The Princess’s Court by ArcSyn
The Princess’s Court Part 1 of 5 (FM/Ff nc) Jessica Aldryn McLangly, Lady of the Hierarchy of the Moon, Daughter of Lord McLangly, was riding in the meadow that lay to the south of her estate, when Lance Corporal Roland came for her. She was by herself and already in a bad mood when she saw him. She pulled her mare to a stop and waited impatiently for him to come close enough to explain his presence. "Lady McLangly," He pulled up on the reins as he came along side her. "I’ve come here on official business from Princess Katherine Ryan’s Court. I’ve been asked to secure your cooperation in an important matter." Jessica stared at the empty field, pointedly not acknowledging him as anything more than a tool of his mistress. It was a beautiful day. She looked across the sea of high grass to the forest, a few hundred yards away. It was a dark, tangled wood, interesting and treacherous. She thought of various, rather caustic replies she could make. Maybe, "Princess Katherine can bite me. . ." or, "I’d love to cooperate with Princes Katherine, but I’ve already promised to cat-sit for a friend. . ." But that would be a mistake. No matter what their history, Katherine was the Princess now and antagonizing her was out of the question. "What matter?" She asked, keeping her voice cold. "She has asked, in order to take her responsibilities seriously, that anyone with. . . personal knowledge of. . ." He hesitated. Still looking away, Jessica swallowed. No, she thought. No, it couldn’t be. . . She glanced at the soldier. He was young. Maybe a few years younger than her twenty, but he held himself with a professional and confidant bearing that she found attractive, despite herself. Relax, she told herself. It’s something else. "Violations of the Great Contract come to the court." He finished. Shit. That bitch wouldn’t! Jessica felt the sudden stab of fear in her chest. "What does this have to do with me?" His expression was almost apologetic. But it wasn’t. "She has asked that you testify under Compelled Oath about your knowledge of any such things. Her Court will be holding hearings this night, and I have been given a transportation spell to return us to her palace. You’re to dress for a formal audience and come with me immediately." Oh, Mercy! Fear and fury rolled in Jessica’s stomach. She knew that the paleness of her face and the faint tremble of her hands would betray her, but she couldn’t help it. Think. . . Katherine knew, or she wouldn’t have risked Compelled Oath. And that meant the questions would be pointed and direct. And intolerable. "And if I am busy?" Roland met her gaze. "This is a request of the Princess, Lady. It wouldn’t be wise to deny it." "Very well. Then let’s return to the house so that I can change. This is an awful inconvenience." The complaining came easy and felt natural. She was certain that he might suspect but he did seem to relax when she turned her steed about and rode back toward the sprawling mansion. What? Go inside and slip out the back? No. Too risky. Loose him now, then. Ride like the devil and make for the trails. He might follow her into the wood, but he’d never find her in it. Of course, she’d be unable to return. At least for awhile. But that might give her a chance to bargain. Katherine, Princess Katherine now, would love the idea of her as a miserable fugitive. It didn’t matter. Anything was better than the Court. When the hill became steep and Roland fell back, she moved. Jessica dug her heels in and leaned forward. Her mare knew what to do, and she felt her gait become a gallop. "Lady Jessica!" He was further behind her, but when she looked back, he was coming up fast. She didn’t look back again. "Please! This is foolish, Mi’Lady," He yelled. Annoyed but also concerned. The chances of someone getting seriously hurt in a situation like this were not bad and although he wouldn’t be blamed he still, clearly, felt responsible. Screw him, she thought. The forest wasn’t far now. She kept her body low, gripping the animal’s flanks with her knees. Don’t think of the future, she told herself. Look ahead. Just get away. She heard him behind her. He was both a better rider and had a faster horse, but he was unwilling to simply ride up and take her. She was still a Lady. And she might get hurt. But it was clear that she’d have to be creative to loose him. Seconds later they entered the forest. Her horse knew the trail and his didn’t, but he was close enough to stay on her. She heard him curse, as branches, bent by her passing, whipped back at him. The forest was dark with a deep-green tint to it, and confusing. She would normally go straight, and come to a clearing, but not today. Jessica risked a look back, saw that he was, despite everything, still close, and turned sharply. The horse went but she didn’t. The world turned upside down as she fell. She didn’t even feel like she had hit something. She just felt numb and then scared. When she opened her eyes, Roland was beside her, kneeling in the tall grass. She was laying, with her head resting on his folded coat, looking up at him. They were still in the woods, and she couldn’t make out the expression on his face. "Do you hurt?" He asked. Ache? Yes. Everywhere. Hurt? No. She tried to sit up, but he didn’t let her. He directed her to move her arms and legs and neck, and when everything seemed to be in order then he helped her sit. Roland offered her water from a skin on his horse. "You’re lucky," He said. She looked away. The thrill of being alive and unhurt had faded quickly. She had been caught, and her pathetic escape attempt was going to be damning. Jessica realized that, for the first time in many years, she felt like crying. "I guess this means you’re guilty," He said as he put away the water. "It was nothing. Please! This is. . . this is a settling of old scores. It’s just political. Please let me leave, and I promise it won’t haunt you." At first he didn’t look at her. Then he did. Calmly. Matter-of-factly. She felt her hope dry up and crumble. "I can’t." "Just tell them I escaped! Please!" I can’t believe I’m begging him, she thought. Oh, Mercy! This was a nightmare, already. His smile was very, very slight. "I’m afraid they’d never believe me." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Then his hand lowered and took hers. It was a very firm grip. "Come on, Mi’ Lady." She let him lead her back to their horses but instead of mounting his steed, he took a coil of cord from his saddle bag. "What did you do?" He asked. Curious. Not even fascinated. Probably having a hard time believing that someone like her could be guilty of breaking the Great Contract. "I. . . I’ve been involved with Human’s dreams." He looked up. "Really?" "It was. . ." She sighed, exasperated. "It was nothing. Katherine did much worse when we were in school together!" "Princess Katherine," He corrected automatically. Then, "Nothing? Would the Enforcers have thought it was nothing if they’d caught you?" No. Of course not. It was dangerous and selfish and very, very bad. It was also incredible fun. She looked away. "I wouldn’t have gotten caught." "I can see you’re a master of escape. It sounds like you deserve this. What makes you think you’re being picked on?" He was weaving a noose. He took her right hand and then her left, and slipped them through the loop. He pulled it tight, and she felt her captured flesh press together. It was dark here, but she knew he could still see the blush. "You. . . you’re going to take me back to my house like this?" Her voice was very soft. She was thinking of what the servants would think when they saw their lady marched before them in disgrace. Her chin trembled at the very idea. "No, Mi’Lady. I’m going take you back to the Court like this. I’m afraid I’m not letting you out of my sight." Again, he was almost apologetic. Again, he wasn’t quite. And, she thought she detected the faintest trace of amusement in his manner. Mercy. . . Oh, please. . . don’t cry! Whatever you do, don’t cry. . . She swallowed and swallowed again. He lead her, walking slowly, holding the cord like a leash. "You can’t," She moaned, when she couldn’t take it any more. "I can’t appear before them like this! Not. . . oh, mercy. . ." He stopped. "You shouldn’t have tried to run away. Look, Mi’Lady, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make things difficult for you. If you escape do you know what they’ll do to me?" She looked up. "They have a post in the Palace Garden where the Ladies of the Castle come to take tea. They’d tie me there, and provide little whips and nettles so that the women could make sport of me for a day or two. And then, maybe, they’d find something else to punish me with. I’m not going to risk that. You got yourself into trouble, now you will have to deal with it." He gave the cord a tug, and she followed him, mutely out into the sunlight. The horses had followed them. He sent hers home, and pulled his close. "The spell takes a few minutes. Then we’ll be back." She looked down at her boots and riding dress. Her face, utterly devoid of makeup. No jewelry. She felt ill with the idea that Lady Katherine would be so pleased to see her so humble. And tied! She wondered if the Princess had intentionally chosen a handsome guard to collect her. Probably. Anything to make her humiliation more poignant. She had to try again. "I. . . I knew Katherine at Finishing School," She said. "That’s what this is about." "Oh." But he was interested. And he believed her. "She was popular. Everyone knew she’d be something spectacular. I don’t think anyone really thought she’d be a princess, but. . ." She shook her head. "I was a bit of a rebel. She and her friends could make my life miserable, but she couldn’t control me. She always resented that." Jessica looked away. Katherine had sent her an invitation to her coronation some months ago when it had finally become official. It had glittered and burned with a magical fire. Jessica had torn it up. "So that’s what this is about?" He asked. She nodded. "You’re in trouble, then." A little more silence. "I know," She said. "You’re not the first one they’ve tried. Did you know Andrea Connor?" Jessica looked over. "Andrea? Mercy. . . what did they. . ." "The same thing. Dream meddling." Shit. Oh, shit. . . She gulped. Andrea had been one of Katherine’s friends. But also a competitor. Jessica had found her far less vile than her associates. "What did they do to her?" "They’re still doing it," He said. "She was tried two days ago. Her sentence will last a year. For most of it she’ll be doing domestic work around the palace as a common servant but Katherine wanted her humiliated as part of her punishment. . ." "What?" She asked breathlessly. "Roland, what did they do to Andrea?" "You’ll see," He said. Then everything sparkled and changed. They were in the court. It was a round chamber with high walls and stained glass windows. The floor was polished marble. The supports, that ran up to the pointed ceiling, were inlaid with gold leaf. Laid out like numbers on a clock, the Thrones sat at 12. They were intricate and magnificent beyond imagining. There was a worn rug for supplicants to kneel on. At three and nine, were the galleries, where the Counts and Countesses and Dukes and Duchesses would sit and observe. They were filled, and she had the impression of flowing robes and imperial dresses, but there was too much for her to take in for her to get the details. Behind her (although she didn’t look), was the entry way for people such as her, and the Great Hall. It was flanked by armored guards. There would be no more nonsense here. The architecture was designed to make a visitor feel very small, and it was remarkably effective. She looked up at the dizzying heights and the stone and the metal and the glass work, and she felt dwarfed. Under normal circumstances, it would have been gut-wrenching, but today, there was something that made it even worse. Beside each throne, at about eleven o’clock and one, there was an upright, wooden wrack in the shape of an ‘X.’ They had shackles for the wrist and ankles. The one on the King’s side was unoccupied, and Jessica could see a short, smooth wooden dowel, protruding from the center of the ‘X’ at slight angle. On the Queen’s side, she saw Andrea. The girl was naked and mercilessly exposed: her breasts, her sex, everything! Jessica couldn’t imagine how long the girl had been there, but clearly she hadn’t become inured to the situation. She blushed down to her chest, and hid her crimson face against her arm. She shook with sobs of humiliation and wriggled ever so slightly because the dowel was tormenting her constantly. It would be, Jessica realized, inside her anus, causing an unending sensation of urgency, fullness, and violation. The Nixie, which is what they were, have their own strengths and weaknesses. They are sensuous beings whose senses are far more acute than humankind, magnifying everything for them, including pleasure and pain. They are also physically different. The females have wings that fold into their shoulders or expand until they are large enough to envelope them. The males have a tail. In both cases these ‘extra’ organs are sensitive, private, and erogenous in the extreme. Finally, they Nixie betray their feelings. When sufficiently aroused, the flesh that can receive sexual pleasure glows faintly. It is usually covered by clothing, and so hidden, but mistaken exposure could make feelings be quite embarrassing. Andrea glowed. Tied, as she was, there was no way she could hide the light that seemed to come from under the skin of her swollen nipples or through the soft fur of the mound of her sex. Her body shown with sweat and Jessica could see a fatigue upon her that came from hours of misery and humiliation. But not from pain. Katherine knew that too much physical discomfort would provide a welcome distraction from the indignity of her position. Ache and corporal punishment could always be applied later. Roland pulled her forward and hissed, in a whisper, "Kneel, Mi’Lady. And hang your head. If you don’t show proper respect it will be even worse!" Jessica knelt on the rug and looked down, grateful not to have the squirming image of Andrea before her anymore. It was horrible, and fascinating at the same time. How much would she have enjoyed such a sight if she were here on different circumstances? It would have been delightful. The Court was silent, waiting to hear her. "The words," Roland prompted. She knew them. She found them somewhere in her memory between which fork to use and what sort of gift to bring the hostess of a formal party. "I, Jessica Aldryn McLangly, thank Princess Katherine and the Court for allowing me to serve them most humbly." She swallowed. The words felt awful, as though she had to choke to say them. "I beg that you accept my offer of service and my eternal gratitude for your. . . gracious leadership and. . ." She was miserable. She knew her voice betrayed her distaste, and anger "magnanimous judgment," she finished. I will not cry. I will not beg. Oh, mercy. . . She wiped at her nose. Her knees were already hurting" the rug did not provide any protection from the cold, hard, marble floor. "Roland," The Princess’s voice was clear and familiar and filled with good humor, "What is the meaning of this? Bringing one of my dearest friends from school before the court in. . . common clothing and tied? Are you seeking a whipping, because I assure you, if punishment is what you desire, you need only ask. Unless your explanation is very good, you shan’t enjoy what you’ll receive for this." It was the same old Katherine. Mocking, playfully cruel and sure of her authority. Intolerable. "I beg the court’s forgiveness, and I throw myself upon your mercy, My Princess," Roland said, the tone of his voice making it clear he had nothing to be concerned about. "When I asked Lady Jessica to come with me, she felt she had more pressing business in the forest. I was unable to convince her of the importance of her testimony here, and so I must confess I forced her obedience. I submit to whatever punishment the Court feels appropriate." There was a burst of conversation. Some laughter. Some chatter. Jessica thought she recognized, perhaps a dozen voices. It was like a Finishing School reunion, she thought. Katherine let them talk for almost a minute before she silenced them. "Jessica," She said, and when addressed, Jessica looked up. It was required that you face the speaker. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Katherine’s eyes. "My Princess?" Her voice sounded like a quiet squeak in the vast chamber. "Is this true? Surely not! Deny it, and I will have this villain pilloried for a week and paddled thrice a day for the entertainment of the Court!" She thought of lying. The thought of Roland being punished appealed to her greatly, but it was really only a game. She stayed silent, trying to think of some way out of this, but finding nothing. Throw herself at Katherine’s feet, she decided. Beg. Supplicate yourself! But surely Andrea had done that and more, and it clearly hadn’t helped. Flee? Cry? She trembled. She wanted to stand up or at least shift position so her knees would stop hurting. But if this, this least of all discomforts, was too much for her to bare for five minutes, how would she bare being tied to a wrack such as the one Andrea languished on? She tried to imagine hours of such a fate, and couldn’t. It was unthinkable. "Well?" "I don’t deny it, Princess," She said softly. There was another erruption of voices. Exclamations of surprise. Titters of disapproval. Excited speculation about what this might mean. Jessica would have cried, and almost did, except she still couldn’t bring herself to give them the pleasure. But the pressure of the withheld tears settled in her stomach and made her feel weak and sick. She bit her lower lip and waited. Again, at a motion from the Princess, the court fell silent. "I am rather disappointed in you, Jessica. I’m afraid that by disobeying Roland in his official capacity, you have disobeyed me. You realize that this leaves me no choice but to punish you?" She wasn’t disappointed at all! She was ecstatic. When she had imagined bringing her old enemy before her she had probably never dreamed it would be this dramatic. Jessica covered her face with her hands and stifled a whimper. She wasn’t going to make it any more enjoyable for them! She wasn’t! She would be stoic and cool and. . . She felt her body shudder visibly with a silent, wracking sob. Snatches of conversation from the gallery reached her, ‘oh, the poor thing. . .’ and, ‘she’ll be a very sorry young lady. . .’ Their patronizing sympathy was a mortifying torment. ‘She’s going to get it worse than Lady Connor,’ ‘I’m sure proper punishment will improve her greatly. . .’ She heard Roland’s voice in her ear, "You must, Mi’Lady. The Princess is waiting." You must beg the court for punishment, he meant. His tone made it clear he knew how awful it was to be toyed with so, but he was also reminding her that, if she didn’t submit, they would do something even worse. She wished desperately she had the courage to defy them, like she had in school. But she didn’t. She was terrified of being humiliated the way Andrea had been. "I b-beg the. . . Court. . . discipline me for my. . ." She searched for words that would please them, "Disobedience," she finally said. It was the worst way to put it she could think of and she hoped that a display of humility might convince them to spare her. "The Court is always glad to grant your wishes," Katherine purred. "Roland, please take Jessica to a holding chamber. She’ll be testifying tonight, and I want her rested." She addressed Jessica then, "The Court will deliberate on your punishment. You may take comfort in the promise that it will be extremely educational for you, whatever we decide." She nodded and dismissed them. Roland helped her up and lead her away. She walked unsteadily, and her vision was blurred with tears, but as she left, she met Andrea’s eyes and shuddered. The holding chamber was a jail cell with comfortable furniture. It had a heavy wooden door with a locking window on it so that the guards could look in. There was a bed and a chamber pot, and a water pump. The first thing she did was strip off her riding boots and message her feet. She knew she should rest, but she couldn’t. She also spent several minutes squatting above the pot before she gave up. The idea that, at any moment, someone might peek through the window was enough to insure nothing would happen. That also inhibited her from masturbating. The casual exposure of Andrea’s arousal had made a big impression on the Young Lady. She didn’t know if the girl had been. . . touched. . . or somehow stimulated (even the euphemisms gave her chills), but she was certain that if they chose the same fate for her, none of that would be necessary. Right now, despite everything, her nipples throbbed and glowed in the tight, protective confines of her riding bra. Her panties were wet with sweat from her morning exercise, but they were also stained with moisture from her sex. The court would love that, she thought. She paced the room, trying to think of something other than what she had seen and what awaited her. Sometimes she panicked, but without anything to do, the emotion just subsided. She wished she was able to cry. An eternity had passed and another eternity was beginning when there came a knock at the door and Roland opened it. She felt the blood leave her face, and her throat dried so that her voice was a quiet rasp. "Is it time?" She asked, tremulously. "Soon, Mi’Lady. But not yet. I came to see if you needed anything." He closed the door behind him and sat on the bed. Reaching under his tunic, he produced a metal flask. "It’s not very strong, but it tastes better than water," He offered it to her. Eyes wide and pathetically grateful for even this small comfort she took it and sipped. Wine, she thought. Wine from a metal flask. She drank again. More like grape cider, really. He hadn’t been kidding when he said it was weak. She sat on the bed and looked down at the floor. "Thank you, Lance Corporal Roland." "I don’t suppose you need me to tell you what kind of trouble I could get in for this," He said softly. She nodded. Then she looked at him. "Then why take the chance? What makes you think I won’t tell?" "I don’t know if you’ll tell or not. I wouldn’t do this if I felt it was immoral, and beyond that, I don’t care if it’s against the rules. You looked like you needed some comfort." Oh, Mercy, I’m going to cry on his shoulder, she thought. No. No, I won’t. I don’t care how good it would feel. I don’t care if all this tension and worry is going to make me nauseous . I’m not going to. . . She sniffled, and she felt him put his arm around her and draw her head against his chest. She pressed her hands against her mouth to muffle the sounds and shook with tears. She felt him pet her gently. "How did you get messed up in this?" He asked some minutes later when she was almost through. Actually, she was through, but it felt so good to be held that way that she remained there. "We all started in school. Once they taught us about the human realm and what sorts of things were possible, some of the girls started experimenting." "Experimenting?" "Entering human dreams. You’d feel out for a dream, and then ride into it." "What kind of dreams?" She blushed. "Any kind. I guess mostly. . ." "Erotic ones?" He guessed correctly. She nodded. Ashamed. "That was what Lady Connor confessed to," He told her. "But apparently Lady Connor was still doing it, even recently. And not only entering dreams but manipulating them." He sighed. "That would not be forgiven, if she were caught. And she confessed to using the spells to torment her sleepers. Giving them dreams about punishment and submission. I don’t think Princess Katherine would have been quite as harsh as she was if that weren’t the case." He waited in silence for her to respond. His hand kept stroking her hair, and down her back, and he held her tightly. "Well?" He asked, finally. "Well then I’m in trouble," She said. She spoke into his shirt so her voice was muffled and he almost couldn’t understand her. "I can’t say I feel that sorry for you. No offense, Mi’Lady." He didn’t let go of her though. He didn’t push her away. She looked up at him, "But I. . . I can’t bare this. I couldn’t bare it if they put me up there." "Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the point?" "Andrea’s used to this kind of crap! She was one of their. . . I don’t know. . . one of their little soldiers. I was always too proud to play their stupid games." She pulled away and moved to the edge of the bed. She sat, her chin in her hands, her elbows on her knees, and glared at the wall. "This isn’t fair!" He didn’t answer. After a moment she was afraid that she might have run him off, but when she glanced quickly over, she saw that, while he wasn’t agreeing with her, it still bothered him to see her miserable. "If you had let me go, I could have dealt with this on my own," She told him. He stood up. "It’s almost time and I need to get back to my post." He reached for his flask, "May I?" She gave it to him without looking at him. She felt him take it, and the urge to throw her self on him and cry and beg that he spirit her out of here flared within her. She was only barely able to control it. But he didn’t leave. "I wanted to say that I know this isn’t going to be pleasant for you, but I sincerely hope that you learn something from it. Whatever that might be. I. . . I believe you might need it. And, I promise to help you in any way that’s proper and allowed." Silence. He waited for any response, and when she didn’t give one he turned and left, locking the door behind him. Alone then, she did cry, face down on the bed, sobbing into the pillow. She reveled in the feelings of misery and abandonment, and self pity. When a knock came again, it was Roland, his face expressionless, the kindness he had shown her before hidden behind his professional facade. There were two armored guards with him, and they escorted her out into the hall. Thus, it was, with her face stained with tears, her voice broken from hours of sobbing, and barefoot, that she was marched before the Princess’s Court. ArcSyn
The Princess’s Court Part 2a of 5 (FM/Ff nc) Lady Jessica could hear the babble of the Court as she approached. They had walked her past a mirror and she knew how she looked. Young, without makeup. She might be mistaken for a teenager! And utterly without class or dignity. For riding by herself, she had chosen simple, old clothes, and had spent the morning sweating in them. Her tumble in the dirt hadn’t done much for her, either, but the worst was that it was obvious she’d been crying. If they wanted any evidence that she was intimidated by them, that would be it. She kept her gaze downcast, and shuddered as her bare feet slapped the polished stone floor. The air temperature was comfortable, but the floor felt like it was freezing! The only comfort she got from anywhere was Roland’s presence. But even that was a double-edged sword. Being pitied by and disgraced before the handsome, Nixie soldier was almost worse than being alone! Under normal circumstances, he would be honored, even intimidated, by her presence. Now he would always see her as a naughty, deserving child! He guided her through one of the smaller arches that fed into the Great Hall, and then into the Court, itself. It was filled, and she felt the weight of the gaze of many, many people fall onto her. She had determined that she would face them impassively, her face set and emotionless. That was impossible when she saw the Princess. Katherine was magnificent, dressed in a gown woven of clouds and star-light, and wearing jewelry sculpted of amber and crystalline fire. Jessica felt an almost elemental shock of awe at the sight of her old classmate. Awe, and envy and shame. For an instant, their eyes met and Katherine smiled and Jessica looked away, shaken. The Princess enjoyed being admired, she thought. Especially by an old enemy in a wretched state. Her Prince sat beside her, his pressed uniform less spectacular, but with the force of tradition behind it. The room fell silent. She was lead up to the bar and for the second time today, she knelt before her Princess. She could hear her own ragged, edge-of-tears breathing, and she knew that they could as well. In the quiet room the small sounds she made were amplified by the hard floors and curved walls. She did not need to look up to know that Andrea was still there, still suffering on the wrack at Katherine’s side. If anything, the glow between her thighs had gotten stronger. Maybe in anticipation of watching another share her fate. Katherine let the silence draw on, undoubtedly aware that every moment spent waiting wound her subject’s anxiety tighter. Jessica didn’t dare look up or move. Beg them, part of her urged. So what if it’s what they want! They’ll get what they want of you, anyway. . . But she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t surrender what little she had left to Katherine. And she was afraid. What if what they wanted was her to kneel quietly and suffer their gaze and their pity? She could imagine that. And then, at their own pace, they’d work up to the other things. She shivered and Katherine motioned for the Court to begin session. She remembered her Protocol classes vaguely, but from what she recalled, there would be a reading of those in attendance. This was largely for the pleasure of the nobles, who would enjoy hearing their name sounded, but it might last half an hour. All the while, she was getting stiffer and colder, and her knees were killing her. The Royal Announcer was in the ‘K’s, reading out, "Lord Andrew Killiam," when she rocked forward to try to distribute the weight somewhere else. "Be still," Roland hissed. And it wasn’t an order. It was a warning. She returned to the uncomfortable position, unable to think of anything except how comfortable the thrones were. Even the benches the attendees sat on were cushioned. I must sit still, she told herself. Head bowed, back straight, knees apart. Just as a commoner would, if brought here. I mustn’t shift or move, because they enjoy seeing me like this, and I mustn’t deny them anything they might enjoy. Even if it means going out of my mind! But when they had read Lady Worthing McAlester, she felt another instant of kneeling would do her in and she moved again. Just a little. She had to. "Jessica," Roland hissed, but it was too late. The Princess held up a hand and the reading stopped. With the silence came a feeling of dread. Oh, Mercy, she thought, why did I move? It wasn’t that bad. . . She looked up pleadingly. The Princess smiled at her but addressed Roland. "Lance Corporal, is the Supplicant squirming?" "Yes, Your Highness," He said. "I see. Jessica?" Jessica had been holding her breath. Now, she swallowed, exhaled, and gulped air. "Your Highness?" "You’ve already earned one punishment from the Court. I cannot imagine you want two. And I know you were better in Protocol than that. What do you have to say for yourself?" Mercy, She thought. She remembered sitting in Protocol class with the other girls enjoying the tribulations commoners were put through when they visited their betters. Commoners or disgraced aristocrats. "I’m sorry, Your Highness," She managed. "I t-tried. . ." The Princess waved her excuse away, but spoke in a gentle, understanding tone of voice. "You tried your best, didn’t you?" "Yes, Your Highness. . ." "But you’re not used to kneeling and it’s very uncomfortable, isn’t it?" Jessica sat perfectly still. She wanted to cry, ‘Yes! Oh, Mercy, please! Oh, I beg you, cease toying with me!’ But she didn’t dare. The Princess’s offer of leniency was something she couldn’t pass up, even if she mistrusted it. Her voice quavering, adorably on the edge of tears, she managed to say, "Yes, Your Highness," "Well," Katherine spoke to the Court, "I’m not sure what we should do." She smiled. "I think we might ask an expert, such as she is, in proper Court etiquette." She paused to consider and then turned to the girl at her side. Every eye focused on Lady Andrea Conner and the effect was immediate. Miserable enough when she wasn’t the center of attention, being called upon in such a manner was merciless torment for the naked young lady. Jessica felt her own breath catch as she looked at what lay before her. Andrea’s legs were opened uncomfortably wide, and she was raised so that her groin was only inches from her Princess’s armrest. Her hips were pushed forward by a wooden rod that disappeared between the soft cheeks of her buttocks and into her anus. Not permitted a stitch of clothes, she made a fetching display for the court. Mortified, she blushed painfully, at being addressed, even after all these hours. Jessica saw that she was clearly petrified of what this might bring. She moaned and wiggled as much as she could. "Well what do you think, Lady Connor? Should Jessica acquire another punishment or should we spare the girl?" There was some laughter and a murmur of approval. They found the whole idea psychologically fascinating and more than entertaining. Andrea looked away, utterly unable to meet the Princess’s eyes. Wherever she looked, she found a patient, smiling face, waiting for a reply. Whispers traveled back and forth, and finally Andrea looked at Jessica. Jessica looked down miserable and furious. Of course the girl didn’t have a choice. If she said anything other than ‘punish,’ she risked the Princess’s displeasure. And the attention of the Court was agony for her. "Punish her, Your Highness," She managed, but her voice was all but inaudible. Another murmur from the crowd. They were pleased! Very good! The naughty young lady who couldn’t sit still was going to get punished for it! Very proper! Andrea turned her head to face her arm and whimpered pleadingly to Katherine. But Katherine wasn’t done with her yet. "And, tell me, Lady Connor, how should she be punished. I know you favor very sever and humiliating punishments for bad little girls, but let’s make sure the punishment fits the crime, shall we?" Katherine was certainly entertaining the Court now! Jessica listened to their excited discussions about what fate the mortified Lady might choose for her. They were sure to appreciate the helpless fury she was feeling. After all, playing one supplicant off against another was an incredible game! And the line about ‘favoring sever punishments!’ Such playful irony! "Hmm?" Princess Katherine prompted. "Mustn’t take forever. . ." Desperate to have this part of the game over, Andrea babbled something out. "For the Court, Dear," The Queen told her. "Repeat." "M-make her k-kneel on rice. . . And bind her wrists to her ankles. . . " Oh, Mercy! No! Oh, Andrea! She looked back pleadingly at Roland, but he only stared ahead. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing anyone could do. A servant boy no older than fifteen came out with a bowl of rice, and she was allowed to stand, her head bent forward, while he sifted it onto the rug. She was grateful for the momentary respite, but she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to return to the floor. A tear escaped down her cheek and she quickly wiped at it. Soon she wouldn’t be able to. "Kneel," Roland told her, not unkindly, but without sympathy. "It could be much worse." Owww. She whimpered herself when her knees touched the grains. Oh, mercy. . . oh, this was terrible. . . She hung her head and sniffled, while Roland tied her. He was quick about it, but she was basically hog-tied. As when he had lead her in, the ropes were tight enough to prevent escape but not so tight she would loose circulation. He was, she reflected, very good at this. "That’s much better, isn’t it, Jessica? Can we continue reading without interruptions?" "Yes, Your Highness," She said quickly, in a voice that was obviously threatening to disintegrate into tears. Silence. Why weren’t they reading? Didn’t they know this had to end immediately! She looked up and realized what they were waiting on. It took all of her self control to say, "T-thank. . . th-thank you, Lady Cuh-Connor for my punishment. . ." "And the Court thanks Lady Conner as well," The Princess said. "Let the record show that we have expressed our appreciation." Jessica tried to look away, but couldn’t, while The Princess reached out and slid her fingers between the furrow of Andrea’s sex. Andrea closed her eyes and begged desperately for it to stop, while her body squirmed with pleasure she couldn’t hide. It was all the more poignant that she was almost powerless to pursue her own pleasure. She was spread ever so much wider than was necessary and impaled, so that even the most ardent thrust of her hips only gave her what her Princess allowed. Her nipples and nether-lips glowed brightly, and Jessica caught a glimpse of the young woman’s clitoris, shining like a bright star in the hidden folds of her organ. The room was full of mirthful comments about how embarrassing that must be and how it was so obvious that she enjoyed it, and of course she enjoyed it—she’s obviously needed it for quite awhile! "That’s enough for right now," The Princess cajoled, pulling her hand away, and when Andrea struggled earnestly, and implored with painfully sincere whispers, the Princess laughed and said, "I know you’re quite frustrated, Dear, but it would be so improper to let you spend in front of all these people!" Satisfied that Andrea’s humiliation was complete and Jessica’s punishment was just beginning, she let them return to the reading. It hadn’t been bad before, Jessica thought. It hadn’t been anything before! Oh, how could she have been so stupid and weak! This was murder! Agony! She cried silently because it was the only thing she could do but it didn’t help. She knew they were remarking upon it amongst themselves, and she heard, in half-understood voices, their pity for her. The poor, sweet thing was learning her lesson, wasn’t she? A little exercise in self control and submission! Two subjects she obviously needed a refresher in. . . And yet this was nothing compared to what Andrea had just endured! Tears trailed down her cheeks and she shook and quivered and truly suffered every second of the eight minutes it took to finish the list. Then there were a few more things to do, and the Princess found this and that to bring up, before she could get to the business at hand. Jessica was, by this point, physically and emotionally exhausted, and miserable, so that she was almost relieved when the Princess addressed her directly. "You know why you are here. I was merely going to inquire as to what you knew, but given your behavior, I believe we have reason to accuse you. As such, you may enter a plea. I believe you have been dream meddling, Jessica. What do you say?" So that was it. They wanted her to confess without having to Compel her. Because if they were wrong they would loose considerable face for compelling testimony. And maybe the Princess was just fishing. Maybe she really didn’t know, and wasn’t going to use the oath at all. . . but it went unspoken. To lie, would bring much greater retribution. It might be her only way out, but if it failed. . . She closed her eyes. If she were to show any meaningful defiance, this was it. If they were to respect her at all, she would earn it now. The Princess had taken a risk by doing this in public, and there was no doubt that the Court knew it. And the payoff? If she was as cowed as Katherine hoped, she would be forced to deliver herself into the Princess’s full authority before them all. Knowing, as Katherine did, how hateful that would be for her, it would make the morsel of her surrender and subsequent misery even more succulent. She glanced at Andrea and knew that she didn’t have a choice. "I plead guilty, Your Highness," she said, her voice quavering. There was flat silence, broken only by her own breaths. Not a murmur. "Guilty? Are you sure? The punishment for such a thing is quite severe, Jessica," Katherine teased. In this game of cat and mouse she had the mouse right where she wanted her. Why not rub it in a little? Sobbing, Jessica nodded. Someone pulled the rope and she was lifted to her feet. Now, with the vast relief of being off her knees, she sagged, and moaned. "Face the front," Roland said. "You must, Jessica. Please." She did because he asked. Her vision was blurred and all she could see was the great, bright blur of the Princess. "Please sentence me," She gasped. "Please punish me as I deserve. . ." She put a hand to her face and cried into it. Roland supported her. When the Princess spoke, her voice was pleased, but oddly gentle and lacking the cruelty of her earlier pronouncements. "Very well," She said. "The Court will adjourn to consider Lady Jessica’s punishment. I will assign. . ." She looked around the room, "Lord Sopwith to determine a punishment for her attempt at flight earlier today Lord Sopwith?" A portly man with a dark blue jacket stood and mused, stroking his chin. He spoke loudly so the court could hear his thoughts, "It should be something. . . elegant. . . and I think she has apparently been coddled more than is becoming, so I would like to see it toughen her. And she is exceptionally beautiful when she cries so she should be encouraged to cry all night. . . A rather. . . hmm. . . perplexing combination." He studied her and she found some strength in the loathing she felt for him. He smiled, "Ah. I have it. But I must confess that it could be more humiliating, I felt that she should be spared such," He nodded to the wrack, "public displays until the sentencing for her, ahem, real crime." He stood, almost at attention, and waited. "And that would be?" The Princess asked. "Yes, Well. . . I believe there is a balcony beyond your chambers, Your Highness. I felt she might be tied there in some. . . revealing position. And quite naked. Such bondage will help prepare her for the more figurative servitude that will come with her sentence, and to help her cry. . . well, I am sure that some magics can be applied that will summons mosquitoes? But since we wouldn’t want her overly tormented, I would like to protect all parts of her body from them except, let us say, her buttocks and anus. Her sex. . . should definitely not be spared. The insides of her thighs? No. Let them suffer as well. . . and the soles of her feet." He nodded. "Such a night should prepare her quite nicely for her appearance tomorrow." He smiled and moved to return to his seat when the woman at his side whispered something to him and he stood quickly, "If the Court would please, Your Highness, I forgot to include, in the list of targets, her breasts. I cannot see preventing the insects from sampling such delicacies." Jessica was stunned. She trembled, and it was good that Roland held her because had he not, she would have collapsed. Her mind reeled with fear and anguish. That was. . . no. No, that couldn’t be allowed! She turned and looked pleadingly at Roland. He didn’t look away this time, but his gaze told her that she was in fact going to suffer this. She felt panic swelling up inside her and she turned to the Princess. "Don’t," Roland said. "Thank him and be done with it." "I can’t," She stammered. Didn’t any of them realize what agony they had consigned her to? She looked around the room, and found pity and sympathy, but also interest and pleasure. That she couldn’t stand such things as kneeling and being tied, made her a perfect plaything. They were eager to see her suffer for them. And because of that they were merciless. Because these are such minor punishments, she realized. Nothing you can’t live through. Nothing that will harm you. And your fear of them is a heady elixir! Just look at how Andrea glows at the thought of it! And under their dresses and gowns and suits, they are all bright as well! "Jessica," The Princess said, "I think that was an excellent idea. What troubles you? Do you feel you need something more severe?" "P-please. . ." She trailed off. Katherine glared at her and she shank back. This was not the time to plead. That was not what they wanted from her. And she was taught that. "Very well, then. Lance Corporal Roland, when you tie her, we will provide a solution of sugared water that you are to apply to her nipples but not the rest of her breasts, her clitoris, but not the rest of her sex, and the opening of her anus. That way those areas will suffer just a little worse and she will be quite satisfied and thankful for her punishment, won’t you, Jessica." "Yes, Ma’am," She whimpered, forgetting the proper from of address, but using a less formal one that a student might use with a teacher. Katherine seemed pleased and nodded for her to continue, "T-thank you, Lord Sopwith. . . I. . ." she looked down and blushed furiously. More babble. Sounds of pleasure and approval. They found her fate very appealing and appropriate, and they knew that, while she might not be displayed before them, they would certainly look forward to seeing her in the morning. All around, it had been a very entertaining and productive evening. "Take her back to her room, but stay with her," The Princess told Roland. "Preparations will be made, and she will be ‘put to bed’ as soon as they are ready." He nodded once, and took her arm to lead her away. "And, Jessica," The Princess said. Jessica looked back. She was so relieved to see a normal, almost friendly expression on the girl’s face. "I shall be up to visit you once you are ‘tucked in,’ and we’ll talk." Then she was taken away. ArkSyn
The Princess’s Court Part 2b of 5 (FM/fF nc) "Awaken, Mi’Lady," She heard the voice in her ear, and for a moment she didn’t know where she was, but it was wonderful to wake up in the arms of a handsome, strong man. Then she remembered and it wasn’t wonderful anymore. Or rather, it was still wonderful, but bad for other reasons. She looked at him, her wide eyes shining like full moons in the dim light of the chamber. "Have they come for me?" "Very nearly. A boy came to say the preparations have been made." She had slept almost immediately when they had returned, and he had held her the whole time. Now, newly awake, she felt disoriented. She clung to him desperately. "You haven’t much time," He said. "You must go to the bathroom now. It’s the last chance you’ll get for some time, and you don’t want to. . . make a mess while you’re tied for punishment. They’ll be very cruel if you do." She shook her head. "I can’t," She hissed. "Not with you here." "Try," He told her, "Because if you are modest about such things, you best get over it. Do you think they let Andrea down to pee?" The image she got was devastating, frightening and arousing at the same time. She swallowed and shook her head. "I can’t do it like this." "Lady McLangly," He said, but she grabbed him. "I. . . please. . . it would be too embarrassing." "As you will, but I fear it will only be worse later. Then stretch. I know there’s not much room here, but do the best you can." She looked down. The enormity of what she was facing hung over her so that she could take little pleasure in the honest, heartfelt concern the soldier showed for her. Under less trying circumstances, this would be wonderful. As an enlisted man, he was below her station, but not so far that such a quick romance would be impossible. And he was handsome and strong. . . Which, of course made what he was going to see when they removed her clothes even worse. What would he think of her glow? He would pity her and maybe be relieved that she found some. . . interest in this. The idea of being so exposed to him was mortifying even to think of. When the time came, she would never be able to endure it! That was one of the reasons she didn’t dare disrobe now, and knowing that she would soon be forced didn’t make it any easier. Maybe they would send him away. . . but that would be even worse! She cried again, and he held her until there were footsteps in the hall. "Will you leave me?" She asked him, suddenly. "Only if I must," He said as he stood to open the door. "And I shan’t go far." The guards returned and this time they took her up to a winding stair that climbed into the Palace tower. From small windows she passed, she could see the lands around it. Magical lands. Lands of wonders. Roland helped her along, and they finally came to a door that opened into the carpeted, wood-paneled recesses of the Princess’s private quarters. Here, the air smelt of strange, expensive perfumes. She saw masks with odd, frightening and erotic designs and pedestals with ancient artwork upon them. She could feel the magic, like an electric charge in the air. The balcony was past the Princess’s quarters, accessible through a large double door. The air outside was warm, and there was no breeze. She hesitated when she saw the rigging they had set up for her. It would be like a swing. She would lay on her back, strapped to a leather dolly, facing the sky. There were two short cords with soft leather cuffs on them for her ankles, and they were very far apart. Anyone opening the doors would be looking directly into her most private recesses. She didn’t immediately see what would be done with her arms, but she was sure they wouldn’t be available to cover herself. Directly beneath her was an ornate bowl filled with powdered herbs. A young woman; a servant not yet out of her teens, was inspecting the apparatus. She turned, studied Jessica, and then spoke to Roland. "It’s quite ready for her. The Princess is having her bath and will be finished shortly. She’s to be in position by then." He nodded. "How so?" "On her back, legs up and apart," The girl said. After a little consideration she suggested "Tie her hands behind her back." "Why not up?" It would be more comfortable, she realized. "To expose her breasts more," The girl explained, cheerfully. "If they were up she might thrash about and find some way to protect them." He nodded finally. Then he turned to her. "We haven’t much time. Let’s go. If you don’t do it yourself, I’ll have to do it for you." She stared at him and trembled. "I. . . can I please. . ." "No. No, whatever it is," He told her firmly, his voice slightly irritated, "You cannot. Take your clothes off or I shall. . ." He sighed. "No. Never mind. Stand still, or I shall spank you." He stepped forward and took her shirt, lifting it in one move over her head. In that moment, she was close enough to smell him. He smelled of horses and the oil that soldiers put on their swords and the dust of the road. He also smelled her, she realized. Sweat. Tears. Unlady-like aromas. She felt his hands undo her bra, and they stopped. For a moment, nothing happened. "Oh, mercy," The girl said, her voice almost a laugh. "I think I’d better go tell the Princess about this." "Why’s that?" Roland asked, irritated. Worried. Astonished by what had been revealed. "Well you’re supposed to rub her in. . . those places." The girl did laugh then. This was, Jessica realized, quite hilarious, "and the way she’s glowing, the Princess might not consider that punishment." "Well go tell her then," He said, clearly happy to be rid of her. Jessica heard the girl’s footsteps as she left. "Part your legs a bit, Mi’Lady. I’m going to pull down your pants." ". . . oh, mercy, Roland. . . please. . . please don’t make me. . ." Her legs were spread. He was rough, but no rougher than he had to be. In an agonizing instant, her pants were down around her knees. Her panties, too. And her mind reminded her mercilessly of what he must smell now. Still holding her, he sat down in a chair by the railing and in the same motion she found herself across his lap. She felt the rough fabric of his trousers against her thighs and belly. Against the curve of her sex. Now she panicked and struggled, but he held her effortlessly, turning her here and raising her there. This couldn’t be happening! This was. . . no. . . oh mercy! Mercy! She looked back over her shoulder and his eyes met hers. She was, at that moment, all blushing mortification and wide-eyed vulnerability. Her soft mouth begged voicelessly for him to spare her, and he gave her a moment to fret and plead because it was adorable and he couldn’t help it. But it didn’t sway him. The first spank was shockingly painful and made an sharp crack that carried into the valley. She cried out, and he slapped her again. His palm was hard and callused, and her buttocks were smooth and soft. She was defenseless, she realized, against even the most mild spanking she might receive. "You’re not to beg me," He said, letting his hand fall with the cadence of the words. "Or to resist me," She was bucking under his hand, and he punished her expertly, letting his hand fall as her struggles raised her hips. "Or to ask to be let out of punishments you know you deserve." "Please," She sobbed, "Please, Sir! Please!" "Do you understand?" His voice was calm, but the spanking hadn’t slowed. "Yes!" She screamed it, because he wanted her to. He wanted everyone to hear her. And he let her naked thighs kick and spasm as they would because it gained her nothing, and it made a fascinating, obscene display of her light pink (it wasn’t even red yet) ass and damp, glowing sex. Because, she thought bitterly, it entertained them and made the lesson that much more effective for her. "Yes, Sir, Yes! I understand, Sir!" "So you’ll obey me?" He asked. Now, though, just a little bit of amusement crept into his voice. He couldn’t have failed to notice the desperate increase in the light between her thighs. Or the heavy, musky odor coming from the slick, damp spot on his uniform slacks. "Owww!" She cried, nodding and then, "Yes! Sir, please! I’ll obey! I’ll obey!" If only you’ll stop! Oh, mercy, please stop! There was a fire back there, and each slap stoked it higher. She was bawling and wailing so that she was sure everyone heard her everywhere. It didn’t matter. It matter how humiliatingly submissive she was, because she would do anything to stop the spanking. "Even if I tell you to squat and pee in the corner?" He asked. She opened her mouth in protest. Being teased by him now, while she was utterly defenseless was intolerable. Her pride demanded that she deny him. Demanded it! But she couldn’t because that would mean the spanking would continue, and no matter what the loss of face, no matter how her sniveling pleading might torment her later, she had to submit. So the castle heard Lady McLangly cry, "Yes! Ow! Yes, I’ll pee in the corner, Sir! Please!" He chuckled, but stood her and said softly, "Quickly, then. Do it before they get here," and she almost did, but he was a little bit too late. "I don’t think that’s a very good idea," The Princess said. Roland froze momentarily, and then turned to salute her. "Your Highness," He began, by way of explanation, but she waved him aside. She focused on Jessica. Jessica felt her throat tighten, and she shied away. The Princess walked up to her. "On your knees," She said gently. "Or, if you prefer, you may squat. But no peeing." She giggled. The Princess was wearing a white robe that tied at the middle. Washed and cleaned, with her hair tied back, she looked much younger and less imperious than she had at Court, but her presence was still stunning. Jessica squatted at her feet, her smarting, stinging buttocks inches over her heels. "Chin up, Jessie," The Princess said. "Let me look at you." She looked up at her Princess. She felt strangely calm, while Katherine wiped at her cheeks and smoothed her hair back. "She’s very tender, isn’t she, Roland," The Princess said "Yes, Your Highness." "And. . . responsive?" "It appears so," he agreed. The topic of the state of her body made him uncomfortable. "I always thought so. It’s unfortunate for her," She said and then laughed. "She’s in for a rough time, I’m afraid." "I’m sure," Roland