by Alta Hensley
She heard the horses breathe heavily as they settled down for rest, and the wind rustling sand back and forth. No snakes, no warrior attacks. Just pure darkness.
The light of early morning woke Cinder, and she found herself cuddled closely to Donte, her head resting on his chest. His arm was around her, holding her close to him.
Without waking him, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. The horses were still there where they had left them. Nothing had changed about the desert.
Donte yawned and opened his eyes sleepily. "Good morning," he said as he scanned the surroundings and horses. He rose and made his way over to his horse. He pulled a canister of water from one of the saddle pouches and poured water into the palm of his hand. His horse greedily lapped it up. Cinder watched him and did the same. They both took a sip from the canister to wet their mouth and throat, then put it back in the saddle pouch. Everyone else was stirring and preparing for another long day of trekking the desert toward their new commune.
"Let us keep moving. We should be there soon," he called out loudly as he helped Cinder mount.
She watched him slide gracefully onto the back of his horse and before she knew it, they were riding again.
Just like every day they had spent in the desert so far, the sun was hot and grueling, and the sand blew like a vortex around them. At one point, Cinder leaned forward and pressed her face into the horse's mane.
The heat exhausted her to the point where Cinder almost started seeing things. She had a constant headache and the scenery changed colors before her eyes. Instead of golden sand, it changed to red sand, crimson like the color of blood. At one point during the day, she thought she saw a cluster of palm trees and nearly fell off her horse trying to get to them. Donte had to splash her with water to knock her out of the delusion.
They needed to find Casen, and soon.
As the hours passed, the heat seemed to intensify and the horses grew weaker with each step. Clothes stuck to everyone’s bodies due to the amount of sweat they produced. Cinder wanted to talk as they traveled, but her mouth was unbearably dry and she could barely articulate her words.
Finally, the sun hit two or three in the afternoon and Cinder could hardly see straight. She glanced to the side to see Donte staring at her with concern. He moved to pull a canister of water from the saddle and handed it to her.
"Drink, Cinder. Stay with me." His voice was raspy, a sign that the desert took a toll on him as well. He pointed off in to the distance. "Look, Cinder. Casen."
Cinder narrowed her eyes and lifted her head, looking where he was pointing. Then, she saw trees.
"Are those actual trees?" she asked anxiously. "Am I really seeing trees and not just hallucinating?"
Donte kicked his horse, galloping off. Cinder kicked her horse and followed closely behind as did everyone else. She could see by the facial expressions of her fellow harem ladies, that they were as stunned as she was.
It didn't take long to close the distance, but soon they stood in front of a large building surrounded by luscious trees.
"Welcome to Casen," Donte said as he helped her off the horse. He gestured toward the large structure. "This is the housing unit for all the soldiers, but we’ll stop here to rest and drink. I’ll then show you our new home."
Cinder felt heat rush to her face, and then Donte's arms were around her. She felt his hands thread through her sweaty hair and she leaned against him, her face pressing into the curve of his neck.
"Can you stand?" he asked, clearly concerned.
She nodded. "I'm fine. Everything is now fine." She looked up into his eyes and stared for a long moment, feeling as if she could see his soul, the connection between them unbreakable.
She pulled back to look at him, but before she could say another word, he dipped forward to press his lips hotly to hers. Their bodies molded together flawlessly as she kissed him back, her lips exploring his mouth with tenderness rather than hunger. His hands touched every part of her body that they could, and the heat between them intensified.
A kiss of celebration.
A kiss of hope.
19
Glimmers of the rising sun spread its warmth over the flat horizon. The commune of Casen lay just up ahead. Cinder looked at the very crude structure; a far cry from the Palace of Lazar. A circular wall was in the process of being built by men, and watch towers were also being constructed. Barbed wire coiled along the top of wooden pylons, sharpened at their tips. Clearly, this commune was preparing for an attack. It didn't look like any paradise, but it would have to be their new home.
