "I give Queen Beth the Princess Aelodi in exchange for Princess Myla."
"I give King Dreadhex the Princess Myla in exchange for Princess Aelodi," the queen echoed.
Dread spoke an incantation to finalize the arcane binding. The paper curled while engulfed in flames that did not burn. The deal had been struck.