said, "She would agree she deserves it." The Princess looked down. "Is that true? Do you deserve it?" Jessica closed her eyes and tried to answer, but she couldn’t talk. She nodded her head miserably. "I like it when you call me Ma’am," The Princess said. "Especially in public. While you’re being punished you’ll refer to me that way, Okay?" "Yes, Ma’am?" She managed. The Princess turned to Roland. "Tie her and wet her. I don’t believe I need to remind you that she’s not to spend." "No, Your Highness," "Oh yes. Gag her. I don’t wish to be disturbed by her cries." He nodded and got to work. She did nothing as he strapped her in. He was very thorough and careful. She wouldn’t escape, and she wouldn’t fall. When he was done she was helpless. There was something awful, she realized, about not being able to close her legs. It was. . . improper. Ever since she had been a little girl, she had been taught how to sit and how not to, and what was acceptable and what wasn’t. Laying back, with her ankles raised and unbearably far apart was wrong. Even though she had no choice, a merciless voice that sounded just like her Governess scolded her, telling her how what a tramp she appeared! Making her aware of how devastating the loss of privacy was. The light from her sex didn’t help. In the darkness, it was a constant reminder of her shameful reaction. "Now your hands," He said. He had left them for last. He folded her elbows, so that her forearms were comfortably together, as though she were crossing her arms, but behind her instead of in front of her. Two straps buckled them tightly together, under the swing so none of her weight was on them. Just as he finished her nose itched and she moaned through the gag. "Shh," He told her. "Quiet, now. It’s Okay." No, she thought, pleading with her eyes. No, it’s not Okay. My nose itches. I’m naked. . . I’m so humiliated I can’t think. I need to pee. I need to masturbate! You can’t leave me like this! I’m not able to handle it! He watched her writhe as panic overtook her, and then when she was done and it had gained her nothing, he sat beside her. "I’m going to wet you now. I. . . I can see how you’re. . ." he looked away, and his awkwardness was devastating for her. It confirmed her fear that far from taking her arousal in stride, he found it odd. Interesting. And obviously, shameful in the extreme. She was deeply embarrassed, and knew the Princess would be pleased. "I’m going to try not to make it worse," He explained. She couldn’t have been more self conscious if she’d been painted red and marched through the center of town! He sat between her open thighs and began to wet the skin indicated. Her nipples were first. He reached across and touched one lightly with sticky, moist finger tips and she moaned. His hand pulled back. Then he touched her again. His carefulness and gentleness made his caress teasing and almost tickling. She was so aroused that it was so overwhelming it was almost uncomfortable. She jerked violently and squirmed, but there was nowhere to go. Then he did the other nipple. When she moaned and he apologized, she wanted to die. When he sat, watching the throbbing glow in her vulva, she knew he was aware how close to an orgasm she was. Touch me, she thought. Please! Please, I need it! She tried to push her hips toward him but she was helpless. He waited until the aching glow subsided before he started again. Roland was quick and mercifully professional about her anus. His fingers invaded her, leaving the sticky goo in their wake and they were gone. The stimulation reminded her she had to do more than just pee, but she couldn’t even worry about that now. She waited for him to touch her sex, but he didn’t. My clitoris, she thought helplessly angry at being denied the friction she expected. Oh, Mercy that I’m gagged or I’d beg you! She thought of Andrea being ‘rewarded’ before the court and whimpered. Why wouldn’t he touch her! Because his quick brush with her anus had aroused her again, she realized with horror. Because he was waiting for the near orgasm throb of desperation to subside. ‘What must he think of you?’ she scolded herself. ‘A Lady who gets so aroused she nearly spends from having her anus humiliated? What little respect or care he might have had for you will be gone now! And he’ll enjoy your misery along with all the others!’ She sobbed forlornly. Finally, she was calm enough to finish. With the gentlest touch imaginable, he spread the lips of her sex and unveiled her clitoris. It lit the palm of his hand and shown through his fingertip. She lay there, on the edge of somewhere else as he wet it with the stick goo. Then he was done. He stood over her, looking down at her face. "I have to go," He told her. "I’ll be near." He stroked her face, trying, with a look, to tell her that, no matter how bad it seemed, tomorrow would come, and she would be alive and everything, in the big picture, anyway, would be OK. Then he bent forward and kissed her cheek. It was reassuring and wonderful and frightening all at the same time. He stepped away and she began to cry uncontrollably into the gag and struggle with all of her might. She heard him kneel and strike a match, setting the contents of the bowl burning. The bowl, when lit, would produce mosquitoes. Swarms of them, Princess Katherine thought. She smiled at the image. Jessica might be able to rock back and forth a small amount, but that would be the only rebellion she was allowed. And the night was early. She had ordered the girl gagged so that her cries wouldn’t upset the household, but she found herself wondering if that was a bad idea. Maybe the young woman’s moans would a gentle sound to sleep by. . . She went out on her private balcony, and looked across at the one where the punishment was just starting to take place. She could make out the dark shape of Jessica, her arms crossed behind her, her head tilted back, so that the curve of her neck was visible. The scene was only lit by the glow of embers in the bowl, the light-house peaks of the girl’s nipples and the reddish luminance of her sex. That was an unexpected pleasure, the Princess thought. Wouldn’t the court be pleased to see it! They had so enjoyed mocking Andrea and Jessie was even more modest. Roland had just left, and the darkness rising out of the bowl was not smoke, but a tangle of living creatures. The Princess watched the figure start to squirm. On a moment of thought, when one of the dark shapes wandered toward her, she rolled up her left sleeve extended her forearm to it, palm up. The insect hummed audibly, a music she was sure would entertain Jessica through the night, and felt like the tickling, caress of the lightest paint-brush against the smooth flesh of her arm. An extremely irritating and unpleasant tickling, she thought. It took every bit of self control she had not to pull away. But then there was a momentary needle-like sting she could not tolerate, and she shooed it off. Katherine looked at the spot. It’s bite had left a tiny, skin-colored welt no bigger than an eighth of an inch across. Almost invisible, she thought, and she was disappointed. Then it started itching. She walked back, savoring the sensation, until she reached the door of her room and quickly slipped inside. The itch had become intolerable. She glared at it. I won’t scratch it, she thought. Let’s see. No. No I won’t. It seemed to boil under the surface, getting worse and worse. The skin, after the initial welt, never changed, but she felt it seem to cry out with the need for attention. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. Anything, except the irritation, but soon her whole world was that one, tiny patch of skin that she would do anything to scratch. So Princess Katherine smiled and scratched it. She slipped into bed. Her husband would be up with paperwork for another few hours but that was OK. She wanted to think these thoughts alone for a time. The welt was itching again, as badly as it had been the first time, and she caressed it scratching it lightly. She thought of the areas unprotected. Such sensitive skin! She opened her legs and caressed herself. Her thighs. Her buttocks. Flesh so meant for the most delicate pleasures, so defenseless against even the most minor discomforts! Like an insect bite! She grinned to herself thinking that she was awful! So wicked, she thought dreamily. So unbearable. Her hand slipped between her thighs and she began to prepare for sleep. ArkSyn
The Princess's Court Part 3 of 5 (FM/Ff nc) There was no way to tell how long it had been. Seconds? Years? Jessica looked up at the moon, and listened to the terrifying hum of the insects all around her. The spells that protected her only kept them from biting her; they didn't lessen their interest! But even if the buzz in her ears or the maddening tickle of wings at her neck and ears and all across her naked flesh were all she had been scheduled to suffer, it wouldn't have been bearable. This won't happen, she had told herself, even as the cloud of insects had swirled into being. This can't! It's more than awful! She imagined that the Princess would come through the doors and have her removed, or that Roland would appear and. . . yes! Oh, please! Didn't they realize that this was frightening? That being tied helpless for the night was punishment enough? That she was not some servant wench, used to the whim of her mistress, but a delicate lady? But then, after the first few tests of her prostrate body, she had realized that this was, in fact, going to happen. That for her punishers, comfortable in their fine beds, her plight was a pleasant thought, and that they found a night of `discomfort' (for that's all they thought it was) was a very appropriate penance for a young lady with a penchant for running away. She had screamed to tell them that it was already too much! That she was already so sorry and so punished, and Mercy-Oh-Mercy, they must surely spare her! But the gag stifled her voice, and only quite moans escaped. Then she struggled again, feeling that she must escape, or die trying. But the straps held her snug and safe, and she neither escaped nor died. Finally, her only act allowed was to look this way and that, trying to follow individual monsters. When there were a few, this was possible, but soon there were many. Hundreds! And they flew close about her face and lips, and the backs of her knees and there was no way she could follow even one. So it was that Lady Jessica had given up trying to focus on the swarm. Instead, she stared with single-minded attention at herself, looking between her breasts, past her belly, to the swollen bulge of her sex. Light from it filtered through the soft fur of her pubic hair, silhouetting the parasites as they alighted and departed her.. She watched, as one randomly swooped in. Punished as she was, the most important thing in the world was the question of what it might do. Would it fly past? Oh, please! Or, no. . . her inner thigh, already freckled with bites! Or maybe it would go down, past the horizon of her vagina and torment her buttocks, or the cheeks of her anus. Maybe it would even venture between those orbs, where a few of it's brothers had already been, and add another star to the constellation of discomfort she suffered in there! Punished little girls, she reminded herself, using the mocking tones she was sure they would, were supposed to keep their minds on their punishments. This momentary event certainly had her full attention! Time seemed to stop as it landed softly upon her nether lips, and she thought, `No! MERCY, no more THERE! OH, PLEASE!' and she thrust and struggled as though if she were bit there again, she would perish. But the creature knew it was safe, and her movement didn't amount to much anyway, and it fluttered lazily over to a damp, pink fold, and drank it's fill, and all the while, she cried into the gag and bucked and thrust in a manner that was sexual and desperate. And then, oh-did-it-itch! Oh. .. She would give anything to scratch that one spot! Anything at all! How could she suffer this and not go mad, and not die? None of the itches went away. There were just more and more of them. She learned that the longer the bite lasted, the worse the itch. The more bites in the same place, the worse the itch. These revelations made struggle of some kind imperative! And so it was. Such dramas were played every second. And most times, there were many attackers. A cloud of smoke around each breast. A dark, buzzing shadow, thick between her thighs. Two small outposts, visiting her feet, and keeping her dancing. It was not lost on her, that this torment was designed to keep her most erogenous skin continually stimulated. The distress kept the entirety of her attention focused, for every second, on her sexual regions. It was so successful, that she felt dampness from her sex over-full sex slide between her buttocks. The insects seemed to like her juices as much as they appreciated the sugar-water, and they gave her lesson after lesson in how sensitive and aware she could be of the narrow space between her sex and her anus. She was a slender girl, and her breasts were neither too large nor too small for her body, but in the sizzling attention of the mosquitoes, they felt huge. She watched helplessly as they swarmed her, finding the undersides and the nipples the best spots for their tickling, itching assault. Her nipples already felt swollen tight, making them even more vulnerable to the pin-prick stings of the creatures. And all she could do was watch, fascinated and horrified, as they took their time with her. Her buttocks hadn't fared any better. If only Roland were now here to swat at her pale jiggling orbs! It would be worth it to spare them from the monsters! But as things stood she deeply regretted having earned a spanking before suffering this. Roland had tenderized her far more than he knew, and the raw, punished skin reported every bite, ever wing flutter, and every new, scintillating welt with unfailing accuracy. She felt their spastic, idiot caress as they knitted their punishment across her seat. Even with so many things to worry about, she found their torment of her anus especially frightening. They ravished the outer cheeks, but seemed, perhaps, a little unwilling to enter such a narrow world. They needn't have feared: Roland knew her anus was to suffer, and he had tied her so that it was open beyond her control. Still, when they did venture inside to partake of her wetted, slippery opening, the sensation of itching was so horrible and intense that she was afraid she might loose control. Loose control and. . . She tried not to think about what merciless stimulation of her anus might lead to. At least on her sex, they had many targets to enjoy, and the small opening from which she peed had only been bitten once! Tears streamed down the sides of her face, and saliva, escaped from her gagged mouth, dripped down her cheek. More small irritations that summed to the astronomical whole of her misery! Time passed. Later (hours?) she was so exhausted, that despite the incessant tickling of her feet she ceased to fight, and they hung still. The moment she made this decision, she was suffused with relief at not having to exercise anymore, and she honestly intended to endure passively, whatever was inflicted. They tormented her arches, wringing blubbering sobs from her, but she did gain two, or maybe three seconds of surrender before they discovered the soft webbing between her toes! The ferocious itch was electrifying, making her whole body spasm and twist, and somehow, from somewhere, she found the energy to resume her rapid kicking. The motion, maybe, discouraged a few of the attackers. An instant had passed. Eight insects, ignoring her feeble protests, enjoyed the fleshy curve of her buttocks. Their bites reminded her where Roland had most enjoyed spanking her. She was sure it could not get worse but when she collapsed exhausted, dozens of them, waiting for just such a calm descended on the insides of her thighs like hundreds of lover's kisses. A second passed. Through tear-blurred vision, she watched mosquito alighted on her left nipple. Her left nipple was already ablaze with welts upon welts. She screamed into the gag and begged with her eyes, please, oh, please! Anywhere else! And she struggled, not with any hope of protecting herself, but thinking that maybe she could convince the creature to take another option. It landed, right where she was afraid it would, and needled her for a long, deep drink that left a welt which would torment her especially throughout the night. Seconds passed. Slowly, they became minutes. Finally hours. When she guessed, deliriously, that sunrise must be soon it was almost eleven thirty at night. Now she lay still. The body had exhausted itself, fighting with all of it's strength and all of her will and there was nothing left. She had thought that, somehow, when this point was reached, it might be bearable. She had imagined that maybe she would reach an understanding and be able to make peace with the punishment. But she learned the submission was only what was required, and it spared her nothing. In fact, when she lay calm, she discovered how awfully effective her small protest had been. Movement, even the small amount she had been allowed, had spared her anus and the inner folds of her sex a most devastating work out. It was not even midnight, when she found herself opened to the `serious' portion of the punishment and her suffering began in earnest. She could do nothing. Even the most spectacular torment of her most delicate sexual flesh couldn't stir her body to protect her. She squirmed faintly, watching as the swarm descended enmasse, covering the entire crescent of flesh from her clitoris to her anus. As Lord Sopwith had hoped, cried. On the first night of her punishment, Lady Jessica cried all night. Morning finally did come, long after she suffered everything many times. With the first rays of the sun the insects were gone, becoming ash, and drifting away in the faint breeze. Although Jessica had imagined this moment as a relief of epic proportions, she found that misery they had left her with did not fade in the least. But there was one mercy. Without the unending assault she could finally surrender to he exhaustion and, after a manner, sleep. She remembered a little about when they came for her. Mainly that Roland was the first through the door, and that he waited impatiently at her side while the handmaids and servants and guards of the Palace came by to see how she had faired. Each visitor and even passersby in the hall enjoyed the devastatingly intimate view she