“I have no need of Lady Caroline’s money,” Andrew said when quiet fell once more. “The Council is welcome to all of her possessions. Except, of course, her grandfather’s house. That must remain in the family.”
His announcement that he would relinquish all but the suburban townhouse Caroline and her sister had been raised in was met with fervent nods of approval and he marveled at their blatant avarice. He’d expected that they would seize Caroline’s assets and that his right to take control of her property upon their marriage might prove a sticking point when he claimed her but, really, her wealth was nothing compared to his and if it helped her to escape from their hands, it was a price he was more than willing to pay.
Turning to his other lieutenant, Taryn, Andrew lowered his voice to little more than a whisper as he issued his instructions.
“Go to the Chatterton house. Ensure that it’s safe for a stay of no more than two nights. I fear we shall have to remain here until my bride comes of age and we can get the legalities finalized before we can return home.”
It had been many years since he’d regarded Earth as home and he couldn’t bear to stay here amongst the corruption and decay any longer than necessary.
“Very good, Commander.” Taryn’s ever-vigilant eyes swept quickly around the room as though assessing the level of threat. “You are certain you can handle things here alone?”
“What do you think?” Andrew raised an amused eyebrow. “Besides, Bryn is here.”
Seemingly satisfied that the other Taar-Breckian warrior would be here in case of trouble, Taryn nodded briskly to his commanding officer and strode from the room.
“Well, if everything is now settled,” President Hall rose to his feet, “we shall proceed to the examination room.”
“We?” Andrew had to shut that down immediately. “I think not, gentlemen. Nobody will be present but the doctor and myself when the bride’s virginity is affirmed.”
“But that is most irregular,” Lord Barron protested.
Tempted as he was to break the other man’s neck for his continued obstructions, Andrew remained calm.
“But you are welcome to witness the examination, of course,” he responded smoothly. “On screen.”
There wasn’t a chance in hell that he was going to allow these men anywhere near Caroline as the necessary examination was carried out. The process would likely be an ordeal for her and as the man who intended to make a solemn pledge to guide and protect her for the rest of their days, he had no desire to make things worse for her than they needed to be. He knew the Council would not be happy to be kept at arm’s length but having them watch via video link was as much of a concession as he was prepared to offer. If the need arose, he had men loyal to him stationed nearby and he would remove her to safety by force if he had to. As that treasonous thought crossed his mind, he wondered at how quickly and powerfully his instinct to protect her had developed and he knew he had to tamp it down in case he revealed his feelings in front of men he did not trust.
“Well, if you insist, Commander.”
“I do, Mr. President. I am sure you can understand that when Lady Caroline passes the test I want no other man present.”
“If,” Lord Barron smirked, apparently unable to spot the danger in continuing to chip away at the good will of a formidable military leader. “If she passes the test.”
Knowing that some terrible fate was in store for her if she proved not to be pure, he could only hope that his faith she had not transgressed so far as to have lost her virginity outside of marriage was justified, because heaven help her if he had to leave her at the mercy of the Council.
* * *
As a shiver danced down Caroline’s spine, she knew it wasn’t the chill the stark white décor of the medical room inspired that caused it, but the dreadful anticipation of what would happen to her on the examination table that sat at its center. Dangling from the table were several sets of restraints fashioned from what looked like real leather, a rare and expensive commodity, and fastened with solid metal buckles. She could scarcely imagine why it would be necessary to strap a person down so securely. Clearly, whatever people experienced here, it was something they were desperate to escape from.
She was grateful for the presence of Commander Rossingham’s lieutenant, the authoritative Bryn. A giant of a man, he’d easily taken control of the room, banishing the technicians who’d been at work in there and allowing only one doctor, a distinguished-looking man of about fifty, to remain. As the doctor washed his hands at a sink in the corner of the room, Bryn stood guard by the door and Caroline knew that nobody was getting in without his say-so.
“We ought to get the prisoner ready,” the doctor said as he moved toward Caroline, nervously looking at Bryn for his approval.
“Nobody touches the lady until Commander Rossingham gets here.”
There was no arguing with the finality in his voice as he crossed his arms over his broad chest to reinforce his immovability on the point.
“Very well, but perhaps you can explain it to the Council. They will expect us to begin as soon as they arrive.” The doctor looked a little panicked at the possibility of disappointing his superiors.
“The Council?” Caroline’s eyes widened as her heart began to pound. She was scared enough about what was going to happen to her without having to deal with being examined in front of those vile men.
“Yes.” The doctor licked his pale, thin lips, seeming to enjoy her obvious panic. “They will want to see everything that happens. Sometimes the president likes to get personally involved when we need to verify the purity of a high-profile prisoner like you.”
“The president?” Caroline felt sick to her stomach at the mere thought of that man putting his hands on her. She looked around for some means of escape, even though she knew there was none. “I am not letting him touch me.”
