by A. R. Rend
I can’t… say no.
We can do this.
For Mother.
Just… keep everything in view of others. Don’t let her take me off somewhat private and secluded. It’ll be fine.
This’ll… this’ll be fine.
But she still might do something.
I’m putting myself in a position of risk. I could just as easily turn around and walk away from this. I don’t have to do this.
“Of course, your highness,” Phillip said, smiling at the princess who had yet to release his face. He felt terribly awkward, mildly shamed by her forwardness, and a touch dirtied. But this was for his mother. It was his choice to do his duty in the end, and he’d walk into this perilous position. “I’ll be happy to attend you. Though I would need to be on hand nearby if my grandmother needed me. She’s advancing in years. I couldn’t leave her side.”
Staring at him, the princess looked to be contemplating his words.
Not far away, the Duchess and the queen were talking about the weather while her royal guards cleared a nearby room. There was no way they were missing the exchange that was going on.
Or at least Phillip thought so.
“I would prefer we go somewhere private,” the princess dared to say despite everyone that was around them.
Okay. I… okay. She’s directly… directly asking for me to-to probably have sex with her.
How do I tell her no? I can’t, can I? If it’s for Mother I-would… Alice understand?
No. We must preserve ourselves if possible, and barter… barter effectively if not.
If this were a trade deal, we wouldn’t commit to our side of the bargain until we received our goods.
We can take a little bit of risk until she’s free, but not much.
“I… would be more than willing to have a private discussion with her highness,” allowed Phillip with a smile he didn’t feel at all. “Though it would need to be after my grandmother and the queen have their discussion. I truly must be on hand for her at this time. Once they’ve finished their discussion in regards to my mother, we can retire to a more secluded area. Like the royal gardens. I’ve heard they’re quite lovely this time of year.”
And also still public in a way. They’re visible to others.
The princess smirked at that, her eyes gaining a far more predatory look to them.
She wasn’t fooled in the least.
She knew exactly what he was saying and playing for. That if his grandmother and the queen came to a reasonable conclusion in regards to his mother, he’d do what he had to.
Because that was the way of the world.
Phillip would pay whatever price he was needed to, to free his mother.
Letting her hand drop to her side, the princess rested it on the sword at her hip.
“As you like,” the princess said and then turned her head toward her mother. Reaching up, she laid a hand to the other woman’s shoulder and then leaned in close, whispering something in her ear.
It was surprising to say the least; she had quite literally interrupted her mother mid sentence.
A frown accompanied a rather ugly look as the queen looked to her daughter. They held a stare for several seconds before the queen rolled her eyes and looked back to the Duchess, saying nothing to her daughter.
“Your highness, the room is clear,” said a guard, taking the opportunity for what it was.
“Ah, wonderful. Well, let’s go,” the queen said, gesturing at the guard.
The duchess and the queen began walking side by side without a word further.
Unfortunately for Phillip, the princess took this as the chance to touch him again.
Her arm came out and looped around Phillip’s hips, her hand resting almost on his rear end. With a tug, she pulled him right up into her side, removing any distance between them completely.
“I’m Princess Marie,” she said, her hand sliding down towards Phillip’s bottom. “I’m a colonel in the queen’s lancers and the only heir.”
Keeping his breathing under control, and not slapping the princess, Phillip nodded his head at that. Even when she got her hand directly atop his rear end and casually squeezed it.
“Her highnesses must have many victories,” murmured Phillip.
“I do indeed,” agreed the princess. “I’m afraid that I’ve been relegated to more royal duties as of late. I would prefer being on the battlefield. Unfortunately, my mother thinks it’s time for me to get out of the saddle and mount a husband. I think she fears I’ll do something stupid like let a bastard get put in me.”
“I’m sure the queen only wishes what’s best for you,” countered Phillip as they entered what looked to be a small meeting room.
“Hmph. I’ve been discreet and safe. Mother is just anxious because Duchess Karen is actually putting up a fight,” complained the princess.
The doors to the room closed and the four of them were alone in the room.
“I’d like to have my daughter ransomed,” the Duchess said without preamble. “Or exchanged. Just as any general of the royal armies who was summoned would be.”
“Well, that’s-”
Before Phillip could hear anything further, the princess shoved him up against the wall. Her mouth came down to his and she kissed him fiercely, her tongue ramming into his mouth as her hands pressed to his torso.
“Goodness, Marie, be quiet about it,” the queen admonished as the princess continued to push her tongue around in Phillip’s mouth.
His grandmother said nothing to the situation.
Apparently she had heard what the princess had said, accepted what he’d replied with as his own acceptance of the situation, and would move forward. That he had knowingly chosen this course of action, just as she had.
Hopefully she’d finish this as quickly as possible.
“Now, your daughter and her ransom,” continued the queen.
Okay… okay. This is just… kissing. Okay.
This’ll be quick. Grandmother will get this ball moving faster than anything could actually happen.
In fact, let’s just keep the princess occupied and distracted to run the time out.