presented. There was much speculation about the light she gave off, and how badly she needed relief from that kind of itch. As for the bites, she recalled the loathsome handmaid's game of offering to rub her, if only she would describe, in great detail, where she most needed it. In this facility, she knew she had been a great source of entertainment for the help staff, who had ceased their cruel teasing (she was never, once, touched, as per the Princess's orders) only when other needs of hers proved more timely, and she begged for a bedpan, that she might relieve the pressures she had endured all night. What before, she could not do in private, she did now before an appreciative audience, who understood exactly how demeaning it was. And, afterwards, it was Roland who took her away. He untied her and carried her, cradling her in his arms. She knew she was filthy, and disgusting, and should be mortally ashamed of these things, but she so needed to be held that she pressed her tear-wet face against his neck and slipped back into sleep. When she awoke, she knew some but not much time had passed. She was laying on a tile floor, with her hands tied to a post above her head, but she was otherwise freed. She looked up at the whitewashed walls and to her left at a great, oyster-shaped tub of marble, and she realized that she was in the Princess's bath chamber. She wasn't alone. "Hush," Roland said, for she had whimpered. "The Princess has demanded that you be brought to her as soon as you awaken. If they discover I've not done so, I'll be punished along with you." She looked at him wide eyed, amazed at the simple way he described the risk he was taking. When he knew she understood, he took a basin of warm water and a pile of wash rags to the floor beside her. "I'm going to clean you quickly.." He held her left ankle, bending her knee up to her chest, and she felt him place the warm cloth between her legs and wash her as though she were an infant. He cleaned her buttocks and her thighs, and the he placed a hand over her mouth so that when he wiped her anus and sex, her moans would not be heard. He pretended not to notice the way she wiggled, or the noises she made, or the light that betrayed the pleasure she felt. He was fast, but thorough, scrubbing hard, in a way that both soothed the itch and was too rough to allow her to spend. When he was done, the agony of the bites had faded so that it was still a torment, but not so much of one she couldn't bear it. "That will be some comfort for you when the Princess sends for you," He said. "I would clean your face, but they wish you to appear in Court tonight, sullied by a night of tears." He stroked her hair and offered her water from a flask (no wine this time, but water was what she wanted). "I can only risk another five minutes." He looked around. "Here. Let me fold a towel for your pillow. . ." "Why are you helping me?" She managed. He looked at her as though she had uttered nonsense. "If you want, I'll deliver the Princess now," He said, archly. She looked away so he wouldn't see the new tears, and he gently brought her head back. "I'm sorry. I. . . I feel bad for you, and I have no doubt that even with my help, you'll get all the punishment you need." "They can't mortify me publicly! Not like Andrea! Oh, mercy. . . I could never stand it. . ." He held her, but he did not agree. "Do you think I deserve this?" She asked, and he simply nodded. He was a disciplined, professional soldier, she thought bitter and impressed. He would never find himself asking the Court for punishment, as she had done. She imagined how he must think of her. Spoiled. Arrogant. Disgraceful. Oh, Mercy, some part of her that enjoyed seeing her despair scolded, I don't deserve his kindness! Would not he be pleased if I begged to be taken before the Princess for the harshest punishment she could deliver? But then he smiled. "But at least this way we've met so that I like you. I'm sure if you were in your official capacity, I'd find you an intolerable brat, and you'd ignore me as beneath your station." She blushed miserably. "What is there to like? That I'm getting what I deserve? That the smallest torments they devise for me are unbearable?" He laughed, "There is that. And I would be lying if I denied that your. . . vulnerability touches me, but there's also your spirit. Anyone who made this much an enemy of the Princess cannot be all a coward. And, you're honest with yourself. You admit you've misbehaved." He studied her, for a moment before he continued, "And, if you'll forgive me, Mi'Lady, you're quite beautiful." She closed her eyes, blushing. "I. . ." She swallowed and tried to continue. She still didn't dare look. "I feared you found me repulsive. . ." She broke into tears, and she felt him close to her. "Nonsense!" He was appalled that she might feel that way. "Why? How might that be possible?" "What can you. . . mercy. . . what can you possibly think of a Lady who wets herself so when she's punished?" She sobbed with shame, and he kissed her lightly, saying, "Only that she needs to be punished more frequently." His words froze her. She was looking up, into his eyes, and she knew that her face reported her reaction as faithfully as her nipples or sex. Oh, Mercy. . . "I'm sure you agree that if you had a man in your household. . . one who wouldn't hesitate to correct you most severely, when you needed it, you wouldn't be here today." How dare her body react that way to such a suggestion! It was insulting to her dignity as a Lady, that this soldier thought she needed a man to spank her when she was bad! And how dare he torment her with such images? But naked as she was, squirming in his arms, she didn't dare bluster or scold, and she could only tell him the truth of what she felt. She looked down, and said, "No such man would tolerate me, Sir." "Because you can be selfish and thoughtless and willful?" His voice was very gentle, almost teasing, but without malice. She nodded. "I think he would cherish you when you're giving, remind you when you're thoughtless, and discipline you so that your will works for you and not against you." His face was very close to hers and all she could think of was how beautiful he was and how strong and gentle, and authoritative. He kissed her again, then. "What. . . mercy, what was that for?" "I wanted to," He said. She tried to say something to him. Something complicated and honest. She wanted to ask him for something, but she didn't know the words. When she opened her mouth to speak, he silenced her with a kiss. "Hush, now. We'll talk later. The guards are coming." He lay her back, and stood. Then, with one last, secret look at her he went to hold the door for them. Jessica realized that her sex ached and burned with a tension wound so tight that she felt her gut would implode. Shame radiated from her body casting reflections on the polished tile. It means I need to be punished more, she thought, and she almost smiled. "It's so difficult," The Princess complained laughingly. "I will please myself no matter what, but I must consider the tastes of the Court as well. They need to be entertained. And then there's you." She sat up in bed, a tray laden with freshly cut strawberries and pancakes dripping with honey and half melted butter. Sunlight streamed through the window, onto her bed, making it's white sheets appear supernaturally brilliant and clean and comfortable. Her hair had been combed recently and her fingernails painted and filed. She had a beautiful smile and it was clear she was enjoying herself. She was talking about Jessica's sentence. "I can see that you are very. . . how should I put this? Delicate? I'm afraid that you'll surrender all too easily, and that would spoil everything. I have the added burden of making sure that whatever I devise for you is so humiliating that you have to fight it. That's where the drama comes from. The internal struggle between the desire to submit and the cost in pride." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Honey, but you're so sensitive that I'll have to make sure that cost is very, very dear." She smiled and plucked a strawberry from the bowl, dipped it in whipped cream and delicately ate it, being careful to keep it's red stain from her pristine sheets. "I'm sure you appreciate the difficulty." Jessica stood in the center of the room, forbidden to move. She was naked, her legs comfortably apart, and her hands atop her head. The Princess had also ordered her to spread her wings, and so they stretched from her shoulders up to the ceiling, and out. They appeared as glittering membranes, wet and suffused with the same warm light that dripped from her sex and nipples. For a Nixie, such a display was almost unbearably vulgar, as if she had been ordered to spread her nether lips and expose everything. It was horrible, and even though she knew that this was a private humiliation, performed only before her Princess, it was almost too much to bear. It was as though the Princess was determined to rob her nudity of all dignity. The tear- stained face, the ripe, sloppy condition of her sex, and even the deep blush that never left her weren't enough. She had to be exposed in the most degrading way possible. The relief she had experienced when Roland washed her had faded over time, and now the all but invisible rash of bites that decorated her private body itched worse and worse. It was more than she could do to keep her hips still, and they moved constantly, and ever so slightly, in a dance dictated by the discomfort. Would she squirm again, and be punished for it? She was afraid she would. But even worse than that, was the need that her ordeal had awakened in her. She had the feeling of frustration that one experiences when sex or masturbation (it had been a long time since she had had sex) is interrupted before climax. She had never imagined she could need it that badly, and it terrified her. What if it could get worse? Would she. . . ask for it? Beg? Oh, Mercy! The Princess absentmindedly scratched at her arm. "The mosquitoes were a wonderful idea. I shall have to ask the magicians if we can arrange for a smoke pot under each x-wrack, and a spell to insure that only the supplicant who hangs there is tormented. Wouldn't that make it more entertaining?" Jessica gasped and the gasp turned into a sob, and she trembled. She didn't lower her hands or fold he wings, but she was wracked with misery she couldn't hide. "You'll be pleased to know that I've arranged transport for our entire class. Especially the girls who could stand you." Katherine paused for another fruit. "I've always said that being humiliated before your enemies is bad, but being humiliated before your friends is worse. I can only imagine how sorry you must be." This is for School, Jessica thought. This is punishment for not following her. For rebelling, I'm to stand here naked, itching, with my wings spread and my excitement creeping down the insides of my thighs, so that she can mock and tease me to her heart's content! She wants me frustrated to tears! There was a knock at the door, and Katherine looked up. "Come," she said. The teenage handmaid entered. She glanced at Jessica, but didn't stare. "The Wheels are prepared, Your Highness." Katherine smiled. "Excellent." She looked at Jessica, and then at the maid. "Do you think we should tell her what is in store for her? So that she may worry and fret while she marinates upon The Wheels?" The handmaid nodded. Now she did study Lady Jessica, her pleased smile never fading. She reveled in the Lady's powerless animosity. "May I say it?" "As a reward for your service, Meredith," Katherine allowed. Meredith the Handmaid approached Jessica, her eyes alight with cruel pleasure. "Well, Mi'Lady, The Wheels are two brass wagon wheels more than ten feet high, and they're. . . I'd say, two feet apart. You hang on them, your left hand and ankle on the left wheel and the same on the right." She paused so that Jessica could imagine this. "Then they turn slowly and round you go. Now, between the wheels there's all manner of things placed so that they stroke you right up the middle. Some are feathers. Some are lashes. They've stinging nettles, and all manner of wonderful surprises. And you never see what's coming because you're arched so. They go just fast enough that the feathers tickle and the lashes hurt." The Princess nodded. "It's so. You see, Dear, there's enough pleasure to make you spend at only once around the wheel, but just exactly enough pain that you wont. And I'm afraid that for you, that's a rather large amount of punishment. In one revolution, your sex will be raw and sore and so sensitive that even the caress of feathers will be torment. It would be punishment enough, but I'm afraid you'll turn on the wheel all day." Jessica sank to her knees, shaking her head, clasping her hands in front of her. But the Princess had more to say. "You see, you need to be ready for your sentence. You need to be on the edge of spending all day so that when you're brought before the Court, your humiliation will be complete. I've decided that you'll serve on your hands and knees for a year, like Andrea, but before you're allowed that, you'll entertain us by having you most interesting, private fantasies-the ones that you masturbate to, Dear- magically extracted for everyone at Court to see. We need the Wheels to get your imagination working." Roland, Jessica thought dumbly. No. . . no, that couldn't be allowed! Oh, Mercy, what would he think? He'd. . . she'd. . . she tried to imagine what would happen if he saw her serving him on her hands and knees. . . if he knew that, during the awful night of punishment, her only distraction had been the fantasy of him standing above her, scolding her in a calm, even comforting voice and telling her silly things, like that he cared for her, and found her pretty, while he flogged her sex! He'd never understand! He'd find her laughable! Pathetic! "No! Oh, Mercy, Please!" The Princess smiled. "Do you want to beg me?" Jessica, her eyes huge, her lips trembling, her hands fluttering nodded. Katherine smiled. She slid off the bed and raised her nightgown. Her sex was shaven smooth, wet and swollen with anticipation, and beautifully lit. "You may appeal to your Princess, Jessie." She took her hairbrush from the night table and gave it to Meredith. "Please inspire the Lady," She asked sweetly. "If she fails to finish me before she succumbs to your strokes, she shan't be spared." Jessica crawled, weeping desperately. She placed herself on her hands and knees and even arched her back and rolled her hips to make a pretty and easy target of her buttocks for Meredith to torment. Then she lifted her face and asked, "May I please you, Ma'am?" "Is it. . . oh, Jessie, it's terribly, horribly humiliating, isn't it?" "Mercy, yes," Jessica sobbed, tears streaming down her face. The Princess's sex glowed brightly and seemed to swell with approval. "Then you may, Jessie," The Princess said, softly. "You may. . ." Meredith waited until Jessica's lips touched the split curve of the Princess's organ. Then she set about to punishing the disgraced Lady. She swung slightly up, and snapped her wrist at the last moment each time so that the spanking would impart sharp, scalding pain to the defenseless orbs. Oh, Mercy, No! No! Not there! Please! Oh, I mustn't move, or quit, or, oh! It wasn't fair! Jessica tried to concentrate on her service to the Princess. She had been with girls at school, but she had never used her lips. Only her hands, and only rarely. Still, she knew what she was supposed to do, and no matter how degrading, she resolved to do it if it would spare her from being exposed before Roland. She would do anything, she decided! If she could. The handmaid knew how to spank, and was quick to realize that her subject was delightfully tender. SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! The burn became unbearable! Jessica sobbed, muffling her cries by pressing her face against the Princess's sex, ready to surrender when the next spank fell, but it didn't. In the moment of respite, Jessica willed herself to lick in earnest. She didn't know what had spared her, but she knew it might not last long. It didn't. The moment she composed herself, the Handmaid spanked her again, slowly, so that it took every bit of her to remain still and submissive, and all she could do was sob pitifully into her Princess. But just before she surrendered, the spanking stopped again. Jessica moaned and tried again, her tears mixing with the Princess's excitement on her cheeks. She felt Meredith pet her rear with the flat of the brush. "Are you going to toy with her all day," Katherine asked. "If I may, Your Highness," The handmaid said contritely. "You may," Katherine smiled. "But remember that every minute spent humiliating her here is a minute she is spared having her sex and anus flayed to the edge of orgasm on the Wheels." The spanking began again, and it was horrible. Jessica screamed into the quivering flesh. Her buttocks danced as she tried to be brave! The thought of loosing Roland was enough to make her keep position, even when the handmaid lay her chastisement on the same flesh again and again. It was not enough. She could not bare the spanking, and the Handmaid knew it. The Princess had her hands on her hips, paying more attention to the Jessica's beautifully suffering buttocks than the Lady's attentions to her sex.Jessica's hands flew back to cover herself, and the game was over. Oh mercy. . . MERCY! It. . please. . . "Please," She gasped. "Let me again! Oh, Mercy, I beg you!" The Princess stroked her sticky, glistening face, and knelt, looking into her eyes. "You tried very hard, Honey. I'm proud of you. But I'm afraid you needed to do better. Don't worry. You'll have a year to learn to take your spankings." She smiled and clapped. Two guards stepped into the room. "Take her to the Wheels, and make sure the feast is prepared for tonight. There will be a great many guests." Meredith grinned, pleased with the work she had done, but the Princess's look was soft, and almost wistful as she watched Jessica be taken away. ArkSyn