“You will have little choice if he decides to examine you personally. What the president wants, he gets.”
“Not this time.” Caroline spun around as Commander Rossingham strode through the door. Without even realizing what she was doing, she ran across the room and flung herself into his arms, instinctively knowing that safety lay there. Her actions seemed to take him by surprise as, for several long moments he just stood there, saying nothing, but cradling her head with one hand and patting her back soothingly with the other. Eventually he seemed to remember himself and cleared his throat to speak. “We will be setting up a video link for the Council to view the procedure from the chamber.”
“That is most irregular,” the doctor murmured.
“So I’ve heard,” Rossingham replied, a wry smile curving his lips. “But, nevertheless, that is how it will be done.” He took hold of Caroline’s arms and gently pushed her back from him so he could see into her eyes. “Caroline, I know that all of this is frightening for you but it is necessary that we follow protocol. I expect you to cooperate fully with everything that happens and you should know that any obstinate behavior on your part will be punished. Do you understand?”
Caroline looked up into his face and felt that, despite the warning, there was something about him she could trust. She was going to undergo a horribly humiliating experience in this room—she’d read enough books to understand that—but somehow she was less afraid about the whole thing knowing that he was there with her. Silently, she nodded her head.
“Good girl.” He turned to his lieutenant. “Bryn, would you mind stepping outside?”
“I had no intention of staying,” the other man responded gruffly. Caroline saw a look pass between the two men, one of shared understanding, perhaps. These men clearly had a bond that went beyond the camaraderie of the battlefield and their obvious respect for one another helped to reassure Caroline that Rossingham was a good man, someone who could be looked up to. “Such things are for a husband alone to witness.”
He bowed courteously to Caroline and left the room, his chivalrous manner impres
sing upon her that the entire world was not against her. Once Bryn was gone, Rossingham activated the lock on the door and turned to the doctor.
“You may proceed now.” He adopted the air of authority that clearly came naturally to him. “I understand that you will need to address Lady Caroline so she knows what is required of her and that you will make comments for the record, but I expect you to demonstrate impeccable courtesy. Is that understood?”
Taking an audible gulp, the older man nodded and then, gesturing toward the examination table, spoke to Caroline.
“Lady Caroline, would you hop up onto the table?”
So, in Rossingham’s presence he was not going to continue to refer to her as ‘the prisoner.’ That was something at least. Caroline took a reluctant step toward the center of the room and shrieked in surprise when the floor suddenly disappeared from under her as she was swept up into the strong, sure arms of the commander.
“My bride does not ‘hop’ anywhere.” He spoke once again like a man used to getting his way in all things and Caroline wondered how she was going to survive if she actually did end up married to him.
In three long strides, he reached the table and placed Caroline down onto it with great care, so she was sitting with her legs out in front of her. The position made her feel small and childlike within the vastness of the room.
“In a moment the doctor will arrange you as he requires and you will make no fuss over it,” Rossingham said with a firmness it was impossible to argue against. “I will initiate the video link.”
Caroline nodded mutely once again as she watched him walking over to activate the video equipment. A small, spherical object beeped into life and Rossingham brought it over to the table. As he opened his hand, the little metal orb hovered in midair and then moved from side to side as though trying to find the optimum viewing position. Caroline gasped in astonishment. Most of the technology she was used to was driven by cogs and pistons and she had never seen anything this advanced. She had heard that while the people lived with rudimentary machines to assist them in their everyday activities, those in command enjoyed access to much more sophisticated gadgets and this seemed to confirm the rumors.
“The camera is controlled by vocal command,” Rossingham responded to the look of fascination on her face. “Quite commonplace on Taar-Breck.” He didn’t have to tell her that he disapproved of the High Council’s choice to keep the citizens of Earth in the Dark Ages because she could see it in the tightening of his harshly handsome features. “The Council will be able to see whatever they wish to. The camera will relay what is happening in here throughout the entire examination, every action, every word. Do you understand?”
He was warning her to behave and, for now, she couldn’t see any reason to think he was not acting in her best interests. After all, her grandfather had trusted the man enough to arrange their betrothal so perhaps she could try placing a little faith in him and see what happened.
“Yes, Commander Rossingham.” Under such tense circumstances, she didn’t feel right addressing him by his given name and she realized that, while their every word and gesture was being scrutinized by the Council, it would be best to adopt a deferential demeanor.
“Good girl.” Rossingham gave her a quick nod of approval. “Doctor, get on with it, please.”
There was an impatience in his tone that told Caroline he wanted to get this over with as much as she did and that pleased her. Perhaps it meant he had a compassionate side she would be able to work on once they had left this awful place and he would be persuaded to become her husband in name only. She knew what happened between men and women and despite her intense curiosity about what it would be like to be intimate with a man, she was not actually sure she could surrender her body to Rossingham. Although he was everything she’d dreamed of, to give herself to one so overpowering would surely mean risking the loss of her free will and she was not sure she could let that happen.