"Help the women, and get the horses to the stables," Donte commanded his men. "Rest up for the evening. You did a good job out there. We’re lucky to have you on our side." His praise to them seemed welcome as each man approached Donte with a pat on the back or a shake of the hand before heading off.
The women of the harem stood with only Donte in the entrance of the heavily guarded commune.
"They call this a commune," Mistress Tula murmured under her breath. Cinder turned to her in the harsh desert sunlight.
"Does anything satisfy you, really?" Cinder asked, annoyed by the woman's attitude. She knew there had been a time she was to respect and follow every command this woman gave. But things had changed, and Cinder grew to detest this woman. Mistress Tula was supposed to be their leader. She was expected to escort the harem to safety. And although it wasn't her fault they were captured, just as it wasn’t Cinder’s fault her group had also been taken, Mistress Tula was far from a leader. She didn't offer anything to the situation that any of the other girls didn't. She didn't offer guidance, comfort or strength. The only thing she had done during the entire journey was bitch and complain. And when they faced rape and death with Jaden, she'd cowered behind them all.
"Why are you so easily satisfied?" Mistress Tula calmly shot back. "I know you think we are now safe in this place, but this is not what I would consider an appropriate shelter. Jaden could crush us in seconds here."
Cinder shrugged her shoulders and walked away. Maybe she was crazy, but as she watched Donte talking to some other men in his small army, she felt safe.
"They’ve arrived! They’re here!" Elbi called out.
Elbi came walking out of a large building, with pure joy on her face. Cinder's heart stopped at the sight of her. Elbi! She was alive! Her group of women must have arrived safely.
Elbi looked at the swath of filthy, clearly exhausted women with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes made contact with Cinder's and she came running toward her.
"Cinder!" she cried, as she wrapped her arms around her. She pulled away and examined Cinder's body. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Cinder shook her head as tears cascaded down her face.
"I'm so happy to see you. I was so scared you were all killed." Elbi pulled away and hugged and greeted the rest of the women, scanning their bodies for injuries as well.
"Where did you find them?" Mistress Krin asked as she approached the harem from the doors of Casen as well. You could tell she was just as pleased as Elbi was.
Donte unloaded his horse as he spoke. "We rescued them from some Jaden soldiers. General Rhys was there."
"Did you kill him?" Mistress Krin asked, with contempt in her voice.
Donte shook his head. "The bastard ran, but not before killing some of our men and slitting the throats of two of our women." He turned to Elbi and then Mistress Krin. "Do you mind getting the women cleaned, fed and cared for? They've been though quite an ordeal."
Elbi and Mistress Krin both nodded silently and motioned for all the women to follow them. Cinder didn't want to leave Donte. She loved Elbi, but her paralyzing fear returned at the thought of not having him there to protect her.
"Cinder," Donte gestured Cinder over. He clearly could read the fear written across her face.
When he called her name, her small heart beat faster, booming in her chest. She quickly stood before him.
"You're going to be all right now. Go and ge
t cleaned up with Elbi and Mistress Krin. I promise that you’re safe."
He looked at Mistress Krin again. "Show the women to their new home. Some of them need medical care and wounds cleaned."
Elbi grabbed Cinder's hand and led her away from Donte and the other soldiers.
Cinder took a deep breath to calm the panic clutching her heart. She tugged at her scraps of clothing, realizing she needed to do as Donte ordered.
"Does this place keep them out? The Jaden army, I mean?" Her voice shook, almost as badly as her body.
Elbi squeezed her hand reassuringly. "They haven't found us yet. This commune is really in the depths of the dunes. Plus, allied forces are arriving daily. Soon we will be strong enough to fight them. Don't worry." Elbi looked over her shoulder at the rest of the harem following them. "We are all safe for now."
Cinder desperately wanted that to be true.