The Princess’s Court Part 4 of 5 (FM/Ff nc) The Wheels were in the dungeon, which Jessica found to be a terrifying place. It was full of vast arches and confusing tunnels, and everywhere she turned, there were dramas of punishment and suffering. In one room, delicate Nixie women wiggled with unending discomfort. They were shackled to the wall, and their wings stretched and pinned, so they appeared as butterflies on display. In another chamber a desperate young man tied over a bench struggled to spare his penis and scrotum the wax drippings from a candle wielded playfully by a female warden. She heard his pleading echo through the halls. They moved her quickly and she was sobbing desperately so that she could only glance at the wonders that she passed. There were suits of armor with strategic plates removed that held bodies desperate for motion in position, their tenderest flesh exposed to the ravishes of whips and straps. There were rows of spanking machines with oiled leather saddles and heavy straps. Serving girls hung from their wrists in alcoves, the glow of their exposed flesh used to light the long, dark corridors. From one chamber that she dared not look into, there was hysterical laughter and breathless cries for mercy. The Wheels were at the end, and they were just what Meredith had described. They were massive things, gleaming in the light of torches the light that she gave off. She could see the soft bedl of feathers and flower pedals, broken by leather-thonged whips and thin, flexible canes. She broke into tears just looking at them, but the guards had their orders and there was no mercy for her. First her wrists, and then her ankles were strapped in. The feathers ticked her back and buttocks. She was bent so that she looked up at the ceiling. Her sex, already miserable with need felt swollen and achy, and she suffered cramps of frustrated excitement. She begged the guards shamelessly, but they ignored her and when she was helpless they stepped away. One went to the wall, and drew a lever. The Wheels began to turn. Oh. . . something soft whispered up between her legs. It touched the lips of her sex, caressed her opening, and as she rolled past it, it stroked her anus. Oh, Mercy! It was felt wonderful and she was terrified. Another caress. . . like the petals of flowers. . . the stone arches of the dungeon rolled past her. She was facing the floor. Moving faster, now. Mercyyyyy! Oh, that felt good! But there wasn’t enough, and it didn’t touch her clitoris! Oh, the frustration! Jessica moaned. Her flesh was hyper sensitive. The contact was barely enough to feel, and she focused on it with all her might. Maybe, if she could just concentrate, she could spend! Oh, Mercy, please! Her nether lips quivered and dripped and were wiped dry by the kiss of silk. Her clitoris was already ice-hard and she felt that if it were not touched she would die. She felt an aching emptiness and she imagined what it might feel like to have it filled with Roland’s cock. Swish. . . More! Mercy more. . . please. . . Swish. . . She moaned. She imagined how she might caress herself if her hands were free. She would open her lips, wider than they were, and ever-so-lightly, touch her clit. . . and her fingers would slip inside her. . . and it would be divine. . . Swish. . . She imagined that she was on display, on the wrack in Court. Oh, the humiliation! They would mock and tease her, and to really devastate her, they would make her beg . . . She’d beg to spend! Oh, that would be perfect! She’d be so punished. . . Swish. . . Oh, that tickled! It barely touched her sex, but it felt like a feather duster had been run through her anus. The welts that covered her there, came alive, itching horribly, but also sensing. Feeling. The world whirled past and she whimpered. The gentle touching was building up slowly. So slowly that she wanted to cry with frustration, but it was getting there. She felt release building in her stomach. Swish. . .Swish. . .Swish. . . Her swollen sex drank in the attentions of the machine and she let out whimpering moan. Mercy. . . Mercy. . . oh, when it came, it would be incredible. She would explode! Her hips began to move in anticipation of the orgasm. If the wheel would only go a little faster she would be there, but the machine was superhumanly patient. No living lover could be this slow, or this sure! She strained as much as she could, trying to make the next contact come a little quicker. Swish, swish, swish. . . M-E-R-C-Y! Her face was a mask of concentration, her eyes closed, her teeth locked. But the next tick only brushed her thighs, leaving her sex barren. Her moan was heartrending. And the one after that, she barely felt, but it tickled the pink line between her lips. She gasped with frustration. She could feel the power of the orgasm building, like a storm, from far away. Her abdomen cramped painfully with need. Swish, swish, swish. Soft, wonderful things, like fairy’s wings and ghost’s lips passed between her legs. Oh, Mercy, how could they do this to her? It seemed like, at any moment, if she would just. . . just brush against. . . SPLAT! Jessica howled. Her thoughts scattered. The pain was incredible, stinging, smarting, agony. The Wheels had wheels within them, and she had passed, on her way down, a many tailed whip coming up. Oh, mercy, no! Oh, impossible! She cried out again, this time as much in frustration as in pain. Now, her sex throbbed with misery where the whip had kissed it. She could feel lines of fire against her, and the gentle caress of the feathers and flower petals only slowly began to soothe her. She fell into broken sobs when, at last, the ache blended with desperate, wire-thin need that tormented her. And the pleasure started building again. Oh, mercy, she begged. Oh, mercy, let me spend this time. Mercy, please. . . A hundred turns, had passed. The room was the same. The speed of the wheel was the same. Everything was the same, except for her. On each turn, she was stroked and teased and pleasured and punished. Each turn built within her, a tension born of sexual need on one hand and pain on the other. Now, after a hundred strokes to her sex and anus, she was horribly sore. The misery was constant, and the fear of the next lash was agonizing. Would it come now? Or later? When? Every second was spent in anticipation of lash. And yet the soothing caress felt so good! If she could only ignore the threat of punishment, she might spend and spend and then hang limply, for after that release, there would be nothing left of her. And if she didn’t spend, it seemed the need to would simply rip her apart! Her taught, naked body writhed with pleasure promised but only punishment delivered. Her sex blazing and dripping, her face contorted by misery, frustration and need, and her body trembling with it’s own rhythms, Jessica turned slowly on the Wheels. Katherine had stopped, right before she spent. She wanted to be ‘on razor’s edge’ to enjoy the feast. She also knew that, just as punishment deferred is punishment intensified, so it is with pleasure. So she forced herself to be still and recover her wits before she summonsed Meredith to dress her for the Sentencing and the Feast. "Will the hall be full," She asked the serving girl, as she labored with her Princess’s corset. "Oh, yes, Your Highness! They are arriving even now. I had heard that many of them had not heard of Lady Connor’s current. . . condition, Miss, and that they saw her, and her them for the first time in ages, as she wiggled on the wrack." Katherine smiled and closed her eyes to let her mind fill with the image! Oh, how humiliating! "And her. . . glow?" She asked, still savoring it. "Ever bright. She’s been kept in suspense all day." Oh! Maybe, she thought, she should have finished herself. Surely she would be ready to enjoy the festivities again, in minutes, if this evening kept it’s delightful pace. Of course Andrea’s misery was just an appetizer. The main course would be Jessica. "And what of Lady Jessica, Meredith? How does she fair?" Meredith looked down, and Katherine felt her face flush with alarm. "She hasn’t spent, has she?" The Wheels should never allow that! But clearly something was up. The handmaid looked up, quickly, "Oh, Your Highness, no! But. . ." Katherine put her hands on her hips. "Meredith, please tell me what’s going on with Jessica." Meredith swallowed. "I. . . She was to be taken off at sixty revolutions. . . She was left on for over four hundred, Miss. . ." She looked at the floor. "Four hundred! Why, Meredith, she’ll be delirious!" She thought of it. Four hundred near-but-not-quite-orgasms, four hundred sessions of terrifying mechanical discipline. And after a sleepless night, as well. She glared at the maid. "What is her state?" Meredith looked up, hopefully, and Katherine realized that it wasn’t that bad. "She’s aware miss. She cannot sit or close her legs, and she is horribly swollen and wet, but she knows what she faces enough to beg for your pardon. . ." Katherine smiled. "Was this. . . disobedience intentional?" Meredith nodded, but smiled. Like the Princess, she found the idea of punishment for disobedience arousing, but she was far too careful and tender to actually break a rule the Princess would discipline for. She had come close this time. Katherine studied her. "Four hundred turns. Can you imagine how she must suffer?" "Oh, she’s in agony, Miss! Her sex smarts unbearably, itches, and begs for friction that, if it were received, she couldn’t abide. She was left untied, and couldn’t even stand to masturbate herself! And she tried as we watched!" Katherine felt herself impressed. She had thought sixty was a great many, but she had secretly wished to roast Jessie for longer. The Handmaid had realized this and had sought to please her. Masturbated without care for an audience! Oh, she must need it! The Princess considered what an amusing show that would make! Her sex throbbed in her panties, and she, had a whim. Something relatively harmless to amuse her in the background of her mind while she ran the court. She studied the young Handmaid. She was a pretty girl, and used her own fear of punishment to devise terrible trials for others. "I am sure you knew I would be pleased with the outcome, if not your methods," Katherine told her. The Handmaid grinned shyly, but proud. "I am, Dear. You have pleased your Princess. "But since that is what you wish, let me describe another way you may please me." "Anything, Your Highness," The girl said. "Guard? Escort Meredith down to the Wheels. I wish to enjoy the thought of her swallowing her own medicine." She smiled gently into the Child’s terrified, wide-eyed expression. "Don’t worry, Dear. I don’t mean for you to suffer extravagantly. You’ll only turn a few times. No more than ten, and then I’ll be down to release you." "But. . . but, please. . ." She was shaking her head. "Miss, please! I couldn’t bare it!" Katherine stroked her, comforting her. "You shall. Oh, I know how tender you are, but it shan’t be for long. And I promise that you’ll be able to make it up with Jessie. I’ll give her to you for a day to play with when she’s a servant here. Okay? Your Princess will be very pleased to know that you’ve suffered just a bit. But not too much. I wouldn’t want the girls to feel that you had been punished for properly caring for them." Meredith swallowed her tears and tried to hide her fear and her anger. She tried to be brave as she was lead away. Katherine sighed. It would teach her a lesson, but it mustn’t go on too long. Still. "Guard," She added softly, "Instead of setting it for a certain number of turns, let it turn until I arrive. After all, if I am a little late, I don’t what her getting bored." He nodded, and she listened to the teenager start to sob angrily when she thought she was out of earshot. Don’t worry, Child, she thought. I’ll be down right after the feast. It was, she thought, going to be a wonderful party. Jessica suffered a very special kind of agony. Raw pain, of course, but mixed with so many other sensations that she could hardly identify it. The pounding, throbbing need was the worst of it. She tried to clear her mind of the things it brought to her but that was impossible. So she merely suffered extravagantly. At least it was over, she told herself. The time on the Wheels. But what came next would be her undoing. She replayed the morning with Roland as she had so many times today. He had kissed her, and told her he liked her. And he had told her. . . he had told her that a man who understood her would cherish her. It was almost agony to consider what he would think of her when he saw her private fantasies. Despair wracked her and she cried because of it as well as everything else. She was still sobbing when he came to collect her. She looked up at him and she could see in the concern of his face how pathetic she was. "Oh, Jessica. . ." He was speechless. He knelt. "Open your legs. Let me see. . . Mercy. . ." He was shaking his head, looking at the thoroughly attended region between her legs. He looked into her eyes. "You. . . you turned on the wheel all day?" Disbelief. She nodded, and he held her head tightly, rocking her back and forth. "Oh, baby," He murmured to her. "Mercy, Jessie. . . poor baby. . ." When she moaned he looked down. "What now?" "Please. . . Oh, Sir, I beg you. . . you mustn’t attend the Sentencing. Please! If you have any mercy at all!" "I. . . Jessica, you know I have no choice." He studied her, not understanding. "Why. . . why do you not want me there?" Had she hurt him by telling him to go? Oh, this was horrible. But she couldn’t tell him. She would explain as best she could. "They’re. . . they’re going to humiliate me horribly! I. . . I couldn’t bare for you to see that. . ." She looked up, into his eyes, trying to make him understand the magnitude of her fear. He nodded. "Of course they are going to humiliate you. And that’s why I’m forced to be there. Humiliation is being naked. Being exposed, without any of the protection society gives you. It’s to make you ridiculous. It’s as important in punishment as the pain. More so. And they know I. . . that I care about you. And they know. . ." He sighed. "It is not an option." "Roland!" He stood, to motion the guards to bring in their package. She grabbed his sleeve, crying, "Please! You don’t understand!" But then she was struck speechless, because it was the X-wrack an a wheeled cart. The dowel had been greased so that it gleamed sinisterly in the fire-light of the small chamber. She cried out, but he ignored her. First her arms were secured. Then, with one guard holding each leg, he guided her hips back toward the wooden rod. She struggled because she couldn’t not struggle. He shook his head, and then held his palm above her sex, while the guards, supporting her weight, held her immobile. "Do you want me to spank your sex?" He asked mildly. "Roland! N-no. . . oh, mercy, no!" There was a devastatingly wet smack as he slapped the swollen organ. Jessica screamed and kicked and writhed. It was horrible! And terrifying. She looked into his eyes, shaking her head. No. . .no. . . she said nothing. He nodded. "Then will you submit?" She nodded again. His hand remained, threatening a threat she couldn’t bear. Unable to look at it, she turned away. Wrong. SPLAT! She howled at the top of her lungs, and her body spasmed. He had her full attention. "Say it," He ordered. "No more nonsense from you. Yes, I do care for you. Yes, I do feel. . . that some things are amiss. But I also believe that you deserve to be very thoroughly punished, and I will gladly carry out that order. Now tell me you will submit to me." "I su-hu-hub-mit, Sir," She blubbered out. "Please. . . mercy, please," "You’ll have to trust me, Jessica." She nodded. He rolled her hips and she gasped. Then she moaned. There was pressure against her raw, smarting anus, and she couldn’t bear it. Then the pressure got worse and she felt her sphincter began to surrender. No! Her body rebelled as best it could, but she felt herself opening. Oh, it was huge! It felt so. . . authoritative back there. She stretched and widened to allow it passage. She felt it enter the warm, tight confines of her body. It was. . . oh, mercy, it was inside her, and she could feel every inch of it! He slowly lowered her onto the greased pole. Then it was in. Many of the punishments they so enjoyed administering generated an embarrassing physical need of great intensity that the subject was not able to satisfy. Thus the hunger of her sex demanded that she masturbate to relieve it. The itch that still bedeviled her nipples would encourage her to rub herself, there, improperly, had she been able. The rod generated, within her, the sensation of being full and needing with impossible urgency and desperation to empty herself. She squirmed as much as she could, but there was no escaping it. Roland nodded. "Take her before the Court," He commanded, and they began their journey. "Silence, please," Cried the announcer. "The Court invites you to look to the main doors as Lady Jessica McLangly is presented for sentencing." They stood, and looked with great interest. They had no idea what to expect, so her state of utter disgrace would be a surprise. She heard the squeak of the wheels of her cart as she was rolled through the door. Oh, Mercy! She had thought she would cry, but this was a humiliation beyond tears. In the moment that the dozens and dozens of Lords and Ladies looked upon her, she realized that she would always be remembered this way. And that they could enjoy her misery guiltlessly because she deserved it and because she glowed. She hung her head and whimpered. Her hips moved because they could not be still. If the smarting sting in her raw sex didn’t compel her, the rod that spread her buttocks so much would have. But those discomforts were even unnecessary. She needed to spend so bad she couldn’t wait to be allowed to ask for it. Maybe, she thought with great shame, if I mortify myself, I’ll be ‘rewarded’ the way Andrea was. At least it would be something. . . Katherine stood, and looked down from the dais at her. "Welcome to the Court, Jessica. Oh my! Oh, my! We have been naughty, haven’t we?" Laughter. The Princess’s simpering tone was perfect mockery and the Court appreciated it. "Clearly you are very. . . ready. . . for your sentence." She spoke to the gathered crowd. "This young lady’s passion has gotten her here. I felt it would educational for the Court to see exactly what sort of imaginings could lead a girl so astray. With the help of a spell prepared by the Court Magician, her thoughts will be made public. If she can. . . resist. . . thinking of such things, she may disappoint us, but I believe that will not be the case. Do you have anything to say, Jessica?" She looked up. She had to try! Maybe, just maybe if she were utterly sincere and held nothing back! She cried desperately, her face raised to Katherine and begged, "Please, Princess! I beg you and the Court don’t reveal me so! I beg some other humiliation!" Katherine just smiled and Jessica, lifted a narrow wand, with a flick of her wrist, set Jessica’s mind free. She