Grabbing at Marie’s chest with one hand, Phillip fondled her roughly. His other arm hooked around her hips and jerked her more heavily into himself. To the point that she’d ended up shoving her hips against his own without meaning to.
Making the whole wall shudder with the impact.
The conversation between the queen and his grandmother was lost to him. Phillip had his own job to do at the moment.
And that was curbing and bringing an aggressive princess to heel while his grandmother bartered with the queen.
He imagined the princess had never been counter-attacked in her life.
Forcing her tongue back into her own mouth, Phillip kissed her in return and started yanking at the buttons on her military doublet, several ripping free and clattering to the ground at their feet.
Moaning, Marie broke the kiss before he did and turned her head away. At the same time Phillip released her hips and got both his hands on her chest. He jerked the fabric of her jacket apart in a spray of the remaining buttons that bounced and rolled across the floor. He exposed her cloth-wound breasts to his eyes.
“I-ho-holy-holy sh-” got out the princess before Phillip grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled it back down. Kissing her again and powering his tongue into her mouth.
Moaning against him, the princess partially melted into him even as he jerked the binding around her breasts free. His warm palm met her full breast and cupped it. Squeezing it firmly, he fondled her openly.
He used his thumb and forefinger to capture her nipple and rotated it slightly even as he continued to grope at her.
Shivering in his grasp, the princess’ hands were pulling at his belt now, whimpering against him the entire time.
No. Can’t go there.
I need something else.
“-work toward that end. It’ll be very e
xpensive,” the queen said.
At… least it’s going well.
I must push on.
Growling, Phillip pushed Marie’s hands away, broke the kiss, and sank his teeth into her lovely pale throat.
Squeaking, the large princess instead grabbed his tunic with her rejected fingers. Her body trembled as he bit and sucked at her neck.
“Don’t… don’t mark me. You ca-”
Phillip bit her even harder as she spoke as if to argue with her. Now determined to mark her. To control the situation against what she wanted.
He nudged his temple against her jaw, as if to push her head to one side. Making his desire known.
Moaning loudly, Marie turned her face further away from him, opening herself up to him.
“Okay, you can-you can mark me,” she groaned, giving in to his unspoken demand.
Gnawing at her skin roughly, Phillip glanced to his grandmother and the queen. They were hotly debating something now, though in more subdued tones. He couldn’t hear them.
With a whimpered moan, the princess’s hands slowly went back down to his belt buckle.
Shit. She’s not stopping.
I… okay. We can force this down another route, can’t we?
I don’t have to sleep with her. I can… I can do something else and… hopefully… the others will forgive me.
If she was willing to bend here, she’d bend elsewhere.
Or at least… I hope so.
Finally releasing the princess’s neck, Phillip reached up and got both hands on her shoulders. He gripped her firmly and pushed her jacket down to her elbows. Completely exposing her torso now.
Opening her eyes, she met his and looked at him in an almost dreamy way.
“Kneel for me, my lovely princess,” Phillip demanded and pulled down on her shoulders with all the force he could. His request hadn’t been a question. “I want to see your beautiful face looking up at me. I want you to look up at me with those exquisite eyes of yours with your mouth full of me. Stretching those tender lips of yours around my manhood.”
Surprised, shocked, insulted, and now looking very unsure, Marie stared at him.
Then she slowly got down on her knees in front of him, her hands still fiddling with his belt buckle. Her cheeks were bright red, her eyes wide, and her mouth was open, her tongue running over her lips and teeth.
Bared from the waist up, looking beautiful and intimidating, the princess of the realm was kneeling in front of Phillip. Her face quite level with his crotch.
She looked extremely into the situation, her breathing was hard and fast, and there was only extreme curiosity and need on her features.
Princess Marie really wanted to get him into her mouth right now just as he’d demanded.
Apparently he’d struck the right chords to smash right through her mind and to her libido.
Reaching down, he started to help her out with his belt buckle.
“What in the heavens are you doing?!” demanded the queen, now staring over at the two of him.
“I’m going to take him in my mouth. I want it right now,” the princess said in a breathy voice, her hands working quickly now and getting his belt finally undone. “I want to taste him. So he can see me do it.”
“You stupid fool! You’re just thinking with your crotch. Stand up! Right this instant,” the queen demanded even as the princess freed Phillip’s erect member.
It slipped out of his under garments and landed against her face, the tip slowly sliding over her eyebrow and cheek. The princess turned her head to go after it as it passed down to her jaw.
“MARIE DANIELLE TRALIN!” screamed the queen, jerking the princess away just as her lips closed around the tip of his head.
Oh thank everyone and anything.
Closing his eyes, Phillip stood there, unmoving, as the queen dragged her daughter away from him.
“Let go of me, Mother! You stupid cunt! I want it and I’ll take it!” shouted the princess. “I’m the princess!”
“You ignorant little fool! Kissing a cute man is one thing, but what you were going to do is unacceptable! And in front of the Duchess?! She’s his grandmother!” shouted the queen, slapping the princess across the face the moment her daughter started to respond.