“Very well,” the doctor said. “Lady Caroline, please remove your gown.”
“What?” Caroline’s cheeks reddened. The white slip of fabric afforded her little privacy but, after the ordeal of being kept naked for much of her time at the prison, she suddenly felt desperate to preserve whatever sliver of modesty she could hold onto. “No.”
“Caroline, the doctor’s request was not unreasonable.” The note of warning in Rossingham’s voice was unmistakable. “Remove that hideous garment immediately or I will do it for you and then turn you over my knee to redden your disobedient little butt.”
Caroline huffed out an indelicate sound of disbelief. Had he just threatened to spank her like a child, and in front of witnesses? She understood that discipline was part and parcel of any marriage governed by the Preservation of Civil Society Act but what Rossingham suggested seemed quite unnatural outside of the pages of the books she loved to read. Surely it could not be right in the real world to expect a grown woman to lie across a man’s lap for punishment as though she was a child? Looking at the implacable expression on his face, she realized that he was quite serious. Incredible. The man had clearly spent too much time at barbarian outposts.
Understanding, however, that this was not a battle she was likely to win, she reached for the hem of her gown and tugged it off over her head. As the chilled air hit her, she wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself tight.
“Now, lie back and raise your hands above your head, please,” the doctor said to her. “I will need to strap you down for the examination.”
“Is that necessary?” Caroline questioned, her eyes widening as her level of fear intensified. The thought of being bound and unable to direct her own movements terrified her.
“It is.” The doctor was insistent and Caroline got the instinct impression from his restrained manner that if the commander hadn’t been present he would have been far less polite. “You are about to be examined very thoroughly and in the most intimate way possible. I have found in my many years of practice that young ladies like you have a tendency to try to evade certain aspects of the inspection.”
“But…” Caroline began to protest but, as Rossingham cleared his throat in warning, she fell silent, choosing to obediently lie back on the cool leather table. It was probably better to go along with what they asked rather than struggle and face the additional humiliation of being forcibly subdued.
“Now raise your hands,” the doctor instructed once she had settled in position.
As she lifted her arms up over her head, she felt her small, firm breasts pull upward into tight peaks and she closed her eyes as the first wave of shame gripped her. She took a sharp breath inward, trying to steady herself as the cuffs were buckled tight around her wrists to hold her fast to the table. As the doctor moved to part her legs, she panicked and began to kick out furiously but a series of three quick, hard smacks to her thighs from Commander Rossingham shocked her into stillness. Eyes watering as she felt the sting where he had struck her, she looked up at the man who intended to make her his wife but it was unexpected sadness rather than anger that swept through her as she saw the disapproval in the pursing of his lips.
Wishing to avoid any further chastisement, she lay compliantly as first one leg and then the other was pulled outward and down to the sides of the table where her ankles were bound securely in cuffs attached to long metal chains. Already feeling utterly exposed, she was horrified when a whirring sound signaled movement and the chains began to shorten, dragging her feet up and backward so they ended up almost in line with her buttocks. At the same time, the lowest part of the table retracted and tilted upward until her hips were raised and her bottom was fully exposed. When the motion stopped, her body was stretched tightly into position, leaving her very little room for maneuver.
“We find that binding a woman in this way gives us excellent access to her vagina.” The doctor addressed his remarks to Commander Rossingham as though Caroline was not lying there taking shallow breaths as she tried to adjust
to the demands on her already weary muscles. “And it allows us to test her responses under challenging circumstances. The position is, after all, not an easy one to be placed in and if she reacts positively to sexual stimulation while bound like this, you will know that she is receptive to some discomfort. If that is the case, you will be able to use her as you see fit without having to worry about her fussing.”
“I see.” As he spoke, Caroline looked up at the man who was soon to become her husband, hoping that she would see some hint of disgust at the doctor’s words, but she was shocked to see a wickedly suggestive glint in his eye instead. Did that mean he liked the thought of hurting her?
“Perhaps you should consider purchasing a similar table for yourself,” the doctor said. “Many husbands do.”
“Do they?”
Caroline was shocked to see a look on Rossingham’s face that indicated he might seriously be thinking about it.
“Oh, yes,” the doctor continued eagerly. “The table is very versatile. It can be altered to allow for a thorough medical inspection or for punishment whippings and it can also be adjusted to accommodate penetration in a number of positions so…” He broke off suddenly and, as Caroline squirmed within her bonds, gave a small chuckle of delight. “Would you look at that, Commander! Her nipples have hardened and there is a glistening of moisture around the labia minora.”
“Indeed there is,” Rossingham agreed. “It appears that my young bride is becoming aroused.”
Caroline shook her head in denial. It couldn’t be true. She’d enjoyed reading in some of her forbidden books about women who responded to being bound and helpless like this by becoming turned on but she’d never imagined she would experience such a reaction herself. It was more than a little troubling.
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