held it as long as she could, and though the magic was strong, her desperate fear of loosing Roland was stronger. For a moment, nothing happened. She looked at him, terror streaming down her cheeks, and he shook his head. "Tell them, Jessica," He whispered. Oh, Mercy, she thought. And she did. They were the most arousing things she could think of. Being walked on a leash. Being punished in public. Made to serve and obey. Being displayed naked in public, and performing all manner of sex in private. She imagined being used mercilessly, his cock, which she imagined to be huge, sliding in and out of her, without regard for her pleasure. She imagined humiliating scenes in which she was treated as a bad little girl. Being forbidden or compelled to masturbate. She imagined all this, but, almost worse, were her teddy-bear-sweet, story-book-romantic endings, in which he forgave and loved her. Respected her, even, although it seemed ludicrous. Held her and pressed his lips against her, soothing her tears. She was a tough, proud girl, and her secrets mortified her. The crowd sat in awe. In the silence that followed, she heard a voice. It was his. Roland’s. It was loud and clear. "May I address the Court?" There were some whispers. A few. Mainly exclamations of respect for his bravery and willing to draw their attention to him and away from the supplicant at a time like this. If his reasons were not. . . impeccable? And maybe even if they were, he would still risk the Princess’s sever displeasure. "Of course you may, Roland. I presume you wish to. . . comment? Comment on Lady McLangly’s rather interesting ponderances of you." She smiled sweetly, and the Court nodded and babbled softly in agreement. That was it! He meant to make some joke or declaration at the poor Lady’s expense and heighten her misery! In the moment between her assent and his reply, they all agreed that it was a very shrewd move, and would like advance him within his rank. With a misery like the weight of oceans, Jessica felt herself sink. Her face burned with the shame of what she had showed them, and she waited, her breath held, for him to lower the axe. "I wish to speak of my observations of Lady Jessica McLangly," He said. "Proceed, Lance Corporal." She studied him impatiently. Yes, since he had featured rather prominently in her fantasies, he was entitled to his moment of fame. But drawing it out was unwise. Especially since she had some wonderful, witty and amusing things to tease poor, sobbing, humiliated Jessica with. Hurry! she willed him. "I believe the Court will agree that, whatever her other faults. . . and they may be. . ." He glanced at her and sighed. "many. . . clearly dishonesty is not one of them." He waited. She looked at his eyes, trying to guess where he might be going with this, but his eyes were blank. Soldier’s eyes, she thought. Dismiss him, then. Tell him that he may make speeches on his own time. But that blank stare of his was, in some subtle way a challenge, and to dismiss him would be to back down from it. While she considered, the men and women in the Galleries, speaking amongst themselves in soft whispers had agreed that she was an honest girl. She had pled guilty, hadn’t she? And had admitted everything now, before everyone! "She has been honest, Lance Corporal." She looked at him. "If you’ve something to say, then say it. And in any event, I wish to see you when Court is adjourned." That should have buckled his knees. It didn’t phase him. "Only this, Your Highness. When I collected her, she fled at first, but then came with me. We discussed her crimes and she told me that she was guilty and deserved the fine punishment that she has received." He stopped, and walked forward, his footsteps echoing in the great chamber. He came to stand before the Princess and the Prince. "She mentioned then, that she had not sinned alone. That many of the girls in her class were guilty of such things." He looked up, his eyes meeting the Princess’s. "I realize, Your Highness, that these Courts and punishments are not for crimes committed long ago, but only for those who have continued, in their adulthood, to indulge in forbidden pleasures. I have given some thought as to how she might have been caught. Her and Lady Connor. And, I confess that I have very few ideas. But it is clear that they both have a passionate imagination and a taste for extreme sensations." He stood a moment. "I feel that it is my duty, as a sworn defender of the Great Contract to express these observations and to ask, Your Highness, were there any other girls who shared these traits and were known to dream meddle?" Princess Katherine opened her lips to speak and then closed them. "What are you implying, Soldier?" She said. She said it coldly. "That there may be some who deserve to be punished, who have, so far, escaped justice." He did not look away. She laughed. "Commendable, Lance Corporal. If it were your duty to investigate these things, you would be a tribute to your uniform. As it stands, I can only assure you that these matters are." She leaned forward, giving him one last chance, "well in hand. Now, you have interrupted us enough, and stolen some of Lady McLangly’s well earned fame, so please await my audience in a side chamber." He didn’t move. He studied her, and then he nodded. "Your Highness, I feel that there is enough evidence in Lady McLangly’s statements and your demeanor to implicate. . . you." Nobody breathed and nobody moved. Jessica looked at him, standing alone, and she wanted to beg that he cease. That he not condemn himself any further, but it was obviously already too late. "Get this sniveling, heretical peon out of my sight," The Princess said. She said it to the guards. Her voice was normal. Outraged, but hardly afraid. When the guards moved, his hand went, ever so subtly to his sword and they stopped. "I will surrender myself to your will, Your Highness, as soon as you have addressed my concern." She glared at him. "I will do no such thing. And you will be tormented day and night in the public square for this. You’ll. . ." "Did you ever dream meddle?" He asked, interrupting her. She opened her mouth. And then closed it. There were, of course, many people here who knew. She could not simply deny it. The Prince looked at her and she felt color and a faint heat in her cheeks. "I. . . In school. . ." She laughed, but it was a funny, almost pitched laugh that sounded the slightest bit hysterical in the quiet of the Court. "It was years ago." She stared at her husband. "Richard, everyone did it. This is. . . This is not the place." She mustered her dignity and brandished her authority and turned back. "Guards, I have spoken. Remove this man immediately. He has insulted his Princess, and he will pay." "Have you dream meddled since school, Your Highness?" She looked at him, thinking that she must not let anyone see the fear that threatened to explode from her chest. She must not, for a moment let them think that she was anything less than utterly unconcerned. She gripped the arms of her throne to keep her hands from trembling. Oh, mercy, why didn’t he flee? How could he stand to challenge her? She was. . . she was terrible. Because, she saw, when she looked into his eyes, he was sure. And his certainty allowed anything. She felt her lips tremble. "Never," She said. "Never since." She swallowed, thinking hysterically, that she must speak louder if they were to believe her. "I. . ." "Would you say so under Compelled Oath, Your Highness?" he asked blandly. "No!" She looked around. "I. . ." She turned to the Prince. "Why do you allow this? Richard, this. . . this man. . . and the guards. . . and all the servants who have not removed him must be. . ." He studied her intensely and seconds passed in which he neither moved nor spoke. Then it was clear from his manner that he reached some conclusion. But he said nothing. There was a single, soft footfall as Roland approached the dais. She shrank back into the plush chair, he eyes wide as she looked into his. Oh, Mercy. . . mercy, no. . . please. . . she shook her head and her lips whispered, ". . . anything you desire! Please. . . oh, mercy. . ." "Sire," Roland said, "I am no magician, but I believe I can compel the truth from your wife by more traditional means. If I may?" The Prince glanced mildly around the crowded room. He shrugged. "You are a Soldier. Do your duty," Katherine moaned. The Lance Corporal smiled. ArkSyn
The Princess’s Court Part 5 of 5 (FM/FF nc) This couldn’t be happening! Princess Katherine looked wildly around from the faces of her guards to the faces of the aristocrats in the Galleries. They, by the looks of shock she saw, couldn’t believe it was happening either. Lance Corporal Roland took her by the wrist and pulled her from her throne. Then he brought her around, and she found herself face to face with her reflection on the polished floor. She was over his knee. She was a Princess, arrayed in her finest dress, before the whole Court. . . the Court she would have to face every day for the rest of her life, and she was over his knee! And she had been very bad. No, she told herself. I must fight! I. . . I can’t confess. . . not after what I’ve done! She struggled, and he captured her hand. In one motion her dress was raised, exposing the white curve of her panties. "It has clearly been a long time since you’ve had a spanking, Your Highness. I think I’ll allow you your panties." She felt his fingers caress the thin silk strip that covered her bulging sex. He stroked the dark furrow between her nether lips, and she flushed knowing that he found her hot and wet. POW! Ugh! Mercy! That stung. . . it hurt! POW! "This will stop," he said calmly, "When you confess and give proof. It’s up to you how long it lasts." He began to spank with a rhythm. She was as unused to punishment as any of the Ladies, but unlike some, she had witnessed dozens and she knew how ridiculous it looked to squirm over your punisher’s lap. She felt horrible shocks of humiliation rip through her, and it was even worse than the pain. He stripped her of self control and dignity, one spank at a time, knowing that the time of tears and confessions would inevitably come. And so he was in no hurry. Oh Mercy! Oh, that hurt! She mustn’t make a noise! Can’t cry! Oh, all the people! The sounds echoed sharply in the hall and sounded like fire works! When she did squeal, she realized how quiet the room was, except for her and him. POW! POW! POW! The situation under her panties was getting unbearable. She tried to remind herself of what would happen if she confessed, but it didn’t seem to matter. Her struggles were becoming more frantic now, and little by little, noises were escaping from her. This was horrible! She looked back, trying to determine if his intention, and he smiled back at her, not at all impatient. "Owww!" She shrieked, and struggled without any care for how she looked. The spanking had to stop now! She couldn’t bear another second of it! "Stop! I order you! Oh! OH! Please!" He chuckled. "I think you know how to stop this." Over his knee she was helpless. He had her buttocks at a perfect height and position. He punished them carefully, and methodically. He was, she realized, with something like terror, doing what she had done so many times. He was taking her through the stages of a spanking, letting her suffer each one along the way before moving forward. She had been in the reversed position many times, and had enjoyed the hopeless resistance the supplicant presented. Through her mind flashed all of the pridefull girls she had broken over her lap, and she began to weep. "Please! Not in public! Please!" "Yes, Princess. In public, before everyone. And with full knowledge that when you do, it will be even worse. If you need comfort, take it in the fact that you will get what you deserve." He went faster now, the preliminaries over, and her body responded beautifully. He had brought her to an intimate place, where he controlled all pleasure and pain, and gave her what she knew she deserved. The terrifying intimacy of her situation broke her and she sobbed out her confession. "My Diary," She cried. "It’s all there. Oh, mercy, Sir! Please!" No body moved. The Prince spoke. "This is true the, Katherine?" She nodded, crying so hard that she was almost breathless and shook with her sobs. She pressed her face into her hands, unable to bear the sight of those around her. The Prince nodded. "Then there shall be justice." He nodded to Roland. "Disrobe her. It is unfitting that she should enjoy the dignity of clothing. She may retain her corset and the boots, for the Court will find it amusing that she not be utterly naked. But everything else must go." "As you wish, Sire," Roland said. He stood her before him and without any preamble began to remove her clothes. She enjoyed being undressed sensuously, and often instructed her handmaids to assist her in such a manner. Then, she would admire her body, and if there were others around, she would know that they found her beautiful, and she would revel in their awe. The Soldier just stripped her and it was horrible. There was no awe. They enjoyed her beauty, but her terror and tears inspired more amusement and pity than reverence. She stood in her corset, her silken panties and her boots of white leather, and trembled. Her fine dress lay on the side. Her face, carefully made up, was now streaked with tears. She squirmed in place as he prepared to remove the last of her dignity. "Sir, no. . . you can’t. . ." She struggled for words that would make him understand. He had to understand! "I am a Princess, Sir. . . I cannot be shamed so. . ." He nodded. "Because as a Princess, you will feel it so much more deeply? Because if you are disgraced, you will be revealed to be unworthy of your authority? And because once they have acquired a taste for your humiliation and submission, it will be expected?" Oh, mercy! He understood. She nodded, sobbing. Oh. . . Oh, he would spare her. . . march her away, and she would suffer in private. Roland shook his head. "You should feel it deeply, you are unworthy of your authority, and I suspect it will be a long time before the Court tires of you." He slit her panties at the waist with a pocket knife, and drew them away. She felt them slide away, and she was exposed. The Princess shrieked and folded to her knees, her hands trying to hide the light that poured out of her. She heard the room reverberate with laughter and applause. The Prince held up a hand. During the silence, he studied the scene before him. His wife shook and sobbed. The soldier awaited instruction. "You did not know. You only suspected. You are lucky you were right," He said. Roland nodded once. "Since you were right, and because of the risk you took, I wish to reward you. Name it." He didn’t hesitate. "Lady McLangly has a year of service to fulfill." He looked back at her, and she looked up at him from the wrack she hung on. On the floor, at his feet, Katherine realized what was happening, and how her plans had failed. Even backfired. She moaned, deeply. "I have need for an assistant and if you will grant me a boon, I would like the service of Lady Jessica McLangly." Jessica stared at him, trembling. She didn’t know what to feel, or what to think. She felt the eyes of the assembly upon her but for the first time she didn’t care. The Prince laughed. "If I had figured so prominently in her. . . desires, I might wish her as an assistant also. But there are some matters that remain to be clarified. Her year is to be one of hardship. Would you be strict with her?" "I promise, Sire, that she shall, at times, wish she were under Katherine’s hand. She shall be held to the highest expectations, and corrected in a most thorough and meticulous manner when she does not meet them." The Prince nodded. "And more importantly, will you care for her? You may treat her as a toy at times, but you must never forget that she is not one." He looked back again, appearing to assess her. He turned back to the dais. "Sire, I cannot help but care for her. It is not an issue." The Court broke into scattered, excited conversation. Whispered suppositions. From sounds and tones and half heard words she realized that they approved. She looked up, and found the Prince’s gaze upon her. "What do you think of this?" He asked, "Not that you have a say, but I wish to know. You have been rather. . . revealed to him. Does not the idea of his knowing your secret dreams intimidate you?" "Terribly, Sire," She managed. "And how do you feel about being punished by him?" "He is. . ." She looked down, blushing again, "merciless with me. I cannot bear it." "Then do you wish to spend your year serving him, knowing that you shall be spared nothing?" She looked up and bit her lower lip and nodded. More than anything, she thought. "Then it is granted." He turned to Roland. "She is yours. See to it that you are worthy of the honor." Roland stepped past the Princess and as the Court watched in silence, he crossed the floor to where she hung. He took her gently, and held her while he brought his lips to hers. He kissed her then, and she heard the roar of the crowd thunder in her ears. Prince Richard nodded the Court. "Let the festivities begin." Jessica, still mounted upon her wrack, had been moved to the dais, where Roland stood by the Prince while they watched the Court floor fill with feasters and dancers. Tables had been brought in, and there were roast pigs basted in pineapple juice and sweet potatoes and steaming pies and great flasks of wine and ale. The decision of how Princess Katherine was to enjoy the occasion had been answered when it appeared that one of the serving girls (one of her handmaids, apparently) could not be found, and so it had been requested that she take the girl’s place. The Princess made a horrible servant, Roland thought, but she was learning. Lady Isabel, a strong, exotic beauty from their past had just corrected her on her attitude. "You must be grateful to serve, Kathy," She said with a smile. "Come here." The Princess came forward slowly, but Isabel, seated on one of the long benches patted her lap. "Over me, Honey. Right there. Good. Now spread your ankles wide. When I have a new serving girl with a bad attitude, I always like to spank down upon the buttocks and up upon the sex. It makes things much more personal and effective." Several of the other Ladies agreed and positioned themselves to enjoy the spectacle. One asked, "Would you care that she’s already very sore and tender ?" "Mercy, no!" Isabel laughed. "I wouldn’t give it a thought. In matters of attitude correction, I think it’s best to punish just as hard