She tossed and turned in bed, trying to sleep as Donte directed once the harem was cleaned and fed. The hushed voices of Donte and several men behind the door pulled her attention. She wanted to be with them. Being in this foreign room, with just the harem, reminded her of all the pain she had endured since leaving the harem.
Nothing would be the same again.
Her mind brought her to the brink of madness, and she had to distract her thoughts. She got out of bed and padded her way to the main room of Casen, hoping Donte wouldn't mind. She paused in the hallway to hear what they were saying.
"More allies are coming," one of the commanders said.
"Have our men found all the women of the harem?" Donte's voice sounded tired as he asked the question.
"All the surviving ones."
"What about this man Cinder speaks of? Have you found his body based on her description?" Donte asked. “Nico?”
"There have been a lot of men killed recently. It’s just too hard to know if any of them are this man who offered assistance."
"The allies need to arrive soon. Jaden is stronger now. With the fall of Lazar, they now have our resources, our horses… everything that once belonged to us," Donte said.
"We’ll get it all back or die trying. We’ll regroup and conquer.” The commander who spoke sounded confident, and Cinder couldn’t help but be grateful for the positive outlook in such a dark time.
“No one knows if the prince survived the attack or not,” a soldier said. “The lack of this knowledge helps keep you safe.”
“I don’t care if they know if I’m alive or not,” Donte said. “They should fear the prince of Lazar. Not the other way around.”
Prince of Lazar?
Cinder stepped into the room. "Prince?" she asked confused. "Donte, did I hear you correctly?"
Donte and the soldiers turned in her direction the minute she entered.
"What are you doing out of bed? You were told to rest," Donte said with anger tinting his voice.
"I can't sleep. And besides, I'm fine." She took a few steps further into the room. "What were you discussing?"
Donte glanced at one of the commanders who nodded.
He took a few steps to her and placed his hand on her lower back. "Back to bed."
Cinder shrugged away from his touch. "What did they mean when they said prince?"
Donte took a deep breath. "I’m the prince of Lazar. I’m the man who once reigned over Lazar."
She looked at the soldiers who tried to appear as if they weren’t listening to the conversation and then back at Donte. "I don't understand. Why the secrecy? Why would you not admit to being the prince to me?" Her voice faded off at the last part of the question.
"Because I enjoyed observing. I enjoy overseeing the training of the harem. I can see truth in each of the women, see their true intentions."
"But we were being trained for… for you. Why wouldn't you just make it known you are the prince from the beginning?"
"Keeping my identity private when someone first joins the palace was a decision I made when I built it. I have also never revealed my identity to anyone outside of the palace. I wanted to build the allure, the mystery, but not actually be removed from the daily activity. The unknown created myths and stories. It was a way to see the loyalty of the harem and all involved before they learned the truth. Protecting my identity helped protect the palace. In a merciless world, I guarded myself from assassinations by concealing who I was. And right now, my secrecy has worked to my advantage. Jaden has no idea if I’m alive or dead. They have no idea I’m planning a counterattack," Donte added.
The commander nodded. "No one, other than a few members of the harem, knows what the prince looks like."
Cinder nodded in understanding. Her mind blurred with the onslaught of information.
Wait… did she understand?
She couldn’t help but feel lied to. Fooled. She had sex with the prince all along. She was obsessing, and forming intense feelings for… the prince! It never crossed her mind that Donte was the prince. Even Elbi and the other harem girls never let on that Donte was the prince. Although they had never denied the fact or even acted like Donte was anything but. They had said no one speaks of their time with the prince, but…
Donte placed his hand in the familiar spot on her back. "That is enough for now," he said in a low voice.
Cinder looked up into his stern, but concerned, eyes.
"We have a lot to do tomorrow, and you need to regain as much strength as possible."
"I've trekked through the desert many times, Donte. I can rebound fast." Defiance was not becoming of a harem girl, but she was salty about this new knowledge.
Did it change anything that Donte was the prince?
No, not really. But regardless, she was salty.