The crack of the palm across her cheek was loud in the room.
“This is what I get for letting you go so long as an unmarried bachelorette. No more. We’re going to start going over unmarried men this very evening,” promised the queen. “Forgive me, Duchess Curis. It would seem my daughter only has one thing between those ears and needs it all cleaned out with a switch.”
Reaching down, Phillip got himself back into his pants and quickly re-arranged his clothes.
His grandmother was looking at him with pity. Likely regretting what he’d been forced to accept just for this conversation to continue.
Neither the queen nor the princess made any apologies toward him at all. Not that he expected one or believed one to be forthcoming, either.
“It’s understandable,” the Duchess said, her tone strange. “We’ll waste no more of your time.”
Moving over to the side of his grandmother, Phillip took one more look at the princess.
The dark and purple bite mark he left on her neck was extremely visible. There’d be no way to hide it without a generous amount of makeup.
Kneeling there in front of the queen, the large princess looked smaller.
Though she did catch his eyes with her own even as he and the Duchess left.
She still looked hungry, her eyes drilling into his own.
He got the impression this wasn’t over, which meant he would never return to the capital.
Thirty
As soon as the door to the coach closed, his grandmother let out a heavy sigh.
“I’m so sorry, Pip. I’m so so sorry. I truly didn’t… I didn’t think the princess would behave like that,” his grandmother said. “I knew she was a bit wild and unconventional as a soldier. I… didn’t think for an instant she’d assault you like that.
“In front of her mother and myself no less. It’s… it’s almost impossible to believe.”
Phillip closed his eyes, put his hands in his lap, and tried not to think about what had just happened. Except he couldn’t.
All he could feel and think was of the princess woman-handling him as if he were but a doll. Right up until he gave in, took control, and bent the situation to his will.
He’d had power over her in that moment.
Princess Marie had been more than willing to use her mouth to please him. And that was after allowing him to mark her and so visibly. After tearing her jacket off and exposing her chest.
He’d had complete control over Marie in that moment.
Though it wouldn’t have lasted longer than her libido. Which meant it didn’t expand past when she got what she wanted.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Phillip. “Very… unfortunate. But we do what we must for my family. Right? The honor of duty.
“It does make me wonder if perhaps… perhaps Duchess Karen may not be wrong in her bid to rule the country. Is she any worse than the current queen? Is she better?”
The jerk of the coach and the wheels clattering as they started moving drowned out any possibility of a response from his grandmother.
When they got to a suitable and smooth speed she cleared her throat.
“I don’t know. That’s something we’ll have to ask your mother about when we get her freed,” his grandmother said. “From what I can see, Duchess Karen is quite similar to Queen Tralin. And even if she said she was different… it isn’t as if we’d know until it was too late.
“However, we will be going to see the countess now. Tralin won’t broker an exchange for your mother. Nor will she pay the ransom and… it’s… the ransom is extremely high.”
Phillip felt rather deflated at the news. But it was expected news in a way.
Nor did he blame his grandmother for not wanting to co
mmit to Karen or Tralin at the moment. The moment she formally committed one way or the other, she would be locked in place.
With her daughter imprisoned it only made it worse.
It was the same logic in the end he’d talked himself into with allowing the princess to try and corner him.
He couldn’t give up what little he had in value until he was certain of what was going on. In the end, he hadn’t been forced to act on that request from the princess.
The queen wouldn’t be freeing his mother and he wouldn’t have to entertain the princess.
As far as he was concerned, he wouldn’t be returning to the capital for any reason at all.
“She at least won’t try to do what the princess did,” his grandmother grumped, sounding extremely angry. “The countess of Karen has always been reasonable. She was acquaintances with your mother, in fact.”
“Her aunt is the duchess?” Phillip asked. “The pretender herself?”
“Yes, and her daughter is leading her forces as a general,” his grandmother explained. “Unlike Princess Marie who is an accomplished fighter but doesn’t lead. Karen’s heir is only a few years older than you are, but she spent her whole life in the military. Very similar to your mother, in fact.”
Phillip shook his head. He didn’t want to deal with any more politics. It was beyond him as a man. He had no place in politics and didn’t want to get involved at all.
The only reason he was pushing himself into this at all was for his mother.
“Do you know how Mother was captured?” Phillip asked.
“No. But I can tell you the queen didn’t wish to discuss it. Whatever happened… isn’t something she wants repeated,” his grandmother mused. “She refused my appeal but in a neutral way that wasn’t a no. It left it all open for me to pursue, and likely for that little monster of hers to attack you again.
“I’ll not walk us back into that lion’s den. No… we’ll go see the countess.”
Feeling somewhat better at the fact that his grandmother was so angry, Phillip looked out the window instead to think. To try and compartmentalize what’d happened to him so he could keep going.
Because the simple reality for him was he never had the ability to say no to the princess. He had knowingly put himself in a position where he knew what was very likely to happen.