as she were pristine." Again, there was much good-natured laughter and agreement. They scolded the Princess playfully, telling her to keep herself exposed that the punishment could be applied to the most sensitive parts of the flesh, and offering suggestions of awful torments she might endure if she dared close her legs. They had her in tears before the spanking even began. Isabel had been one of Jessica’s friends, and an outcast as well, in school. Now, the Ladies (many of them from Katherine’s crowd) seemed to feel that they had misjudged her and watched with rapt attention to see how she would deal with the Princess. "Just as I would any naughty servant girl," She explained. "I would give her exactly what she needs." The spanking began with one on the left, one on the right, and then an upswing to lay a stroke on the tender curve of the Princess’s sex. The sound was wet and loud. When the Princess screamed for mercy, she was gently admonished that she was expected to show her appreciation for being so well disciplined. The sound of her thanks rang out though the room. When, at last, Isabel was done, she consoled the sobbing girl, holding her and telling her she would learn eventually. She showed the Katherine the hand that had been used to chastise her and explained that it was rather soiled with the wetness of Kathy’s sex, and that Kathy was expected to clean it. She praised the girl’s humility as Princess Katherine licked her clean. But then there was a spill in the kitchen, and one of the girls, smiling sweetly appeared in the doorway to summons the new serving girl to come and clean it. She held a wooden spoon, and suggested that her Princess come fast, or she would use it upon her. The Princess came as fast as she could but it wasn’t enough and they all enjoyed the loud scolding with emphasis delivered by the spoon, before Katherine disappeared inside. This had been going on all night, and would continue until the revelers were through. The Prince sighed. "I shall have to arrange for some very imaginative trials for her. After all, she must be seen to suffer worse since her station is higher." Roland nodded. "I am sure there are many who would offer suggestions." The Prince turned to his side. Jessica was exhausted. She had, during the party, drifted off to sleep many times, despite her torment. When she was awake, she was always dreamily happy that Roland was at her side. He hadn’t left her, even when he had been asked to come down and join in with the dancing and feasting. He had only left once to bring her some wine and a plate of food that he fed to her and she devoured. "I presume that she would be one of them." He made her look at him "Lady Jessica, if it were your sentence to name, how would Princess Katherine be cared for? She glanced at Roland. "Be extravagant," He told her with a slight smile. "We know you’re capable of it." Jessica blushed, and began to consider. Morning came and she realized that she was in the Soldier’s Quarters. He had a private room and a cot, and a mat for her to sleep on. She was covered with a blanket that was warm, but itchy and uncomfortable. Oh, Mercy! The events of the night came flooding back to her, and she stifled a whimper of passion and confusion. It seemed impossible, but it was true. She looked up, afraid that some reality might break the spell, and saw him sleeping easily upon his cot. She drew the blanket closer around her and shivered, not from cold, from the intensity of what she had experienced. When the revelers had gone, he had lifted her, cleaned, and carried her here. She had been mercifully exhausted and sore, and it had felt wonderful. Now concerns like hunger and needing to use the chamber pot were allowed to be felt, but those could be delayed. She was his. She played with the idea and found it terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It was only for a year but. . . but what then? And what might he do with her? Why, anything, of course! The Princess had seen to that! He knew what she imagined, and so he would not hesitate. If she needed to be punished, he would use her own ideas and needs and fears against her, and it would be unbearable! Awful! She shuddered and smiled, and couldn’t take it anymore. She let her hand test her flesh. Oh! Owww. . . still raw and sore from her hours on the Wheels. . . but if she were careful. . . oh, the release would be. . . She looked up. He was asleep? His breathing was regular and soft. Good. She explored herself again, testing the sensitivity of the wet, pink flesh between her lips. It was still slightly stitched with the bites of the insects, and still swollen with kiss of the floggers and canes upon the wheel, but it felt magnificent to touch it. Only the lightest, most frustrating contact was allowed, but she felt that with a good half-hour she might be able to relieve herself. Jessica began to masturbate, letting her mind wander, and letting her fingers search out what pleasure they could find. She closed her eyes and she imagined she was in the Court, displayed, humiliated, and he stood before her. He was naked and powerfully hard, and he meant to match the dowel in her rear with his cock in her front. And she was so raw and sore, and he was so big! She imagined that she begged him (horrified) not to take her so, for she could not bear it, but he would! Oh, he would be harsh and merciless, and she would. . . He took her wrist and lifted it away from her and she moaned. Oh mercy. . . Ohhhhhhhh. . . it was an agonizing, physical pain, and she flopped, like a fish, beached, until she could master herself. Blushing furiously, she dared glance up to meet his eye. He was smiling. "Are Ladies allowed to do that?" He asked. She shook her head. "What about ladies who have been naughty?" She shook her head again, looking down. She whimpered. "And what should we do?" "Punish me, Sir," She said, her voice very quiet. Oh, Mercy, this was embarrassing! How was it that, after all she had been through, she could still be mortified? Roland pulled her, effortlessly lifting her atop him, and then he rolled her over so that he was laying on her, looking down. She felt the weight of his body. "I think," He told her, "That you have a good many bad habits that we will need to break you of. This is one of them. But perhaps the best way to begin is to show you how much better it would be if it were done properly." She felt pressure against her nether lips, and she moaned, and he slid inside her. She ached and stretched, and cried out, pressing her lips against his chest, and bucking up against him. Had he allowed it, she would have spent instantly, but he didn’t. He moved slowly at first, awakening rhythms deep inside her that built like a tide. Like a tidal wave. She struggled to hasten the process, but he knew what he was doing, and there was no hope of that. Finally, she just let him, and she felt herself come apart. From outside, the servants passing in the hall could see flashes, like strobe lights coming from the crack under the door, and they heard her moaning. He must be punishing her horribly, they thought, and hurried on. The pillory in the courtyard compelled it’s occupant to kneel and it included cuffs for the ankles to insure that the flesh between the legs would be visible. It was on a circular platform no more than a few inches off the ground, that turned so that the Lords and Ladies and servants and soldiers could enjoy the view from their windows. Often a naughty maid, or a misbehaving young private occupied the pillory, but today it was the Princess. She heard passing soldiers joke about how she turned like a lighthouse, and maids giggled near the walls over discussion on the state of her buttocks and thighs. When she thought of how she had been humiliated during the night, she cried, and wished miserably that they had allowed her some privacy. They hadn’t even taken her to the bath chamber! The moment she had awakened, she had been brought here! At least someone would bring her food soon. She was starving. In all the punishments given at the court, from the towers to the dungeons, guards would see to it that the subject received food and water, otherwise, no relief. She had often enjoyed assigning long stays in such bondage because she knew that it magnified even the smallest discomforts to heroic proportions. Now, with not even an hour passed, she was beginning to understand how cruel she’d been. She wiggled uncomfortably and tried to find some measure of peace. Footsteps. Oh. . . someone. She looked up and was glad to see two figures carrying bowls that would be her breakfast, but then she gasped. "Good morning, Kathy," Jessica said. She nodded, surveying the young woman’s body. Very appropriate, she thought, smiling. Very severe. "I brought you some oatmeal, but before you’re allowed to eat it, I’m to give you four tablespoons of castor oil." She sat down beside the Princess’s head, and lifted some of the girl’s hair out of her face. Andrea moved around behind her, out of view. "I. . . please, Jessie, I can’t.. . . I’m to be out here all day," Katherine said softly. "Then you’ll want your breakfast," Jessica told her. She began to measure a soon of the dark liquid. "They. . . please. They won’t let me out. Not even to. . ." She sucked in air that became a sob. "I’m out in public, Jessie! Everyone can see me. . ." Jessica stroked her cheek, feeling the tension in her. Fear of humiliation. Fear, Jessica thought, of humiliation that would come to pass. "Spare me this, I. . . oh, Jessie, I’m begging you!" ‘Shhh. . ." Jessica gently parted the Princess’s lips, and fed her the spoonful. She smiled at the Princess’s face. Just like a child! "Just three more," She coaxed. Sobbing, furious at the unfairness of it, but afraid of what they would do if she disobeyed, the Princess took her medicine. Jessica’s soothing, mocking comments about what a good girl she was being made it infinitely worse! Oh, she hated the girl! Oh, this was torture! It tasted terrible, and it made her stomach feel heavy and full, and she knew where that would lead. . . "Do you want to feed her while I apply the soap?" Andrea asked. "Soap?" She asked. What were they talking about? "It’s a rather severe, pasty soap," Jessica explained. "It needs to be washed off quickly, or the itch is just horrible. You can’t imagine. Andrea’s going to clean your anus and sex, but we haven’t brought any water. I’m sure someone will come along and rinse you. And soon I hope. I’m told it’s just maddening. . ." She shook her head. The Princess’s expression was wonderful, "No! Please, not. . ." She shook her head. Andrea giggled. "They didn’t even gag her. Do you suppose she’ll beg passing stable boys to come and clean her? Maybe order them to?" The idea was awful, and even though it was hopeless, Katherine struggled. Andrea watched her for a time, and then, to end it, spanked her once. The Princess cried out and then whimpered. She was that tender. "You’re to stay still, Kathy," Andrea said. "Do you understand?" They wanted her to say it. They wanted her to talk, and she realized miserably that she had no choice. "I understand," She said quietly, and as though it were a great effort. SLAP! Katherine cried out, and just as she was finished, Andrea spanked her again. "I understand," She said, desperately and with great conviction, "I do! I shall be still! Ow! OWW! Please! PLEASE!" Jessica laughed delightedly. "Why Kathy, she’s hardly even spanking you! Are you that tender?" Behind her, Andrea playfully swatted at the defenseless target. She was amazed at how quickly she could render the Princess squealing and begging, and wished to explore this state. She also watched the girl’s frustration level rise. Being held in place and spanked was galling! "How are you to address Jessie and I, Katherine?" She asked, making sure she kept the girl nearly hysterical to make answering more difficult. "Miss. . . I mean, Ma’am! I understand, Ma’am! Pleaaseee!" "And you’ll be good?" She was glad to see that Jessica was entertained greatly by this. Let’s see if I can entertain her more, Andrea thought. "I’ll be good, Ma’am! I promise! I’ll be good! Please! Oh, please, stop! I can’t bear it! Oh. . . OH!" "Then beg me to soap you. Be specific and loud," She had to raise her own voice to be heard over Katherine’s cries, "enough to make everyone knows what you need." Surely, Jessica thought, this is too much! Surely she won’t submit to that, and she’ll have to be thrashed thoroughly! She expected some resistance, but the Princess’s swollen buttocks were beyond bearing anything and she cried out, desperate to please her tormentors. "Soap me! Please soap me terribly! Oh, my. . . oh, my sex." SLAP! "My Sex!" She cried so that Jessica blushed, thinking about who was watching this and how it must look. Poor Katherine! "And my anus! Please! Please punish me terribly! Oh! Oh!" "There, there, Princess," Jessica said. The spanking was over, but Katherine was still struggling to compose herself. They gave her a time to think about her situation and bring her trembling body under control. Then Jessica began to feed her, spooning oatmeal into her mouth, while Andrea smeared some of her most delicate skin. She felt soaped fingers slide in and out of her, leaving her gasping for breath. She was even still when Andrea, finding her clitoris sensitive, rubbed it harshly, so that the discomfort was incredible. Finally they were done, and Jessica stood. "I think you’ll have plenty of time to learn to take your spankings, Kathy." She knelt and kissed her tenderly and Katherine watched them leave. Her hand twitched in the pillory lock. Somewhere, between her thighs, she felt the irritation begin. "Jessie, Andrea! Please! Oh, please! Oh, mercy, don’t leave me like this! Oh, it’s terrible! Oh. Oh, I shall perish!" Andrea giggled. "Do you think she realizes it’s not even began yet?" She asked Jessica. Jessica looked back and then up at the clear morning sky. "If she doesn’t, she will." She said with a smile. When she next appeared in Court, some days had passed and some preparations had been made. Jessica looked different, too. She was dressed simply, for travel, with an ankle length brown skirt and a forest green blouse. Her hair was tied back. It was clean and straight. Roland allowed her no makeup and no styling. He had also had her fitted for anklets, bracelets, and a collar of soft leather. They were almost imperceptible, but she felt like they were terribly obvious. Not obvious, but more of a problem, was the leather belt she wore under her dress. She had confessed, over his knee, to masturbating often, and this would prevent that. It also meant she had to ask to relieve herself in other ways, and that she would receive no privacy at any time, but she had not been asked her opinion of the matter. She stood behind him, her neck bent, and she endured comments about how she looked like his contrite kid sister from the onlookers with a faint blush. It could, she realized, be much, much worse. The Princess’s throne was gone. In it’s place was a great wooden chair of ancient manufacture. It was intricately designed, with gargoyles staring down from it’s back, and hand rests carved like swans. It was, in it’s way, more impressive and imposing than even the Prince’s chair, but that was okay. It had a purpose, and it served it’s purpose to draw attention to itself. Princess Katherine sat in it, her wrists and forearms strapped to its arms, he ankles and calves tied along it’s legs, spreading them wide. The ties were snug but comfortable: it had been decided that she would still sit in Court, and thus would, on some weeks, sit all day, every day. But her buttocks did not rest on it’s seat, rather they hovered above it, her weight supported by straps that held her body in place. She was immobile and naked. The seat of the Princess’s Throne was carved as a face, in relief on the dark wood, and this was magic. It smiled up at her with wooden eyes and wooden lips, and with it’s soft, warm wooden tongue, it licked. It had started licking her the moment she was seated, and it only stopped when she was about to spend. The chair waited then, for its mistress to calm down so it might begin again. At first, it took some time to bring her to the edge. It would spend its effort between the lips of her sex and the tight, narrow opening of her anus. As one hour became two though, the time that she stayed in that heightened, dangerous state, where she might spend with the slightest pleasure was longer, and so was the time that she went with no stimulation at all. She could beg, though. She was tied and gagged, but she could beg with her hips and eyes, and she did. She saw them come and with a wild, hysterical expression, she moaned into the gag and tried to thrust her hips forward, inviting them to relieve her. Jessica saw tears on her cheeks, and watched her blush. She knew exactly how this looked, exactly how awful it was, and she did it anyway. She needed the friction. She needed to be filled. It would not happen. Not for a year. Jessica smiled up at her, and she looked away, unable to bare the girl’s pity. Roland addressed the Prince. "I wish to leave, Sire. I have. . . I think I am tired of the Court." "Where will you go?" The Prince asked. "To some of the New Lands, or perhaps the Dusk Valley. No place impossibly far or dangerous, but somewhere there’s adventure to be had." He shrugged. "Wherever the road goes." "And Jessica will accompany you?" "She must. And I dislike traveling alone." The Prince nodded. "I grant you leave then. Go out and learn new things and tell us all of your adventures when you return." He looked at Jessica. "Obey him, and learn from him, and take care of him." "Yes, Sire," She nodded. They were on the road that wound down from the Palace to the rolling foothills. They both rode his horse, her sitting in front of him, so that she rested against his chest and as he held the reigns, he held her. She was thinking ahead to when they might stop for the night, and maybe she could convince him (after dinner of course) to allow her a bath in one of the warm streams near here. And then, when they were in the water together, she might swim up to him and. . . She smiled, glanced back, and noticed an odd, puzzled expression on his face. "Sir?" He shook his head. "Just wondering. The Throne is a terrible punishment, but I had thought you’d have her put on the Wheel. . ." He looked at her. "You didn’t think of it?" "Oh I did," She smiled. "I even went to look at it again." She sighed, with a little laugh. "It was. . . occupied." -- THE END -- ArkSyn
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