Chapter One
At the young age of twenty two, Suzanna had already had a pretty crap life, experiencing much of the world's crudity but few of its pleasures. The ever present threat of starvation and the eternal loneliness of roaming the world alone were all that she had known for the last decade and she had had little cause for celebration. Even so, she had a bit of optimism. Yea, life was crap; but it couldn't stay that way forever.
She had been wandering aimlessly through a forest when her life took yet another bad turn. It was just the latest in a line of many that had started when her parents died in a tragic accident. She was only three at the time and had ended up in an orphanage, which she later ran away from. The latest stroke of bad luck had landed her in the middle of an ambush that had been laid for some bandit clan. She'd been arrested alongside the survivors. Regardless of how much she had pleaded, the guards would not let her go. Their only response was to beat her when they grew too tired of her begging. Even three days after the incident, the bruises still hurt.
Still, at least they hadn't raped her. She could tell from the lustful looks some of them guards had given her that they quite happily would have. With her bound before them, it would have been pretty damn easy for them to do so as well. It seemed they wouldn't stoop quite that low.
Suzanna hadn't been surprised to see their lustful looks though. She'd had to deal with them enough times to realise that her beauty was just about the only thing she had going for her. She had long, chestnut hair that flowed down past her smooth, innocent face until it ceased at the small of her back. She was a bit on the thin side due to being underfed for much of the last decade but had still blossomed into a fine figure with curves in the right places and a generous set of breasts.
Her beauty had often allowed her to get what she needed to survive. Giving someone a sexy smile or showing a little bit of flesh had allowed her to steal bread or some other essential on many an occasion. A few times she had actually gone all the way; selling herself of as a prostitute. As much as she enjoyed the sex, she didn't do this often because she always felt bad afterwards. She'd actually contemplated giving head to one of the guards as a bribe but decided against it; they probably wouldn't let her go anyway.
Now, three days after her capture, she found herself in a group trial before the king. She was with the bandits, biting her lip to prevent herself groaning in mixed annoyance and pain as a rough pair of hands squeezed her butt cheeks mercilessly. As she glanced at the bandit behind her she saw that he had a big, stupid grin on his face that perfectly mirrored his intelligence level.
She grimaced as he touched her again, ignoring, or perhaps not even noticing, the fiery look of warning in her eyes. She performed a back kick that she had learned specifically to deal with this sort of unwanted attention and struck him hard in the groin. His face turned to one of surprise as he fell to the ground crutching at his groin. Naturally, the guards didn't care for an injured bandit and some of those that saw actually smirked.
She turned back to face the front, feeling proud of herself. She was lost within the rabble formed by the bandits and thus could not see the king. More importantly, he could not see her. If he could have then she might have had a chance. It was almost as if the guards had deliberately placed her out of sight. The king's voice drifted over from the front, interrupting her thoughts.
"For the crime of banditry there is but one punishment I can impose upon you. By the laws of the land, you are all sentenced to death. May the gods have mercy on your souls."
Even though she'd expected it, she broke into a panic and started to barge an improvised escape route through the bandits. She knew it was futile but she had to get away, even if it was impossible. She almost made it to the door before she was stopped by the powerful arms of a sturdy guard and brought crashing against the cold metal of his chainmail as he growled a warning into her ear. She began bucking wildly and hitting him anywhere and everywhere she could, striking his face hard with the back of her head, drawing blood from his lips. He held tightly though and more guards ran over to assist.
The panic left her to be replaced by dread as she once again found herself to be bound and helpless because of the guards. What would they do with her? Perhaps they'd rape her now, justifying it as punishment for her escape attempt. They'd rape her and then throw her in the dungeon with the bandits and they would surely rape her as well. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she'd be executed. It seemed natural that the end of her crap life would be so bad.
The guards began marching her towards the exit as she resigned herself to her fate; there was nothing she could do about it.
"Wait! Bring her here."
Terror filled her once again as she heard the voice of the king and the guards pivoted smartly. She trembled as she was dragged over to him and thrown at his feet. He studied her for a moment as she stared down at the ground, not daring to move a muscle. The king had a natural ability to read people and he knew for certain that the young woman before him was no bandit. There had to have been some kind of mistake.
"What is your name?" he asked.
Suzanna could not think straight. She was terrified by the thought of what he could do to her. Rape simply did not compare to the pain and humiliation he could cause with a single order. It took quite some time for her to realise just how softly he had spoken. His voice was conversational, inviting and perhaps even friendly. She looked up at him in disbelief.
As her eyes settled upon him, she decided that he was quite handsome; not overtly so, but enough that he would stand out from the crowd even if he were not the king. It was also enough that she began to feel some arousal from looking at him. She scorned herself; it wasn't like her to get aroused so easily. He must have only been a couple of years older than she was and a small, pleasant smile was written on his face. He had signs of athleticism with strong arms that could easily provide comfort and security. His lips were kissable; or they would have been, if he had not been so far out of her league.
When their eyes briefly connected a few seconds later her knees grow weak, her pulse accelerated and her heart leapt. She saw the king loose his dignified posture slightly and knew that he'd felt something to. No, of course he hadn't. Clearly, she was being silly. Nothing had happened between them; nothing could ever happen. It was better to ignore it and thus avoid the inevitable heartache. She closed her eyes as she took some deep breaths that cleared her mind of its stupidity. Finally, she told him her name.
"Hello Suzanna," he said softly. "I am king Tyson of Asgarath. Now tell me, why were you with the bandits?"
Suzanna told him of how she had been caught up in the ambush by chance and arrested. It was a simple mistake, but one that very nearly cost her life. Tyson looked her over for a little while under the pretence that he was considering whether she was telling the truth. In fact, he had already decided upon it and was taking the opportunity to admire her body. Even beneath the bruises and the dirt, he could tell that she was quite beautiful. He wanted their eyes to meet again. He had to be sure that he'd felt what he thought he had, but she was making an effort to avoid his gaze. He sighed as his efforts proved fruitless. He should probably just give his verdict now.
"Well, you do not look like a bandit to me and I believe you are telling the truth. I hereby pardon you of the crimes of which you have been accused and the punishments befitting them crimes."
Suzanna felt relief flooding her body. She'd known in heart that he wouldn't let harm come to her, even if her mind still rejected the idea.
"Did the guards cause that bruising?" he asked her.
"Yes."
Tyson's face fell as his suspicions were confirmed. It meant that he was indirectly responsible for them and the thought saddened him. After a few seconds, he spoke to her, his voice carrying a little of his sadness to her ears.
"You have been wronged in my name and there is nothing I can do to make it up to you but I shall try none the less. What would you ask me for?"
She thought about it for a moment. The moistness dripping down her leg told her that the only thing she wanted right then was him. It was an undeniable hunger, but she would rather starve than have it sated. She couldn't face the emotional backlash that would follow.
"A good night's sleep and some food. It is all that I need."