"Cinder, this is not a conversation I’m going to have. Leave us now, and go back to bed."
She shook her head. "I'm fine." She limped toward a nearby chair and almost sat down when she heard his voice, freezing her in her tracks.
"Cinder, to the room, now!" He pointed to a door leading to a room she had yet to be in.
"But…" She considered pushing him even further, but wisdom won over.
"This instant."
She looked at the soldiers as if they were going to step in and plead her case. They stood or sat with their arms across their chests with the same firm expression as Donte. Realizing she wasn't going to win this battle, she turned and quickly made her way to the room—Donte following close behind.
It was a private sleeping quarters, and she assumed it was Donte’s… Prince Donte.
She sat on the bed and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed in bed," Cinder said quietly. "I didn't mean to disobey you, but I just can't lie there and not have my mind race."
"You need your rest. What’s still ahead of us is going to take all your strength."
Cinder studied her palms and nodded.
"How’s the wound on your side?" he asked.
"It's wrapped. I really am not injured as badly as it appears."
Donte nodded his approval. "Good."
"I'm stronger than you think."
Donte nodded again. "Have you lost your submission? Has your strength suffocated the surrender you once had?" he asked quietly.
"I'm afraid I’m not the harem girl anymore. Maybe I never was. I wanted to be, but when faced with the reality of our world… I have to be a fighter. A survivor. I have to be ruthless and even selfish to stay alive. I pictured myself when I finally found the palace as it being a perfect utopia. Ball gowns, extravagant parties, caviar and champagne, beautiful dancing women, and a prince who would find me the most beautiful of them all and choose me. But all my visions shattered. Like glass. Into a million shards. I’m afraid I am not that fairytale princess I had so hoped to be. I can’t be."
Donte studied her. "No, indeed you are not. But I need to show you that there is power in compliance. It takes more strength to submit."
"How will you show me that?" Cinder asked, pulling her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly.
>
Donte's stern blue eyes found hers. "I think you know the answer to your question."
Cinder nodded, as Donte sat at the edge of the bed and patted his leg.
She understood the sensual invitation and removed her clothing without having to be asked. Letting her clothes pool at her feet, she laid her nude body over his lap in silence.
"I'm ready to submit to your discipline." Was she? Even though she said the words, she didn’t know if she truly was ready. Had that part of her, even with all the training, died?
Cinder clutched the sheets of the bed and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her body over his muscled thighs. She had missed the sensation of giving herself to Donte and his firm control.
The sound of the first spank echoed in the sparsely furnished room. Her surprised gasp followed. Keeping quiet for the sake of the soldiers would most likely be futile. No doubt the men in the next room would know that Donte was spanking her bare behind. Shame fueled by the sting of the continuous spanking sent her emotions spiraling. Tears threatened to fall, but for some reason, she couldn't let them release. A wall blocked the flow.
After a few more slaps to naked flesh, Donte paused and rubbed her heated skin. His hand parted her legs and found the wetness the correction caused. He rubbed his finger along her silky folds, collecting the signs of her arousal. With a slick finger, he pressed against her anus until the puckered flesh opened. He drove his finger past her asshole and let it rest in her depths.
"I know you have had to be a fighter, Cinder. I know you have had no choice but to allow dominance to take over that purity inside of you. I am so proud of you for being able to do so. But I don’t want you to lose that softness I have grown so fond of."
As he pumped his finger in and out, Cinder allowed the wall to crumble. A deep wave of erotic submission took over. She belonged to him. Donte gave her the gift of surrender back. The tightness left her body. The tension disappeared, and she once again felt like the safe, secure harem girl she thought she had lost in the desert.
He continued to spank with his free hand at the same rhythm of the thrusting finger. In and out, spank after spank, Donte demanded she give her body and soul to him. All the ugly, all the death, everything that threatened to eat her alive seemed so far away at the moment. Her mind drifted to a place of refuge.
